Chandler, AZ Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)
Key Facts
- Street/alleyway clearance
- 15 feet minimum
- Sidewalk clearance
- 8 feet minimum
- Vegetation under 8 ft
- Must be kept off sidewalks entirely
- Right-of-way maintenance duty
- Runs to abutting property owner
- First civil penalty
- $250, up to $750 for third offense
Summary
Chandler property owners must keep tree limbs at least 15 feet above any public street or alleyway and at least 8 feet above any public sidewalk, and must not let trees, shrubs or other plant growth block sight lines, traffic signs or street lighting. The Neighborhood Resources Department enforces the standard under the Property Maintenance Ordinance.
No owner or occupant of any property shall allow or permit any trees, shrubs or other plant growth on the property to impede, obstruct or interfere with the free passage upon any public street, sidewalk or alleyway; obstruct the visibility of drivers; or interfere with any traffic control device or signs or street lighting. Tree limbs must be maintained to hang no lower than fifteen (15) feet above any public street or alleyway and eight (8) feet above any public sidewalk. Trees below eight (8) feet, shrubs, or other plant growth must be maintained away from any public sidewalk.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 79).
Full Breakdown
Section 30-18(F) bars any owner or occupant from allowing trees, shrubs or other plant growth to 'impede, obstruct or interfere with the free passage upon any public street, sidewalk or alleyway,' obstruct driver visibility, or interfere with a traffic control device, sign or streetlight. ' Vegetation below 8 feet, including trees under that height, shrubs and other plant growth, must be kept away from any public sidewalk entirely rather than merely trimmed back. The clearance duty runs with the abutting land: § 30-18(L) separately requires anyone in control of land next to a sidewalk, alley or street to maintain that public right-of-way strip, from the curb (or pavement edge if there's no curb) to the property line, including the sidewalk itself, and half the width of an abutting alley to its centerline.
Because the requirement sits in Chapter 30's land-maintenance article, it is enforced the same way as any other property maintenance violation, a written notice of violation under § 30-8 identifying the low-hanging limb or obstruction, followed by a civil citation if it isn't corrected by the stated re-inspection date.
Violations & Fines
A first civil citation for inadequate clearance is $250 under § 30-11, $500 for a second violation and $750 for a third within 24 months, and each day the obstruction continues is a separate violation under § 30-6(D). The City may also abate the hazard itself and bill the owner if a notice under § 30-14 goes unanswered for 30 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
How high must tree limbs be over a Chandler street?
What's the clearance requirement over a sidewalk?
Who has to maintain the strip between my fence and the street?
What happens if I don't trim an obstructing tree?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chandler
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