Nevada County, CA Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)
Key Facts
- Pruning Permit
- Not required for routine maintenance
- Chimney Clearance
- 10 feet from chimney/stovepipe
- Road Clearance
- 10 ft wide strip, 15 ft high
- Ladder Fuels
- Pruned up to 10 ft
- Dead Wood
- Removed near/over buildings
- Source
- Sec. G-IV 7.4, Hazardous Vegetation Ord.
Summary
Routine pruning of your own trees needs no county permit. However, the Hazardous Vegetation Abatement ordinance (Sec. G-IV 7.4) requires owners to prune ladder fuels, remove dead/dying wood, keep branches 10 feet from chimneys, and maintain a 10-foot-wide, 15-foot-high clearance strip beyond roadway shoulders for emergency access.
3. Maintain free of Ladder Fuels a minimum of a 10-foot wide strip of land beyond the edge of the driving surface including the shoulder of a roadway serving as primary ingress and egress to the parcel, to a height of fifteen (15') feet along the boundary of a Parcel. 4. Remove the portion of a tree that extends within 10 feet of the outline of a chimney, stovepipe or roofline of structures. 5. Climbing vines must be removed from trees and Structures within the one hundred (100') foot defensible space zone around Structure(s). 6. Maintain a tree, shrub, or other plant adjacent to or overhanging a building free of dead or dying wood. 7. Maintain the roof of a Structure free of leaves, needles, or other vegetative materials. 8. Maintain the Parcel free of ladder fuels within the one hundred (100') foot Defensible Space area around Structure(s).
Full Breakdown
Nevada County does not require a permit to trim a tree on your own unincorporated parcel for normal maintenance. The County's enforceable trimming rules are fire- and access-driven, set out in the Hazardous Vegetation Abatement ordinance (Article 7, Chapter IV of the General Code). Within the defensible-space area, Sec. C requires owners to: prune and remove 'ladder fuels' up to ten (10) feet (Sec. K); 'remove the portion of a tree that extends within ten (10') feet of the outline of a chimney or stovepipe'; remove climbing vines from trees and structures; and keep any tree, shrub, or plant adjacent to or overhanging a building free of dead or dying wood.
For roads, Sec. d requires a minimum ten (10-foot) wide strip of land beyond the shoulder of a roadway serving as primary ingress and egress, cleared to a height of fifteen (15') feet along the parcel boundary. Sec. G adds that no owner may let vegetation interfere with street or emergency-vehicle access on public or private roads, and a Public Official may require additional trimming in writing. Note: trimming or removing larger or heritage trees can separately trigger the County's tree-preservation rules in Title 12 zoning (see tree-removal permits).
Violations & Fines
A Public Official may issue a Notice to Abate (Sec. G-IV 7.6) allowing at least 30 days to comply; uncorrected road-clearance hazards may be summarily abated 'without further notice and at the Parcel Owner's expense' under Sec. G-IV 7.4.G.a. Infraction fines run $130/$700/$1,300 (Sec. G-IV 7.16).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to trim my own trees in unincorporated Nevada County?
How much must I clear vegetation along my private road?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Nevada County
California rules heatmap·Compare Nevada County to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
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