How Long a Tree Removal Permit Takes in Each Bay Area City
Most cities publish a notice or posting period rather than a decision deadline. What each city says, and how to appeal, with the source.
Dataset version 2026-10-12 · 45 cities · by Michael Schuck, ISA Certified Arborist WE-15750A, Certified Urban Forest Professional WE-15750AF
Where the code sets a deadline (Oakland: 20 working days) the table quotes it. Where the city only publishes a posting or notice period, that is the minimum wait before removal can start. Dead or hazardous trees often follow a faster path; see dead and hazardous trees.
| City | Published timeline | Appeal |
|---|---|---|
| Atherton | No published staff-level decision time. Planning Commission track: the complete packet must be received 19 days before the next regular meeting (fourth Wednesday, 6:00 p.m.) and approval takes effect 10 days after the decision; permit void if not used within one year. | Staff decisions are appealable to the Planning Commission and Planning Commission decisions to the City Council; all appeals must be made in writing to the Town within 10 days of the contested decision under Chapter 17.06 (fee schedule lists Planning 'Appeal' at $6,330). |
| Belmont | City contacts you within 72 business hours of the online application to schedule the arborist visit; permit can be issued at the visit. Posting period: 48 hours before removal (waivable for emergencies). Permit valid 60 days. Code states only that the reviewing authority 'must timely determine whether to issue the permit' (BCC 25-6(b)(3)). | The applicant may appeal a City Manager (non-development) decision to the City Council, or a development-related decision to the body that hears appeals on the development application; appeals are filed with the Permit Center within 10 days of the decision with a detailed statement and the Council-set fee. The code grants appeal rights to the applicant only. |
| Berkeley | No published timeline for the coast live oak exemption; no posting or notice period. (The department page's 2-4 week inspection window applies to requests for City-owned tree work, not to the private-oak exemption.) | Not published: BMC 6.52 contains no appeal provision and the form and department page describe none. |
| Burlingame | Decision within six months of a complete application (BMC 11.06.070); public notice to owners/residents within 300 feet; removal may not start until the 10-calendar-day appeal period passes; permit valid six months. | Any city resident, business owner or other person with an interest in affected property may appeal the Director's private-tree decision to the Beautification Commission by written or email notice to the City Clerk within 10 calendar days, with the appeal fee ($308 plus $158 noticing per FY26-27 fee schedule); the Commission's decision may be appealed to a hearing officer appointed by the City Manager within 10 calendar days ($769 plus noticing). No appeal where the Director approves removal of a dead or irreversibly declining tree, or for emergency orders. |
| Campbell | No published decision timeline; the Director renders a decision upon acceptance of a complete application (Ch. 21.38 completeness review). Notice: same-day mailed notice of decision to abutting/across-street owners (single-family); heritage-tree hearings are noticed and the site posted ten calendar days before the hearing. Replacement trees due within 30 days of permit issuance; incomplete applications must be completed within 180 days or are deemed withdrawn. | CMC 21.32.140 and 21.32.090: any person aggrieved by a decision of the approval authority may appeal under Chapter 21.62 (Appeals); Table 3-4 note 2 sets the filing rule - written appeal to the City Clerk within ten calendar days from the decision; Director decisions go to the Planning Commission and then the City Council (heritage-tree decisions of the Historic Preservation Board likewise). All appeal hearings are public hearings. |
| Cupertino | No published decision timeline. Code: site visit within fourteen days at the Director's discretion. Notice and posting required (per 19.12.030 and 19.12.110F) for heritage, privacy-planting, approved-development trees, specimen trees over 24 inches DBH and removals exceeding the 36-month cap; posted notice stays up until removal. Retroactive application for emergency or dead-tree removal must be filed within five working days (no fee). | CMC 14.18.190: any decision of the approval authority on a tree removal application may be appealed under Chapter 19.12. CMC 19.12.170: any person, firm or corporation aggrieved or affected may appeal, in writing on City forms, filed with the City Clerk within fourteen calendar days after the City decision (appeal fee per Council resolution); the appeal hearing body is determined under 19.12.030 and its decision is final and effective immediately. |
