Beaumont, CA Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)
Key Facts
- Duty holder
- Owner of the lot fronting a public street
- Notice period
- Ten days after written notice
- Corner hedge limit
- Three feet above curb level for 30 feet from the corner
- Cost recovery
- Special assessment and lien, unpaid after five days
- Enforcer
- City Street Superintendent
- Objections
- City Council hears cost objections; its decision is final
Summary
In the City of Beaumont, California, the owner of a lot fronting a public street must keep the trees there from endangering persons or property or interfering with public use of the street. For a dead, dangerous or obstructing tree, the City Street Superintendent gives written notice, and after ten days the City can do the work and lien the property.
The owner of lots fronting on any portion of a public street, or if the area between the property line and the street is maintained as a park or parking strip, shall maintain any trees thereon in such condition that the trees will not endanger persons or property, and which will not interfere with the public convenience in the use of public streets. ... When any tree or part thereof appears to be dead, is liable to fall, is dangerous, or is an obstruction to public travel, whether or not the tree or shrub is on any private property and overhangs or projects on any street, or is in any street or any public grounds of the City, the City Street Superintendent shall by notice in writing notify the owner or person in possession of the property to cut down, trim or remove the tree or shrub. ... The notice shall particularly specify what work is required to be done and may further specify that if the tree or shrub is not cut down, trimmed, or removed within ten days after notice, the City Street Superintendent may perform such work, and the cost of the same shall be a lien on the property upon which such tree or shrub is located.
Full Breakdown
Section 12.20.040 of the Beaumont Municipal Code puts the maintenance duty on the owner of lots fronting any portion of a public street, including where the area between the property line and the street is maintained as a park or parking strip. Under § 12.20.010 the City Street Superintendent can inspect any tree, shrub or plant in a street, or on private property overhanging or projecting into a street, to see whether it appears dead, liable to fall, dangerous or an obstruction to public travel, and can have it cut down.
The formal process in §§ 12.20.050 and 12.20.060 starts with written notice, delivered personally or by postal card to the person in possession or to the owner at the address on the last equalized assessment rolls of the county. The notice specifies the work required and states that if the tree is not cut down, trimmed or removed within ten days, the Superintendent can perform the work and the cost becomes a lien on the property. The City Council hears objections to the cost report and confirms it by resolution, and its decision is final (§ 12.20.100).
An assessment unpaid five days after confirmation becomes a special assessment and lien (§ 12.20.110) that can be collected with county property taxes (§ 12.20.120). Owners can also arrange for the Superintendent to trim by private arrangement with reimbursement (§ 12.20.130). Corner lots carry a numeric limit: hedges and hedge-like growth at street corners, on the sidewalk or within the lot, cannot exceed three feet above the curb level for 30 feet measured horizontally from the point where the property lines intersect (§ 12.20.140). Trimming a City-planted tree is a separate matter: § 12.12.130 requires a City Engineer permit to severely trim any tree planted in the right-of-way, and § 17.06.110(C) requires Planning Department approval to trim any tree or shrub on a public street or right-of-way.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 12.20 enforces through notice, City abatement and lien. After the ten-day notice lapses, the Superintendent can do the work, and the City Council can assess the cost against the parcel. An assessment unpaid five days after confirmation is a lien collected at the same time and in the same manner as City taxes, with the same penalties and interest (§§ 12.20.110 and 12.20.120). Severely trimming a right-of-way tree without the § 12.12.130 permit is a misdemeanor under § 12.12.160, with a fine of up to $500.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who must trim street trees in front of a Beaumont property?
How tall can a hedge be at a Beaumont street corner?
What happens if I ignore a tree trimming notice?
Can I contest the cost the City charges for trimming?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Beaumont
California rules heatmap·Compare Beaumont to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Tree Trimming in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Riverside County handle tree trimming.