Daly City, CA Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit issuer
- Director of Public Works
- Applies to
- Trees in rights-of-way, medians, parks, city easements
- Topping
- Prohibited (DCMC 12.40.160)
- Unauthorized pruning
- Billed to responsible property owner
- Private trees
- Owner must prevent hazards and sight obstructions
Summary
No one may prune, spray, plant, or otherwise work on any public right-of-way or street tree in Daly City without a permit from the Director of Public Works under Municipal Code section 12.40.110. Unauthorized pruning of city trees is billed to the responsible property owner, and topping street trees is unlawful.
Daly City is responsible for the maintenance of the urban forest in City rights-of-ways, medians, parks, and City-owned easements. The City may prune, thin, and reduce the head weight of trees during the pruning process. The City does not top or lower the crown of City trees unless they pose a safety hazard. Unauthorized pruning of City trees, without the written approval of the City of Daly City's Public Works Director, will be billed to the responsible property owner(s) for all expenses incurred in correcting damage.
Full Breakdown
40 (Urban Forestry, Ord. 1236 (1996), amended by Ord. No. 1387 (2015)) governs the city's roughly 10,000 public trees. 110 prohibits any person from spraying, root-pruning, fertilizing, staking, planting, transplanting, grading, or trenching within the foliage drip line, or removing any public right-of-way or street tree without a Public Works permit; only weed and trash removal at the base of the tree is allowed, and that is the abutting owner's responsibility. 160 makes it unlawful to top or stub-cut street trees, and requires utility line clearing by the drop-crotch pruning method.
With Public Works Director approval, abutting owners may hire a certified arborist or tree company at their own expense to trim city trees; lowering of tree height is approved only if the tree's health and vigor are not threatened. 040 requires owners to keep trees and shrubs on their property from becoming a hazard or an impediment to vision or travel on any street, sidewalk, or public place.
Violations & Fines
Unauthorized pruning of city trees without the Public Works Director's written approval is billed to the responsible property owner for all expenses incurred in correcting the damage. Under section 12.40.070, damaging or mutilating public trees may be pursued through the enforcement and damage-recovery provisions of sections 12.40.030 and 12.40.100.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I trim the city street tree in front of my house in Daly City?
Who maintains street trees in Daly City?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Daly City
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Tree Trimming in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Mateo County handle tree trimming.