| Danville | Decision within 15 working days after filing a complete application (45 days if referred to the Planning Commission; concurrent with any related development entitlement). No posting or neighbor-notice period. | A person aggrieved by the Planning Division decision may appeal to the Planning Commission (and a Planning Commission decision to the Town Council) by paying the appeal fee ($332 per Master Fee Schedule) and filing a written notice of appeal stating specific grounds with the City Clerk within 10 calendar days after the determination (32-79.9). |
| Dublin | Director decision within 10 working days after receipt of a complete application (5.60.060(C)); concurrent with the entitlement decision for development removals. Appeal: 14 days to file; placed on the next regular Council agenda with at least 5 calendar days' notice to the appellant (5.60.070). No published city turnaround beyond the code; permit validity period not stated. | Any Director decision under the chapter may be appealed to the City Council by a written, signed appeal stating the reasons, filed with the City Clerk within 14 days of written notification of the decision, with the appeal fee set by Council resolution (FY 2026-27: applicant appeals billed time-and-materials; non-applicant appeals $258); the Clerk places it on the next regular Council agenda with at least 5 calendar days' notice; conducted under DMC 1.04.050; Council decision final (5.60.070). |
| East Palo Alto | Director decision within 30 days of a complete application (18.28.090(B)); decision final 15 days after notice is mailed; handout adds a 15-day pre-approval neighbour notice before the decision and 60 days after the effective date to remove and replant. Appeal window 15 days. | The Director's decision may be appealed in writing within 15 days of the notice of decision, to the Planning Commission under Chapter 18.106 (the 6/2/2025 city handout cites 18.116); the Planning Commission's decision is final (18.28.090(B)). Fee schedule (eff. 7/18/2026): 'Appeals to Planning Commission Each $9,595' (general Planning line; not tree-specific). |
| Foster City | Not applicable; no private permit regime and no published timeline for city consent to parking-strip tree removal. | Not applicable; the code contains no tree-permit appeal procedure. |
| Fremont | Department page: 2-4 week turnaround target (allow the full 4 weeks). Code: applications must be filed at least 15 days before the proposed removal date (90 days for landmark trees). No posting or public notice period for private protected trees; notice is mailed only for an appeal hearing (10 days). | Only the applicant may appeal the landscape architect's decision, to the City Council, by written appeal filed with the City Clerk within 10 days after the decision is mailed; the decision is final as to all other persons. At least 10 days' mailed notice of the de novo appeal hearing goes to the applicant and contiguous/across-street owners. |
| Hayward | Department page: typically one week to process (excluding applicant revision time). No posting or public notice period in HMC Art. 15 for non-development permits. | HMC 10-15.28: the Planning Director's decision may be appealed to the Planning Commission under the appeals process in Sec. 10-1.2845 (Zoning Ordinance); Art. 15 itself does not state who may appeal or the filing deadline, and the department page (which still says appeals go to the Planning Director) gives no deadline either, so the appeal window is not published in the tree ordinance. |
| Hillsborough | No published review/decision time. Neighbor notice must be mailed within 3 business days of applying and the affidavit filed within 1 business day of mailing; ADRB items are heard at the next available noticed meeting. Hazard track applies when an arborist states removal is needed within 30 days. | Administrative (staff-level) design review determinations may be appealed to the ADRB by a written notice of appeal filed with the Planning Division within ten days after the decision letter, with an appeal fee (FY26-27: Appeal of a Staff-Level Decision $4,652); ADRB decisions may be appealed to the City Council (fee schedule: Appeal of ADRB Decision $5,793; window not published on the pages read). For subdivisions the code says a city officer's decision 'may be appealed to the city manager' (HMC 14.04.030(F)). |
| Lafayette | Category I: completeness review within 30 days of filing; decision within 30 days of the application being deemed complete, or within 60 days if referred to the DSIMPIC, Design Review Commission, Planning Commission, or City Council. No public posting or notice period applies to Category I permits (ministerial, no hearing). | LMC 6-1710 routes appeals to LMC 6-225 through 6-238 (or 8-2110). Category I permits are acted on by the Zoning Administrator, so the applicant or any other dissatisfied person may appeal to the Planning Commission within 14 calendar days of the decision (6-226(a)(2), 6-231, 6-232), with a further appeal to the City Council; decisions made by city staff rather than the ZA are appealed to the City Manager within 30 days (6-234). Tree Permit Appeal fee $350 (fee schedule). |
