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

Novato Municipal Code § 17-1.4 sets the permit process. Anyone who wants to alter or remove a heritage tree on any parcel, or remove one or more trees on any undeveloped parcel, applies in writing to the director of community development. Under § 17-1.2 a tree is a woody plant with a trunk of six inches in diameter (19 inches in circumference) or more, measured 24 inches above existing grade, and a heritage tree is one with a trunk of 24 inches in diameter (75 inches in circumference) or more, or one the city council designates. An undeveloped parcel is any lot that can be further subdivided or developed, or that has no primary structure.

The application includes a site plan locating the trees, the number and species, the diameter of each trunk measured 24 inches above grade, a statement of the reason, and the person or company doing the work. The director can require documentation from a licensed tree surgeon, certified arborist or landscape architect about health, quality and desirability. On a complete application the director decides whether the matter deserves a planning commission hearing, and public notice follows the procedures in section 19.58 of the zoning ordinance before any action.

The code lists two grounds for approval: the tree is a hazard to people, structures or reasonable use of the property because of poor health or physical instability, or it is a nuisance causing damage to improvements such as foundations, retaining walls, utilities, drainage facilities, roadways, sidewalks, driveways, patios and decks. Conditions can include root protection zones, grading limits, cut and fill restrictions, temporary barricades, on-site inspection by a tree specialist, and replacement with trees of reasonably comparable quality.

After a grant, no work starts for ten calendar days while the decision can be appealed. Section 17-1.5 sends appeals to the city council under section 19.54 of the zoning ordinance. The director can waive notice and the appeal period and issue the permit at once for a dying or diseased tree verified in writing by a licensed professional, for a pyrophyte such as Monterey Pine, Bishop Pine, Acacia species or Eucalyptus species, or for routine maintenance of public land by a public agency. Dead or fallen trees fall outside § 17-1.3.