Bay Area Tree Ordinances: the 2026 Report
56 jurisdictions, one dataset, every rule cited to the code. Published October 21, 2026.
Dataset version 2026-10-21 · 56 cities · by Michael Schuck, ISA Certified Arborist WE-15750A, ISA Certified Urban Forest Professional WE-15750AF
This report summarises the 56-jurisdiction dataset behind this site as of October 21, 2026: what Bay Area cities protect, how they measure it, what they charge, when they require an arborist report, and what changed in 2026. Every figure is computed from the dataset, which cites the code section for each cell.
Headline numbers
- 53 of 56 jurisdictions require a permit to remove at least some trees on private property. Foster City, Piedmont, San Rafael have no private-tree permit at all; Berkeley prohibits removal of protected coast live oaks instead of permitting it.
- 22 measure trunk circumference and 31 measure diameter (DBH). 42 measure at 54 inches above grade, 6 at 48 inches, Tiburon at 24.
- 21 always require an arborist report with a removal application, 29 require one in specific cases, 6 never do.
- Permit fees run from no fee (Berkeley, Fremont, Pleasanton, Redwood City) to $2,587 (San Jose); the median published first-tree fee is $325.
- The lowest size threshold in the region is 12″ circumference (Fairfax); the highest first threshold is 24″ DBH (Dublin).
- Filing a permit on an owner's behalf is desk work in 37 cities, needs a posting or inspection trip in 10, and goes to a hearing in 6.
What changed in 2026
110 verified changes were logged this year across 80 jurisdictions: 20 fee schedule updates (most effective July 1, 2026), 35 arborist-report rules confirmed or corrected from the code, and 10 jurisdictions added in October (Pacifica, San Bruno, South San Francisco, Portola Valley, Sausalito, Monte Sereno, Pleasanton, Dublin, East Palo Alto, San Mateo County unincorporated). The changelog lists each with its source.
Every jurisdiction at a glance
| City | Measures | Threshold as written | Permit fee | Arborist report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atherton | Circumference | 48" circumference (15.2" dia) at 54" above natural grade | from $775 | Sometimes |
| Belmont | DBH | 10" DBH (natives) / 14" DBH (others), at 4.5 ft above natural grade | from $92 | Sometimes |
| Belvedere | DBH | 16" diameter native trees (policy); 'visually significant' trees of any species by staff j… | from $1,496 | Sometimes |
| Berkeley | Circumference | 18" circumference single / 26" aggregate, at 4 FEET (48") above ground | no fee | Not required |
| Burlingame | Circumference | 44" circumference (14" dia) at 54" (DSH) | from $462 | Sometimes |
| Campbell | DBH | 12" diameter (38" circumference) at FOUR FEET (48") above adjacent grade | from $0 | Sometimes |
| Contra Costa County (unincorporated) | Circumference | 20" circumference (approx. 6.5" diameter) at 4.5 ft: listed natives in riparian/woodland/s… | from $750 | Sometimes |
| Corte Madera | Circumference | 50" circumference single trunk / 120" aggregate circumference multi-stem (any species) at … | from $300 | Required |
| Cupertino | DBH | Specimen: 12" dia single trunk (38" circ) / 24" aggregate multi-trunk (75" circ), at 4.5 f… | from $483, | Sometimes |
| Danville | DBH | 10" dia single (natives) / 36" heritage, at 4.5 ft above natural grade | from $249 | Sometimes |
| Dublin | DBH | 24" DBH (oak, bay, cypress, maple, redwood, buckeye, sycamore only) at 4 ft 6 in above nat… | from $324 | Sometimes |
| East Palo Alto | DBH | 8" DSH (any species) at 54" above grade; city handout expresses it as 25" circumference at… | from $519 | Required |
| Fairfax | Circumference | 12" circumference (4" diameter) any species, at 4.5 ft above lowest grade; heritage native… | from $625 | Sometimes |
| Foster City | No private threshold | N/A, no private threshold exists | no fee | Not required |
| Fremont | DBH | 10" DBH (natives) / 18" DBH (any species) / 6" DBH (vacant, underdeveloped or development … | see fee schedule | Sometimes |
| Hayward | DBH | 4" DSH (natives) / 8" DSH (non-natives, commercial property or residential front yards onl… | from $817 | Sometimes |
| Hillsborough | DBH | 18" cumulative diameter at 4'6" (54") above natural grade | from $1,076 | Required |
| Lafayette | DBH | 12" DSH developed natives / 6" undeveloped natives / 6" riparian, at 4.5 ft | from $350 | Sometimes |
| Larkspur | Circumference | 50" circumference (any species) at 24" above natural grade | from $239 | Required |
| Los Altos | DBH | 12" dia general / 10" natives, at 48" (FOUR FEET) above grade, deviates from 54" standard | from $314.57 | Required |
| Los Altos Hills | Circumference | 36" circumference (approximately 12" diameter) at 4 ft above the root crown, oaks (genus Q… | from $814 | Sometimes |
| Los Gatos | DBH | 12"/8"/4" diameter tiers at 4.5 ft | from $256 | Sometimes |
| Marin County (unincorporated) | DBH | 6" DBH (oaks, madrone, Sargent cypress, willows) or 10" DBH (bay, redwood, Douglas-fir, ma… | from $500 | Sometimes |
| Menlo Park | Circumference | 47.1" circ (15") / oaks 31.4" circ (10"), at 54" above natural grade | from $542 | Required |