| Los Altos | Published target: approximately 30 days (handout); presubmittal check within 7 days (electronic submittal handout). Posting: at least 10 calendar days on the property after issuance before removal; appeal window 10 calendar days from the decision. | LAMC 11.08.130: any action of the approval authority may be appealed by the applicant or any interested party to the City Council; the appeal must be in writing stating the reasons, accompanied by the Council-set fee, and filed with the City Clerk within ten (10) calendar days of the decision. FY 2026-27 fee schedule lists 'Appeal' at $1,048.57. |
| Los Gatos | Decision generally within 10-15 business days of a complete application (Town FAQ; not in code). Heritage/Large Protected Tree permits: 10-day neighbor notice period after Notice of Pending Issuance, plus 5 days to appeal an unresolved objection. Permit valid 90 days. | Any interested person may appeal the Director's decision to the Planning Commission (29.10.1045, per 29.20.260) by filing a written notice of appeal with the Planning Director within 10 days of the mailing of the written decision; FY 2026-27 fee schedule lists Tree appeals $112.00 (the June 2025 FAQ still cites $76). |
| Menlo Park | No published review/decision time. Posting: the applicant must post notice of removal on the property before the tree is removed; for criteria 5-6 the city mails notice to owners within 300 feet and the appeal period runs 15 days from posting. | Criteria 1-4 (dead, risk, health, species): only the permit applicant may appeal, in writing, within 15 days of the public works director's written decision, to the City Manager or designee, whose decision is final; criteria 5-6: the applicant or any Menlo Park resident may appeal within 15 days of posting to the Environmental Quality Commission, then to the City Council within 15 days. Appeals use the Heritage Tree Appeal Form and carry fees (FY2026: permit applicant $1,494 first tree + $200 each additional; community member $200 first tree + $100 each additional, max $500). |
| Mill Valley | City-published processing time of up to 30 days. Notice periods: heritage-tree hearing notice mailed to owners within 300 ft at least 10 days before the hearing and posted on site; Director approvals of non-heritage trees noticed 10 days before the effective date. | MVMC 20.67.200: any person aggrieved by a tree removal permit decision may appeal to the Planning Commission under Ch. 20.100, which requires a written appeal filed at City Hall by 5:00 p.m. on the 10th calendar day after the action (20.100.080); Planning Commission decisions may be appealed to the City Council; hearing within 60 days. Appeal fee (2026 schedule): Director/Zoning Administrator decision $917, Planning Commission decision $1,140. |
| Milpitas | No published timeline for a decision; no posting or neighbor-notice period in Title X Ch. 2 or on the checklist. | Not published for tree removal permit decisions. Title X Ch. 2 provides an appeal to the City Council only for Public Works Director nuisance-abatement decisions (X-2-10.06, per MMC I-20-5), with no stated filing period; the Planning fee schedule lists Appeal To Planning Commission/City Council $5,156. |
| Monte Sereno | No processing time is published. Code: Commission hearing after mailed 300-foot notice; appeal window 10 calendar days after the decision is mailed; Council appeal hearing set 10-60 calendar days after the notice of appeal is received (10.15.090(A)). Rebate program: staff contact within two business days of the rebate application. | Site and Architecture Commission decisions (grant, conditional grant or denial) may be appealed to the City Council by written notice filed with the City Clerk within 10 calendar days after the decision is mailed to the applicant; the applicant, any owner or tenant within 300 feet, a Council member or the City Manager may appeal; de novo public hearing; Council decision final (10.15.090). Appeal fee $360 (Master Fee Schedule 8/18/2025). Staff-level decisions on dead or unsuitable trees are final and not appealable, but a dissatisfied applicant may file an application to be heard by the Commission. |
