Tree Removal Permits in East Bay: 7 Jurisdictions Compared
One sentence per city, generated from the verified dataset. Click through for the full rule, the process and the fire-safety route.
Dataset version 2026-10-21 · 7 cities · by Michael Schuck, ISA Certified Arborist WE-15750A, ISA Certified Urban Forest Professional WE-15750AF
7 jurisdictions in East Bay, each with its own ordinance. 0 always require an arborist report with a removal application; Piedmont has no private-tree permit. Permit fees run from $324 (Dublin) to $817 (Hayward). Each city page has the code section, the fee schedule, the process and the fire-safety rule.
| City | The rule in one sentence | Permit fee | Arborist report |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berkeley | Berkeley does not issue private tree-removal permits. A coast live oak of 18″ circumference may not be removed unless the City Manager finds it a danger. Verified July 31, 2026. | no fee | Not required |
| Dublin | Dublin requires a permit to remove oak, bay, cypress, maple, redwood, buckeye or sycamore at 24″; tree preserved or planted under a development approval and others at any size. Measured as trunk diameter (DBH) at 54″ above grade. Arborist report required in some cases. Permit fee from $324. Verified October 12, 2026. | from $324 | Sometimes |
| Fremont | Fremont requires a permit to remove native species at 10″; any species at 18″; any tree on a vacant, underdeveloped or development-project lot at 6″; 1 more protected class. Measured as trunk diameter (DBH) at 54″ above grade. Arborist report required in some cases. Permit fee see fee schedule. Verified October 9, 2026. | see fee schedule | Sometimes |
| Hayward | Hayward requires a permit to remove listed native species (17 species) at 4″; redwood at 36″; any other species at 8″; 1 more protected class. Measured as trunk diameter (DBH) at 54″ above grade. Arborist report required in some cases. Permit fee from $817. Verified October 9, 2026. | from $817 | Sometimes |
| Oakland | Oakland requires a permit to remove coast live oak at 4″; any other species at 9″. Measured as trunk diameter (DBH) at 54″ above grade. Arborist report not required by rule. Permit fee from $579.06. Verified July 31, 2026. | from $579.06 | Not required |
| Piedmont | Piedmont has no permit for removing trees on private property. Street, park and city-designated heritage trees still need city approval. Verified July 31, 2026. | no fee | Not required |
| Pleasanton | Pleasanton requires a permit to remove listed native species at 37″; any other species at 55″; designated heritage tree at any size; 1 more protected class. Measured as trunk circumference at 54″ above grade. Arborist report required in some cases. Permit fee no fee. Verified October 12, 2026. | no fee | Sometimes |
Every cell comes from the verified 56-city dataset (CSV and JSON available there). Each city page links the code section and source.
Need a report a East Bay city will accept?
Written to the city's own checklist by an ISA Certified Arborist who does not sell tree work.