Bethlehem, PA Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)
Key Facts
- Sidewalk clearance
- 8 feet minimum
- Roadway clearance
- 14 feet minimum
- Nuisance correction window
- 30 days after written notice
- Minor work
- Requires Director's prior approval
- First offense penalty
- $200 fine or 30 days
Summary
Bethlehem property owners must keep trees along their public right-of-way pruned to maintain 8 feet of clearance over sidewalks and 14 feet over roadways. Codified Ordinances § 910.11 makes that clearance, plus keeping street lights and signs unobstructed, a minimum obligation of the abutting owner, not a City service.
(a) Property owners shall be responsible to maintain trees and other vegetation within and along the public right-of-way abutting their property. Property owners minimum obligations shall include but not be limited to: (1) The maintenance, safety, health, and appearance of trees within the public right-of-way, including: (A) Maintaining mature trees to provide clearance of eight feet (8') over sidewalks and fourteen feet (14') over roadways.
Full Breakdown
11(a) makes property owners responsible for maintaining trees and other vegetation within and along the public right-of-way that fronts their property. 11(a)(1)(A)), pruning so street lights can illuminate the roadway, keeping traffic signals, street signs, poles, and directional signs unobstructed, removing dead, diseased, damaged, or decayed limbs that endanger the right-of-way, and structural pruning to reach those clearances as the tree matures. Owners must also prune or remove vegetation encroaching onto the right-of-way and clear fallen limbs and debris. 10. 12 treats an overhanging or interfering tree or limb as a public nuisance: the owner must remove the nuisance at his own expense, and if he doesn't within 30 days of written notice, the Director removes it and bills the owner.
Violations & Fines
Failing to comply with a Director's or City Forester's order to trim a tree under Article 910 violates § 910.11(c) and is punishable under § 910.99: $200 or 30 days for a first offense, $500 or 60 days for a second, and $1,000 or 90 days for a third or later offense. If the City has to remove a nuisance limb or tree itself after the owner ignores a 30-day notice, § 910.12(b) lets it bill the full cost of that work to the owner.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much clearance do I have to leave when trimming a street tree in Bethlehem?
Can I trim the tree in front of my house myself?
What if my neighbor's overhanging tree blocks the sidewalk?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bethlehem
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