| Mountain View | Urban Forestry permit: up to 45 days after fee payment, no hearing; inspection typically within 2 weeks of payment. Planning permit: 60 to 90 days (Administrative Zoning hearing; complete application cannot be scheduled sooner than 30 days before the hearing). Decision notice posted on the tree for a minimum of 10 days, which is the appeal period. | Any person aggrieved or affected (or a member of the Urban Forestry Board or City Council) may appeal within 10 calendar days after the decision notice is posted or mailed by filing a written notice with the City Clerk and paying the fee; nondevelopment (Urban Forestry) appeals go to the Urban Forestry Board (the Parks and Recreation Commission), fee $350; development-related (Planning/Zoning Administrator) appeals go to the City Council, fee 50% of the application fee capped at $6,755 (R1) or $8,939 (other). An appeal stays the permit; a denial bars reapplication for 2 years absent changed circumstances. |
| Oakland | Code sets a 20-working-day decision deadline; public notice/comment period of not less than 20 working days after verified posting; site inspection within 5 working days; completeness check within 4 working days. The department page publishes no processing time. | The applicant or the owner of any adjoining or confronting property may appeal a non-development permit decision to the Park and Recreation Advisory Commission within 5 working days of the decision, on a form filed with the Director of Parks and Recreation at 1520 Lakeside Drive, with the appeal fee per the master fee schedule; the Commission's decision is final, and if not disposed of within 30 working days of the original decision, that decision is deemed affirmed. |
| Orinda | No published timeline specific to tree removal permits in OMC 17.21 or on the application. The city's Planning Applications page says Zoning Administrator projects average 1-3 months from submittal to approval and that, once an application is deemed complete, a 10-day public notice is mailed to properties within 300 feet of discretionary applications; the tree permit application includes a $213 mailing fee. | OMC 17.21.6 sends appeals to Chapter 17.43: any interested person (including residents, Council or Commission members, and city officials) may appeal within 10 calendar days of the decision; Zoning Administrator decisions are heard de novo by the Planning Commission and Planning Commission decisions by the City Council; an appeal fee set by Council applies. |
| Pacifica | 14-day review per submittal, then a 10-day public noticing period (city Instructions); code requires inspection and a proposed decision within 14 calendar days of receipt (4-12.04(b)) and gives 10 calendar days to appeal (4-12.07(b)). Permit expiration date is set on the permit; not stated in the code. | Within 10 calendar days of the proposed decision the property owner or any concerned resident may appeal to the Parks, Beaches and Recreation Commission by filing the City Appeal Form (check 'Tree Removal Permit') with the City Clerk and paying the $475 Tree Permit Appeal Fee (FY 2026-27); the Commission's decision may be appealed to the City Council with a further $475 fee. The code sets 10 calendar days for the Council appeal (4-12.07(d)); the city page says 7 days. Dead/dying tree decisions are not appealable (4-12.07(b)(1)). No regulated work may be done while an appeal is pending. |
| Palo Alto | No published review/decision time. Posting/notice period: 14 days after approval before removal may begin (same window as the appeal period); dead or hazardous trees may be exempted. | Non-development (8.10.050(a)) permits: the applicant, or any owner/resident within 600 feet, may request a public hearing by the Director of Public Works to review the urban forester's decision, and may appeal the Director's determination to the City Council; development-related permits go to the Director of Planning & Development Services and then Chapter 18.78. All appeals must be filed within 14 days of the posting of notice on the property. |
| Piedmont | Private trees: not applicable (no permit). Street trees: request must be filed at least 20 working days before the Park Commission meeting; neighbor petition due 5 days before the hearing; no decision deadline published. | Street trees only: any person aggrieved by the Park Commission's final decision may appeal to the City Council in writing within 10 working days of the Commission action; Council hearing is de novo and final. Private trees: not applicable. |
| Pleasant Hill | No published review or decision timeline for the Zoning Administrator's action, and no posting or mailed-notice period is specified for a tree removal permit in Ch. 18.100. Published periods: 10-calendar-day appeal window after the mailed notice of decision; appeal hearing within 60 calendar days; permit valid 12 months. | PHMC 18.100.120 and Ch. 18.185: the applicant or any interested party may appeal a Zoning Administrator decision to the Planning Commission (and a Commission decision to the City Council), in writing to the Zoning Administrator within 10 calendar days of the mailed notice of decision; Commission or Council members may also call a decision up for review. Hearing within 60 days; Master Fee Schedule: appeal to a board or commission $398, to City Council $464. |
