Tree Removal Permits in Peninsula: 18 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 · 18 cities · by Michael Schuck, ISA Certified Arborist WE-15750A, ISA Certified Urban Forest Professional WE-15750AF
18 jurisdictions in Peninsula, each with its own ordinance. 9 always require an arborist report with a removal application; Foster City has no private-tree permit. Permit fees run from $92 (Belmont) to $1,076 (Hillsborough). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atherton | Atherton requires a permit to remove valley, coast live or blue oak at 48″; other qualifying species at 48″. Measured as trunk circumference at 54″ above grade. Arborist report required in some cases. Permit fee from $775. Verified July 31, 2026. | from $775 | Sometimes |
| Belmont | Belmont requires a permit to remove principal native trees at 10″; any other species (large diameter tree) at 14″; city, right-of-way or replacement tree at any size. Measured as trunk diameter (DBH) at 54″ above grade. Arborist report required in some cases. Permit fee from $92. Verified July 31, 2026. | from $92 | Sometimes |
| Burlingame | Burlingame requires a permit to remove any species at 44″. Measured as trunk circumference at 54″ above grade. Arborist report required in some cases. Permit fee from $462. Verified July 31, 2026. | from $462 | Sometimes |
| East Palo Alto | East Palo Alto requires a permit to remove any species at 8″; tree preserved, planted or replaced under a development approval at any size; tree in a public street or right-of-way at any size. Measured as trunk diameter (DBH) at 54″ above grade. Arborist report required with the application. Permit fee from $519. Verified October 12, 2026. | from $519 | Required |
| Foster City | Foster City 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 |
| Hillsborough | Hillsborough requires a permit to remove any species at 18″. Measured as trunk diameter (DBH) at 54″ above grade. Arborist report required with the application. Permit fee from $1,076. Verified July 31, 2026. | from $1,076 | Required |
| Los Altos Hills | Los Altos Hills requires a permit to remove any oak at 36″; council-designated heritage tree at any size. Measured as trunk circumference at 48″ above grade. Arborist report required in some cases. Permit fee from $814. Verified October 21, 2026. | from $814 | Sometimes |
| Menlo Park | Menlo Park requires a permit to remove native California oak (genus Quercus) at 31.4″; any other species at 47.1″. Measured as trunk circumference at 54″ above grade. Arborist report required with the application. Permit fee from $542. Verified July 31, 2026. | from $542 | Required |
| Pacifica | Pacifica requires a permit to remove any species (protected tree) at 12″; toyon, heritage tree at 4″; any tree in a grove of 10 or more trees at 6″; 2 more protected classes. Measured as trunk diameter (DBH) at 54″ above grade. Arborist report required with the application. Permit fee from $264. Verified October 12, 2026. | from $264 | Required |
| Palo Alto | Palo Alto requires a permit to remove bigleaf maple and others at 11.5″; coast redwood at 18″; any other non-invasive, non-high-water-use species at 15″; 1 more protected class. Measured as trunk diameter (DBH) at 54″ above grade. Arborist report required with the application. Permit fee from $481. Verified July 31, 2026. | from $481 | Required |
| Portola Valley | Portola Valley requires a permit to remove coast live oak, black oak, valley oak or California bay laurel at 36″; blue oak (16″ circ / 5″ dia) at 16″; coast redwood or Douglas fir at 54″; 2 more protected classes. Measured as trunk circumference at 54″ above grade. Arborist report required with the application. Permit fee from $96. Verified October 12, 2026. | from $96 | Required |
| Redwood City | Redwood City requires a permit to remove any species at 38″; park & Recreation Commission heritage tree at any size. Measured as trunk circumference. Arborist report required with the application. Permit fee see fee schedule. Verified July 31, 2026. | see fee schedule | Required |
| San Bruno | San Bruno requires a permit to remove native bay, buckeye, oak, redwood or Monterey pine at 6″; any other species at 10″; council-designated tree or stand, or interdependent stand at any size. Measured as trunk diameter (DBH) at 54″ above grade. Arborist report required with the application. Permit fee from $181. Verified October 12, 2026. | from $181 | Required |
| San Carlos | San Carlos requires a permit to remove coast live, valley, blue or interior live oak, buckeye, madrone at 9″; california bay laurel at 11″; coast redwood at 15″; 1 more protected class. Measured as trunk diameter (DBH) at 54″ above grade. Arborist report required in some cases. Permit fee from $100. Verified July 31, 2026. | from $100 | Sometimes |
| San Mateo | San Mateo requires a permit to remove oak (Quercus spp.) at 10″; any other species at 15″. Measured as trunk diameter (DBH) at 54″ above grade. Arborist report required in some cases. Permit fee from $100. Verified July 31, 2026. | from $100 | Sometimes |
| San Mateo County (unincorporated) | San Mateo County (unincorporated) requires a permit to remove any species at 12.1″; indigenous species at 10″; douglas fir or coast redwood at 18″; 4 more protected classes. Measured as trunk diameter (DBH) at 54″ above grade. Arborist report required with the application. Permit fee from $444. Verified October 12, 2026. | from $444 | Required |
| South San Francisco | South San Francisco requires a permit to remove heritage species at 30″; blue gum eucalyptus and others at 75″; any other species at 48″; 1 more protected class. Measured as trunk circumference at 54″ above grade. Arborist report required in some cases. Permit fee from $121. Verified October 12, 2026. | from $121 | Sometimes |
| Woodside | Woodside requires a permit to remove madrone, blue oak, buckeye, alder, big leaf maple, tanbark and others at 24″; coast live oak and others at 30″; any other species at 36″. Measured as trunk circumference at 48″ above grade. Arborist report required in some cases. Permit fee from $130. Verified July 31, 2026. | from $130 | Sometimes |
Every cell comes from the verified 56-city dataset (CSV and JSON available there). Each city page links the code section and source.
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Written to the city's own checklist by an ISA Certified Arborist who does not sell tree work.