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

Pleasanton Municipal Code Chapter 17.16 (Tree Preservation), updated by Ordinance No. 2288 (adopted December 17, 2024), protects 'Protected Trees' on both public and private property. A Protected Tree is any single-trunked listed native species (such as Coast Live Oak, Valley Oak, California Sycamore, California Buckeye, and California Bay Laurel) with a trunk circumference of 37 inches or more measured 4.5 feet above ground, or any non-native species with a circumference of 55 inches or more at the same height; multi-trunked trees are measured below the split. No person may remove, or 'effectively remove,' a Protected Tree without a permit. To remove one, the property owner submits an Application for Protected Tree Removal to the Director, who inspects the tree and surrounding area. Section 17.16.020(C) lets the Director approve removal where the tree is dead, dying or diseased; is dangerous or hazardous; has outgrown its space and is damaging utilities or structures; must be removed to allow reasonable development (e.g., a home expansion, ADU, or pool); its removal would not harm urban forest goals; or it poses a fire risk in a high/very-high fire severity zone. Dislike of a species, leaf or fruit litter, pollen allergies, and surface roots are expressly not valid reasons. Approved removals generally require a 1:1 replacement with a climate-appropriate 15-gallon tree. Trees required by a prior development condition of approval need a separate Planning Division modification, and a replacement is typically required.