| Pleasanton | City brochure (2026): response within 2 weeks from the City Arborist's inspection. No statutory decision deadline in 17.16.020. Appeal: 20 days to file; board hearing within 60 days of receipt (17.16.040, 17.16.045). Permit validity period not published. | Only the applicant may appeal a denial, in writing to the city clerk within 20 days of the director's written decision, stating the basis; fee equals the planning-division appeal fee ($349, Master Fee Schedule eff. 01.01.2026) and is refunded if the appeal succeeds; heard by the protected tree board of appeals (two planning commissioners and one parks and recreation commissioner) within 60 days, with mailed notice to properties within 300 feet; the board's decision is final (17.16.040, 17.16.045). Development-route decisions appeal to city council under Ch. 18.144 (17.16.050(E)). Penalties may be appealed to the board within 20 days (17.16.110(D)). |
| Portola Valley | No processing time published. Permit effective 16 days after approval (appeal/Council review window); Planning Commission must act within 60 days of a complete application where it is the approving authority or the application is deemed approved (15.12.100(C)(5)); permit lapses if work is not started within 180 days or completed within one year. | Any applicant or other aggrieved party may appeal an administrative official's determination to the Planning Commission by written notice to the planning commission secretary within fifteen days, and a Planning Commission determination to the Town Council by written notice to the town clerk within fifteen days, for hearing at the next open regular Council agenda (15.12.360); the Council may also elect to review approvals (15.12.365). Appeal fee per the 2024 Master Fee Schedule: $7,358 with a $7,500 deposit (Planning 'Appeal' line; not tree-specific). |
| Redwood City | Published: permits normally processed within ten working days (city page); code requires the site investigation within ten days of submittal (35.4(B)); incomplete applications discarded after 10 days (checklist). No posting or neighbor-notice period is published for private-property tree permits. | Any person aggrieved by the Parks and Recreation Director's action may appeal to the City Manager (RCMC 35.8), filed in writing with the City Clerk with the appeal fee within 15 days of the date of action per Ch. 1 Art. III (Sec. 1.45.6: "Any authorized appeal or call up shall be filed within fifteen (15) days of the date of action or as otherwise specified by applicable law." - https://library.municode.com/ca/redwood_city/codes/city_code?nodeId=CH1GEPR_ARTIIIPRAPCAUP). |
| San Bruno | No processing time published on the city page or in the code. Permit valid six months from date of issue (8.25.040(A)). Reconsideration/appeal deadline: 5 p.m. on the tenth calendar day after the decision. | The applicant may ask the director of community services to reconsider in a signed written request stating the reasons, filed by 5 p.m. on the tenth calendar day after the decision; the reconsidered decision may then be appealed to the City Council by filing with the city clerk by 5 p.m. on the tenth calendar day after that decision, for hearing at the next regular meeting at least ten days later, with five days' mailed notice (8.25.080). The code grants appeal rights to 'the permit applicant' only; the city page says 'any person'. |
| San Carlos | No published decision timeline. Posting: 14 calendar days after permit issuance before removal (10 days for emergency permits); mailed notice to owners within 300 feet for development/utility applications. Permit void if not acted on within one year of approval. | Tree removal permit decisions are subject to SCMC 18.27.150 (18.18.070(F)(9)): the applicant, the property owner, or any other aggrieved person may appeal a Director/City Arborist-level decision to the Planning and Transportation Commission by written appeal filed with the Planning Division, with the required fee, within ten (10) days of the decision; Commission decisions may be appealed to the City Council via the City Clerk. Appeal fee: $2,255 (Planning and Transportation Commission or City Council) per the FY 2026-27 Planning fee schedule. |
| San Francisco | No published review or decision time. Posting/notice period: 30 days before the removal date, on the tree and by notice to interested organizations and nearby owners/occupants; the application form says the tree 'will be posted for a period up to 30 days'. | The Director's decision after the public hearing is final and appealable to the Board of Appeals; the code does not say who may appeal or set a deadline. The Board of Appeals' own filing page lists tree removal orders among decisions with a 15-calendar-day filing window (https://sf.gov/file-appeal-permit-or-decision). |
