Allentown, PA Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

Allentown places responsibility for street (shade) trees on the abutting property owner. The City's Engineering FAQ states plainly that 'The owner of property abutting a public right-of-way... and having a shade tree, as defined, growing in such public right-of-way, is responsible for the care of, and maintenance of said tree/trees,' and that the owner must request details from the Bureau of Parks before any work is performed. Tree work is permit-controlled: under the City's Street Tree Permit Instructions, a permit is required to plant, prune, remove, stump-grind, or apply pesticide/fertilizer to trees in the public right-of-way, and for pruning, removal, and pesticide/fertilizer work a City-licensed ISA tree contractor must perform the work. All pruning must be performed to the City's Arboricultural Specifications and Standards of Practice, and all tree work must comply with Article 911 of the 1962 Codified Ordinances (the modern code provisions are codified in Chapter 597, Trees, Article I, Shade Trees). Permits expire 60 days from issue, must be posted near the front entrance visible from the right-of-way, and an inspection must be requested within 10 days of completion. Where a street-tree root is lifting a sidewalk, both the tree and sidewalk are the property owner's responsibility, and the owner must contact the Bureau of Parks for a soundness check before cutting roots. Allentown maintains a Shade Tree Commission that approves species and locations for required trees.