Fort Collins, CO Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

Section 27-57(a) makes it 'the duty of the owner of any property within the City to cut, trim, prune or remove as necessary any trees, shrubs, or other woody vegetation' on that property, and up to the center line of any adjacent alley, to keep streets, sidewalks and alleys safely usable. The section sets five specific standards: vegetation cannot encroach on the plane of a sidewalk, street or alley; branches must clear at least 8 feet over a sidewalk and 14 feet over street or alley travel lanes; sight-distance triangles required by the Traffic Engineer must stay clear for motorist visibility; vegetation cannot block official traffic control devices or street name signs; and broken, hanging, decayed or otherwise defective branches or trees threatening public property must come down.

If an owner does not maintain vegetation to that standard, § 27-57(b) lets the City Forester order the work by notice served under § 27-59, giving the owner a set compliance window (extendable for good cause). Under § 27-57(c), if the Traffic Engineer determines a branch or tree obscures a traffic sign or sight triangle or otherwise endangers drivers or pedestrians, the Traffic Engineer can work with the City Forester to remove the obstruction within the right-of-way immediately, at City expense and without prior notice to the owner.

Notices under § 27-59 must be personally served or, failing that, posted on the property and mailed to the address of record; if the owner does not act within the specified time, the City may do the work itself and bill the owner for inspection, labor and administrative carrying charges, certified to the Larimer County Treasurer as a lien on the property with a 10 percent penalty for nonpayment past 30 days.