Alameda, CA Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

3, Trees, Plants, Shrubs that Extend into or Over Sidewalks and Streets, places an ongoing duty on every property owner in the City to keep vegetation originating on their land from encroaching into the public right-of-way, impeding pedestrian or vehicle traffic, or obscuring traffic control devices. The section sets two specific vertical clearance numbers: a minimum eight-foot vertical clearance over the full width of the sidewalk abutting the property, and a minimum thirteen-foot, six-inch vertical clearance over any adjacent street, measured from a point one foot six inches out from the face of the curb.

A related pair of sections gives the City backup enforcement power over street trees generally: Sec. 1 vests the Public Works Director with supervision and control of trees and shrubs on public streets under the City's Master Tree Program, including authority to remove, trim, prune or cut them when necessary for the public good, and Sec. 2 requires written permission from the Public Works Director before anyone plants, removes, trims, prunes or cuts a tree or shrub on a public street or place. Separately, Sec.

6 caps hedges, shrubs and trees at corner lots to four feet high within fifteen feet of the intersection of property lines, unless the trunk is exposed to eight feet and not a determined traffic hazard, protecting sightlines at intersections the way Sec. 3 protects clearance along the block.