Antioch, CA Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)

1201). 1202 turns that intent into a permit requirement: except as listed, removing or destroying any established tree requires either a tree removal permit issued by the Department of Parks, Leisure and Community Services, or approval as part of a regular development application reviewed by the Community Development Department. Two exceptions let a tree come down without either process: the City Engineer may authorize removal of a tree that presents an immediate hazard to life or property, and, apart from protected trees defined elsewhere in the article, developed residential properties may remove trees without a permit at all.

1203, sets the paperwork for developed-property removals that fall outside a development application: a written application on a city form, with a sketch showing each tree's location, diameter, approximate height and species, and the applicant's or owner's name and address. The rules exist because the code frames tree loss as more than a landscaping choice: mature trees near the river and in annexed oak woodland are treated as a citywide asset the Parks, Leisure and Community Services Department is charged with protecting tree by tree.