San Mateo County, CA Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in San Mateo County, CA, sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances, list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Key Facts
- Scope
- DR-zoned unincorporated areas only
- Protected size (hills areas)
- 6+ inch diameter
- Protected size (other DR areas)
- 12+ inch diameter
- Minimum replacement
- 3 trees, 5-gallon stock
- Maintenance surety term
- 2 to 5 years
Summary
In San Mateo County's Design Review zoning districts, removing a protected tree requires planting at least three replacement trees of the same species, backed by a maintenance surety.
B. The replacement of lost trees when required shall be in a manner prescribed by the Design Review
Committee or Design Review Administrator, as is applicable, but shall not exceed the following
specifications:
1. For each loss of a significant indigenous tree, there shall be a replacement with three (3) or more trees of the same species using at least five (5) gallon size stock.
2. For each loss of a significant exotic tree, there shall be a replacement with three (3) or more trees from a list maintained by the Director of Planning and Building. Substitutes for trees listed by the Director of Planning and Building may be considered but only when good reason and data are provided which show that the substitute tree can survive and flourish in the regional climatic conditions.
3. Replacement trees for trees removed shall require a surety deposit for both performance (installation of tree, staking, and providing an irrigation system)
and maintenance. Maintenance shall be required for no less than two (2) and no more than five (5) years. San Mateo County, California, Code of Ordinances
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 47).
Full Breakdown
Where a protected tree is removed in a Design Review (DR) zoned area, county rules require replacement in a manner set by the Design Review Committee or Administrator: at minimum, three replacement trees of the same species at 5-gallon stock size for a lost significant indigenous tree, or three trees from an approved list for an exotic tree. Landowners must post a surety covering installation and 2-5 years of maintenance; a replacement tree that dies during that period must be replanted at the owner's expense, extending maintenance two more years. Protected size is 6+ inches diameter in Emerald Lake Hills, Oak Knoll Manor, Palomar Park and Devonshire, and 12+ inches diameter elsewhere in DR zones, which include the Midcoast communities.
Violations & Fines
A replacement tree lost before the maintenance period ends must be replanted at the landowner's own expense, and the required maintenance period is automatically extended two additional years; performance/maintenance sureties are released only after County inspection confirms compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many trees must replace one removed tree?
Does this apply outside Design Review zones?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Mateo County
California rules heatmap·Compare San Mateo County to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
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