Broomfield, CO Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)

Chapter 17-71 of the Broomfield Municipal Code, adopted by Ordinance No. 2240 on December 10, 2024, requires a tree preservation plan before any site activity on a property undergoing new construction, a 65%-or-greater floor-area expansion, redevelopment, or a parking lot expansion of more than 50%. Section 17-71-030(L) defines a 'significant tree' to include a private protected tree with a diameter at breast height (DBH) of six inches or more within twenty feet of a street right-of-way, eight inches or more within ten feet of any other property line, or twelve inches or more anywhere else on the lot, plus public protected trees on city or easement land under similar thresholds.

Trees rated 1 through 4 for health under the condition-rating scale in Section 17-71-040(B) must be preserved or mitigated if removed; trees rated 5 or 6, or non-desirable species, do not require mitigation. Section 17-71-060(A) sets the replacement standard: a replacement tree must be between two and three inches in caliper and of no lesser quality species than the tree removed, measured against International Society of Arboriculture appraisal guidelines, so an eighteen-inch loss can be replaced with nine two-inch trees or six three-inch trees. If on-site replacement or relocation is not feasible, Section 17-71-060(C) allows off-site replacement on another Broomfield parcel or public land, or a payment in lieu of mitigation calculated from the city's fee schedule under subsection (E). Accessory dwelling unit construction on single-unit residential lots is exempt under Section 17-71-020(B).