Meridian, ID Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)
Key Facts
- Sidewalk clearance
- 8 feet minimum vertical
- Street clearance
- 14 feet minimum vertical
- Abatement deadline
- 5 calendar days after notice
- Enforcement
- Code Enforcement Division with City Arborist
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor plus abatement cost billback
Summary
Meridian's nuisance ordinance requires trees to keep 8 feet of vertical clearance over sidewalks and 14 feet over streets; branches that fall short are declared a nuisance tree the property owner must trim or remove.
Nuisance tree means any tree or part thereof which, by reason of location or condition: constitutes a hazard to public safety; obstructs the free passage of pedestrian or vehicular traffic; fails to provide a vertical clearance of eight (8) feet over a sidewalk or fourteen (14) feet over a street; obstructs public street lighting; harbors pests or disease.
Nuisance weeds means undesirable plant growth, whether living or dead, which:
A.Is over eight (8) inches in height;B.By reason of size, manner of growth, location, or dryness, constitutes a safety, health, or fire hazard to any person, building, improvement, crop, or other real or personal property;C.By reason of size, manner of growth, or location, impedes or obstructs a sidewalk or roadway or any portion thereof; orD.Is designated as a noxious weed by the State of Idaho. This definition shall not include cultivated grasses and pastures, though such vegetation may be declared a nuisance where otherwise appropriate.
Public tree means any tree, including roots within the critical root zone, whose trunk is located, partly or in whole, on public property.
Tree means any woody plant.
(Ord. 17-1759, 12-19-2017; Ord. 20-1875, 3-10-2020)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 14).
Full Breakdown
City Code § 4-2-1 defines a 'nuisance tree' as one that fails to provide 8 feet of vertical clearance over a sidewalk or 14 feet over a street, along with other hazard conditions like obstructing traffic or street lighting. Under § 4-2-2(C), the owner of adjacent private property is presumed responsible for maintaining public trees in the right-of-way next to their property, including any that become a nuisance tree. Once a Code Enforcement Officer issues notice under § 4-2-3, the owner has 5 calendar days to abate, meaning pruning, branch removal, or removal of the tree, before the city can order summary abatement and bill the cost back.
Violations & Fines
Failure to trim a nuisance tree after notice is an abatable-nuisance misdemeanor; the city can also summarily abate the tree and bill the owner, plus pursue civil recovery of abatement costs, fees, and attorney costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has to trim trees over a Meridian sidewalk?
What happens if I don't trim a nuisance tree after being notified?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Meridian
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Tree Trimming in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle tree trimming.