| Mill Valley | Circumference | Heritage: 65-95" circumference by species, at 4.5 ft | from $1,401 | Required |
| Milpitas | Circumference | 56"/37" circumference at 4.5 ft (taut tape) | from $263 | Required |
| Monte Sereno | Circumference | oaks/redwoods >20" circumference; any other tree >25" circumference, at 48" above natural … | from $100 | Sometimes |
| Moraga | DBH | 5" trunk diameter at 3 ft (36") above natural grade, or multi-trunk total perimeter 40" at… | from $280 | Sometimes |
| Mountain View | Circumference | 12" circ (heritage 3 genera) / 48" circ (all species), at 54" above natural grade | from $178 | Sometimes |
| Novato | DBH | 24" diameter (75" circumference) any species on any parcel (heritage tree) / 6" diameter (… | see fee schedule | Required |
| Oakland | DBH | 4" DBH (CLO) / 9" DBH (others), at 4.5 ft | from $579.06 | Not required |
| Orinda | DBH | 12" (oaks, developed) / 6" (any, vacant/downtown) / 4" (riparian), at 4.5 ft | from $197 | Required |
| Pacifica | DBH | 12" DBH any species (toyon 4" DBH; grove trees 6"), at 4.5 ft / 54" above grade | from $264 | Required |
| Palo Alto | DBH | 11.5" / 15" / 18" DBH at 54" above natural grade | from $481 | Required |
| Piedmont | No private threshold | N/A, no private threshold | no fee | Not required |
| Pleasant Hill | DBH | 9" (natives) / 18" (non-natives), diameter at 54" (DBH) | from $166 | Required |
| Pleasanton | Circumference | 37" circumference (13 listed native species) / 55" circumference (any other species) at 4.… | no fee | Sometimes |
| Portola Valley | Circumference | 36" circumference (11.5" dia) coast live/black/valley oak and bay; 16" (5") blue oak; 54" … | from $96 | Required |
| Redwood City | Circumference | 38" circumference measured at WIDEST point between 6" and 36" above ground | see fee schedule | Required |
| Ross | DBH | Improved parcel: greater than 8" diameter within 25 ft of front/side or 40 ft of rear prop… | from $552 | Required |
| San Anselmo | DBH | 22" DBH any species on developed lots (heritage tree) / 7" DBH any tree on undeveloped lot… | from $325 | Required |
| San Bruno | DBH | 6" diameter (native bay, buckeye, oak, redwood, Monterey pine) / 10" diameter (any other s… | from $181 | Required |
| San Carlos | DBH | 9"/11"/15" dia (heritage) / 11" (significant), at 54" | from $100 | Sometimes |
| San Francisco | DBH | >12" DBH / >20 ft height / >15 ft canopy (independent prongs), DBH at 4.5 ft (BUF) | from $499 | Not required |
| San Jose | Circumference | 38" circumference at 54" above natural grade | from $2,587 | Sometimes |
| San Mateo | DBH | 10" (oaks) / 15" (others) dia at 54" above natural grade | from $100 | Sometimes |
| San Mateo County (unincorporated) | DBH | 12.1" DSH / 38" circumference (any species); indigenous species 10" (most), 18" (redwood, … | from $444 | Required |
| San Rafael | No private threshold | N/A, no private threshold | no fee | Not required |
| Santa Clara | DBH | 12" dia (specimen) / 38" dia (any species), at 54" above grade; multibranched: 38" below f… | from $904 | Required |
| Saratoga | DBH | 6" (natives) / 10" (others) DBH at 4.5 ft | from $151 | Sometimes |
| Sausalito | DBH | 4" DBH coast live oak (any private lot) / 10" DBH any other species on developed lots / 4"… | from $1,171 | Required |
| South San Francisco | Circumference | 48" circumference any species (30" heritage species; 75" blue gum, black acacia, myoporum,… | from $121 | Sometimes |
| Sunnyvale | Circumference | 38" circumference at 4.5 ft (54") above ground | from $406 | Sometimes |
| Tiburon | Circumference | 60" circumference at 24" above ground (heritage); oaks any size | from $170 | Sometimes |
| Walnut Creek | Circumference | 28" circ single / 40" aggregate multi-stem, at 4.5 ft above natural grade | from $85 | Sometimes |
| Woodside | Circumference | 24"/30"/36" circumference at 48 INCHES above mean natural grade | from $130 | Sometimes |
Method
Each cell was read from the municipal code, the adopted fee schedule for the current fiscal year, or the city's official application form, and dated. Where the code and the city's web page disagree, the code is used and the conflict is noted on the city page. Fees are the first-tree figure in the published schedule; cities with deposits or per-tree tiers are shown as "from". Thresholds are compared in diameter equivalents (circumference divided by 3.14).
Cite this report
Schuck, M. (2026). Bay Area Tree Ordinances: the 2026 report, dataset version 2026-10-21. Urban Forestry Guide. https://urbanforestryguide.com/reports/bay-area-tree-ordinances-2026/ (CC BY 4.0). Data: CSV · JSON.
Questions
How often is this updated?
The dataset is re-verified on a rolling basis and fees are checked each July when cities adopt new schedules. This page regenerates from the data on every build.
Can I reuse the numbers?
Yes, under CC BY 4.0 with attribution to Urban Forestry Guide. The CSV and JSON carry the same figures.
Every cell comes from the verified 56-city dataset (CSV and JSON available there). Each city page links the code section and source.
Need the rule applied to one tree?
The permit checker applies each city’s rule to your species and trunk size; the arborist report is written to the same code section.