Burbank, CA Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

Under BMC 7-4-104, the City maintains street trees, but it is unlawful for any person to 'alter, or otherwise perform maintenance, on a tree within a public area and/or public right-of-way without a written permit'; root pruning of public-right-of-way trees by anyone other than authorized city personnel is also prohibited. 'Maintenance' is defined broadly to include pruning, trimming, topping, and root pruning (BMC 7-4-101). BMC 7-4-113 makes it unlawful to 'destroy, injure, or deface' any public tree, expressly including 'unauthorized pruning/trimming, cutting, topping, or shaping the branches of a public tree.' For private trees that overhang the street, BMC 7-4-110(A) authorizes the city to cut down dead or dangerous limbs and assess the cost to the owner, and BMC 7-4-110(C) requires branches near intersections to be trimmed so they do not hang lower than 14 feet above the curb. Abutting owners are responsible for watering/fertilizing street trees and maintaining other parkway vegetation (BMC 7-4-104(B)).