Orem, UT Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)
Key Facts
- Code Section
- Orem City Code 11-1-3 (item 16)
- Trigger
- Hazardous, traffic-obstructing, or pest-harboring trees/vegetation
- Owner duty
- Trim or remove hazardous/obstructing trees and hedges
- Penalty
- Class C misdemeanor (11-1-8) plus abatement
- Healthy private-tree pruning
- Not separately regulated
Summary
Orem City Code Section 11-1-3 declares dead, decayed, diseased, or hazardous trees, weeds, hedges, and overgrown or uncultivated vegetation a public nuisance when they are in a hazardous condition, obstruct pedestrian or vehicular traffic, or are likely to harbor pests, requiring property owners to trim or remove them.
Dead, decayed, diseased, or hazardous trees, weeds, hedges, and overgrown or uncultivated vegetation which is in a hazardous condition, is an obstruction to pedestrian or vehicular traffic, or which is likely to harbor rats, vermin or other pests.
Full Breakdown
Orem regulates trees primarily through its nuisance code in Chapter 11 (Health and Sanitation), Article 11-1 (Nuisances). ' This makes the property owner responsible for trimming back limbs and vegetation that block sidewalks, streets, or sightlines, and for removing dead or hazardous trees. Maintaining such a condition is enforceable as a nuisance: under Section 11-1-8, any person who maintains or assists in maintaining a nuisance is guilty of a class C misdemeanor, and the City may also pursue civil abatement. Routine, healthy-tree pruning is not regulated for private property; the trigger is hazard, obstruction, or pest harborage. Tree planting and care on City-owned land and park strips is separately addressed by the City's tree-stewardship and street-tree provisions.
Violations & Fines
A tree or hedge condition that meets Section 11-1-3 may be declared a nuisance; under Section 11-1-8 maintaining a nuisance is a class C misdemeanor (prosecutable by citation or Information), and the City may abate the condition and recover costs. Owners typically receive a code-enforcement notice and a deadline to trim or remove the offending vegetation before penalties or City abatement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to trim a tree that blocks the sidewalk in Orem?
Does Orem regulate trimming a healthy tree on my own property?
What happens if I leave a dead tree standing in Orem?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Orem
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Tree Trimming in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Utah County handle tree trimming.