Chino Hills, CA Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)
Key Facts
- Inspection authority
- City agent, Public Works Director
- Overhanging hazard
- Declared a public nuisance
- City tree work permit
- Required under §12.26.030/.040
- Utility trimming
- Permitted for PUC safety compliance
- Violation classification
- Misdemeanor, per tree removed
Summary
Chino Hills can inspect and require correction of any tree overhanging a public street. Municipal Code Section 12.26.090 lets the City declare a hazardous or right-of-way-obstructing tree, public or private, a public nuisance subject to abatement, including trees out of compliance with defensible-space and ladder-fuel fire rules.
An agent of the City may inspect any tree adjacent to or overhanging any public street in the City to determine whether the same, or any portion thereof, is in such condition as to constitute a hazard or impediment to the safety of anyone traveling on such public street. Any tree or part thereof growing upon private property but overhanging or interfering with use of any right-of-way that endangers the life, health, safety or property of the public shall be declared a public nuisance. This includes trees that are not in compliance with state and local fire codes dealing with defensible space and ladder fuels hazards. Such a public nuisance can be abated through any legal remedy including through any of the procedures provided for in Chapter 8.12 of this Code.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 61).
Full Breakdown
26 of the Chino Hills Municipal Code, City-Owned Trees, governs trimming and clearance of trees along public streets and parkways. 090 authorizes a City agent to inspect any tree adjacent to or overhanging a public street to determine whether it constitutes a hazard or impediment to public safety, and it declares any tree, whether growing on public or private property, a public nuisance if it overhangs or interferes with a right-of-way in a way that endangers life, health, safety, or property, including noncompliance with defensible-space and ladder-fuel fire rules.
12. 080 places an ongoing duty on the property owner: nothing in the chapter shifts maintenance responsibility to the City, and owners are not relieved of their duty to keep City trees on or adjacent to their property in a condition that does not create a hazard. 030. 060 to trim or brace street trees, or private trees encroaching into the right-of-way, as needed to meet Public Utilities Commission safety rules.
Violations & Fines
Injuring, defacing, or destroying a City-owned tree without authorization, including unauthorized cutting or trimming, is a misdemeanor under Section 12.26.110, with each tree removed in violation counted as a separate offense. A property owner who lets a tree create a hazard over a right-of-way risks a public-nuisance abatement action under Section 12.26.090.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is responsible for trimming a tree that overhangs a Chino Hills street?
Can I trim or remove a City-owned street tree myself in Chino Hills?
What happens if someone damages a City tree in Chino Hills without a permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chino Hills
California rules heatmap·Compare Chino Hills to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
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Tree Trimming in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Bernardino County handle tree trimming.