| San Jose | No published processing time for standard permits. Notice period for live ordinance-size trees: a hearing-request window of not less than 10 calendar days after the tentative decision is mailed (department page: 'a ten day public notice period'), with the applicant posting the notice within 5 days and for at least 5 days. Over-the-counter hazard permits are same-day. Dead/unsuitable tree permits have no notice period. | Only decisions made after a Director's hearing are appealable (if no hearing was requested, the decision is not subject to appeal; Unsuitable Tree decisions are final). The applicant or any owner or occupant of a parcel adjacent to or across the street from the property may appeal to the Planning Commission by filing a written notice of appeal with the Director, on the Director's form, within 10 days after notice of the action is mailed; the Commission hears the appeal de novo between 10 and 60 days after the appeal is accepted. |
| San Mateo | Published: staff response within 20 business days of submittal (city page); 10-day waiting period after approval for appeals; permit valid six months from issuance. Written notice to abutting owners (no on-site posting requirement published). | SMMC 13.40.130: decisions of the Managing Arborist may be appealed to the Director; any person may appeal the Director's decision to the Park and Recreation Commission; Commission decisions may be appealed to the City Council (filed with the City Clerk). Each appeal must be filed by 5 p.m. on the tenth calendar day after the decision. Approvals for trees found dead or at imminent risk of failure are excluded from the first level of appeal; appellants other than the applicant pay an appeal fee per the master fee schedule. |
| San Mateo County (unincorporated) | County page: 'Approximate Time: 1-2 Months' (excluding appeals). Code: applicant posting at least 10 calendar days; 300-ft mailed notice; appeal within 10 business days of issuance or denial, Planning Commission decision within 15 calendar days of its hearing; permit void if work not commenced within 1 year (8.400.190); replacement planting within 1 year and 3-year maintenance; emergency documentation within 72 hours. | The applicant or any aggrieved person may appeal a Protected Tree Removal or Pruning decision to the Planning Commission by written notice filed with the Department and payment of the appeal fee ($2,021 'Appeal of Any Permit') within 10 business days of issuance or denial; the Commission decides within 15 calendar days of its hearing; a further appeal to the Board of Supervisors within 10 business days, decided within 15 days of hearing, is final. Expedited Tree Removal Permits and Protected Tree Pruning Permits may not be appealed (8.400.200). Application form: authority to remove is effective only after the appeal period has expired. |
| San Rafael | Not applicable; no published timeline (no private tree permit regime). | Not published; Chapter 11.12 contains no appeal provision for street-tree permits. |
| Santa Clara | No published timeline; no posting or neighbor-notice period in SCCC 12.35 or on the Planning checklist. | Not published for tree removal permit decisions: SCCC 12.35 contains no appeal provision. The Planning Division's Planning Appeal Form (Rev. 01/26) covers Development Review Hearing and Planning Commission actions with a 7-calendar-day filing window; the fee schedule lists Appeals - Non-Applicant Resident $568, All Others $11,390. |
| Saratoga | Director decision within 30 days of filing. Notice of the determination is mailed to residents within 150 feet, followed by a 15-day appeal period before the permit takes effect (waived for dead trees, trunks within 5 ft of a building, and ember-zone removals). | The applicant or any interested person may appeal the Director's decision to the Planning Commission (15-90.010) by filing a notice of appeal with the Secretary of the Planning Commission and paying the fee within 15 days after the decision is rendered (15-90.050(a)); Planning Commission decisions may be appealed to the City Council within 15 days. Fees: Appeal of Admin Decision to Planning Commission $579; Tree Appeal, Arborist Review $295; Appeal from Planning Commission to City Council $811. |
| Sausalito | No decision deadline in the code. Complete applications are due at least 15 days before the next Planning Commission meeting (generally twice monthly); tags and application notice posted within 2 working days of filing and kept for 10 working days (code). Permit validity period not stated. | None for private developed property: 'The decision of the Planning Commission is final with regard to applications subject to their jurisdiction' and 'There is no City Council appeal of the decision of any board, official or arbiter/arborist of any tree removal application.' For City Engineer decisions (public trees) an aggrieved party may pay for reconsideration by one of three City-listed arbiter arborists, whose decision is final (11.12.030(H)). |
