Caldwell, ID Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)
Key Facts
- Sidewalk/ROW clearance
- 10 feet vertical
- Street clearance
- 14 feet vertical
- Applies to
- Public and private trees
- Standard referenced
- ANSI A300
- Enforcing office
- City Forester
Summary
Caldwell requires overhanging tree branches to be pruned to ten feet of vertical clearance over sidewalks and unimproved right of way, and fourteen feet over streets, whether the tree is public or private.
(5) The branches of public and private trees and shrubs that overhang sidewalks and/or unimproved right of way must be pruned to provide ten feet (10') of vertical clearance. Tree branches of either public or private trees that overhang the street must be pruned to provide fourteen feet (14') of vertical clearance. Should either a public or private tree or shrub be out of compliance with either the ten foot (10') sidewalk vertical clearance or the fourteen foot (14') street vertical clearance such that a safety hazard is presented, or any type of utility or street maintenance is impeded; the limbs must be pruned to meet these clearances.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 Code: Local legislation current through Ordinance 3747, passed 3-16-2026).
Full Breakdown
Caldwell City Code § 10-02-10-12 (LICENSEE RESPONSIBILITY) sets the clearance standard within the Caldwell Tree Ordinance's licensing chapter, and it applies to public and private trees alike. Subsection (5) requires that branches overhanging sidewalks or unimproved right of way be pruned to provide ten feet of vertical clearance, while branches overhanging the street itself must be pruned to fourteen feet of vertical clearance. Where a tree or shrub is out of compliance with either clearance and that failure presents a safety hazard, or impedes utility or street maintenance, the limbs must be pruned to meet the required clearance regardless of who owns the tree.
This clearance duty sits among the other licensee obligations in § 10-02-10-12: using safety measures and equipment under ANSI A300 standards, obtaining required removal permits, complying with the City's arboricultural specifications guide, and following city, county, state and federal law. A separate nuisance provision, § 10-02-10-8, independently declares any tree or shrub that obstructs the free passage of pedestrian or vehicular traffic, or obstructs a streetlight or traffic control device, to be a public nuisance subject to abatement.
Violations & Fines
Failure to perform tree services, including required clearance pruning, in compliance with the City's accepted arboricultural standards is a misdemeanor under § 10-02-10-14, fined pursuant to the code and Idaho Code. Trees creating a sight, pedestrian or traffic obstruction can also be abated as a public nuisance under § 10-02-10-8/§ 10-02-10-9, with disposal and abatement costs charged to the property owner.
Frequently Asked Questions
How high must my tree branches be trimmed over the sidewalk in Caldwell?
What is the required clearance over the street for overhanging branches?
Does this clearance rule apply to my private tree, not just city trees?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Caldwell
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