Fontana, CA Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

The City of Fontana Public Works Department manages all street trees planted in the parkway strip between the sidewalk and curb. These trees belong to the city, and residents are prohibited from pruning, topping, or removing them without a permit. Public Works crews perform cyclical maintenance, and an online request system accepts service requests for hazardous or overgrown limbs. Property owners must maintain vertical clearance over adjacent public ways: generally 14 feet of clearance over streets for trucks and emergency apparatus and 8 feet over sidewalks for pedestrians, in line with California Vehicle Code 22500 and standard public works practice.

Vegetation that blocks stop signs, streetlights, sightlines at intersections, or line of sight for drivers is a municipal violation, and Code Enforcement can require immediate corrective trimming at owner expense. Trees entirely on private property can be trimmed or removed by the owner without a permit, subject to contractor licensing rules (any commercial tree work requires a C-61/D-49 or C-27 contractor). Under California Civil Code 833 and 834, an owner may trim branches that encroach onto their property up to the property line, provided the trimming does not kill or disfigure the tree; willful damage can expose the trimmer to double or triple damages.

Heritage or specimen native oaks and sycamores are not specifically protected by city ordinance but may still be protected under state CEQA review for development projects.