| South San Francisco | No decision deadline in the code; 10-day neighbor comment period after notice to owners within 100 feet (form); permits expire four months after approval; replacement proof due within four months of removal. | Any interested person may appeal a director decision (other than a tree-versus-shrub determination, which is final) to the Parks and Recreation Commission by filing written grounds with the commission within ten days of the determination; hearing dates are set administratively with ten days' mailed notice; the commission's decision may be appealed to the city manager or designee by filing with the city clerk within thirty days (13.30.130). |
| Sunnyvale | No published decision timeline. Applications must be filed at least 10 working days before the proposed removal; after the decision there is a 15-day appeal period before removal may proceed. Tree removal permits expire after one year. | Only the owner of the subject property may appeal the Director's tree removal permit decision (19.94.065(b)), to the Planning Commission, whose decision is final; appeals are filed with the Community Development Department by 5:00 p.m. of the fifteenth day following the decision (19.98.070(b)); fee: Appeal of Permit Decision $268 + 5% = $281.40. |
| Tiburon | Director site inspection within 15 days of a complete application; courtesy notices mailed at least 10 days before the decision; permit not effective for 10 days after grant (appeal period); permit valid 180 days. No overall decision deadline is published. | TMC 15A-8: the Planning Director's decision may be appealed to the Design Review Board by written appeal filed with the Planning Department within 10 days of the decision (the code does not limit who may appeal); the Board hears the appeal within 30 days, action under the permit is suspended meanwhile, and the Board's decision is final. |
| Walnut Creek | The application form says to allow 10 working days for the field evaluation and processing; the code requires non-development applications to be filed at least 10 days before the desired removal. No posting or mailed-notice period applies to Director-approved removals; a public hearing with notice under Ch. 10-2, Part IV, Art. 3 is required only for trees the Director does not approve. | WCMC 3-8.09: any interested person may appeal a Director decision by filing a notice of appeal with the Director within 10 days after the decision is mailed; the Planning Commission is the appeal board for Director or Zoning Administrator tree decisions not involving discretionary development, with hearing notice mailed at least 5 days before the hearing, and Commission decisions may be further appealed to the City Council. Appeals of tree decisions tied to a discretionary development approval are allowed only as appeals of the whole project decision. |
| Woodside | No published decision timeline. Code sets ten-day deadlines only for the Director's deficiency letter (arborist report) or referral letter. No posting or notice period published, except written notice to adjacent neighbors when the matter is referred to the ASRB. Permit lapses two years after issuance. | WMC 153.971-153.973: the applicant or any other interested person may appeal an administrative determination of the Planning Director to the Planning Commission (filed through the Planning Director, with fee), and Planning Commission decisions to the Town Council (through the Town Clerk), in writing within ten calendar days after the action; no building permit issues for the property while an appeal is pending. Fee schedule: Appeal $1,000 flat per appeal. |
What slows a permit down
- An application without the measurement the code asks for (unit and height).
- A missing arborist report in a city that requires one.
- Replacement or in-lieu terms left blank.
- A neighbor objection during the posting period, which usually moves the file to a hearing.
Questions
Can I start as soon as the permit is approved?
Not where the city has a posting period after approval (Palo Alto 14 days, San Francisco 30 days). The table shows which cities have one.
Is there an expedited route?
Only for dead or hazardous trees in cities that name one; the dead-and-hazardous page lists them.
Every cell comes from the verified 45-city dataset (CSV and JSON available there). Each city page links the code section and source.
Want the application right the first time?
A report written to the city's checklist is the fastest route through review.