Philadelphia, PA Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

Authority over street trees rests with the Philadelphia Department of Parks & Recreation under Philadelphia Code Section 15-203, as restated in the Department's published regulations (Chapter IV, Section 401, updated August 2023). The Department has exclusive custody and control of, and the power to plant, remove, maintain, and care for, all street trees on the streets of Philadelphia and all trees in Park and Recreation Facilities. No person may prune, spray, plant, cut down, break, or remove any tree, plant, or shrub within a Park and Recreation Facility without the Department's approval.

For street trees, a private property owner may at their own expense perform maintenance, trimming, and pruning to the street tree along that owner's property, and eliminate a dangerous condition, but only after the owner or a qualified contractor obtains a permit from the Department for the work. Any person in the business of planting, removing, spraying, pruning, bark tracing, or root pruning of street trees must obtain a Department permit before performing any work, sign an agreement indemnifying and defending the City, and carry comprehensive liability insurance with a certificate of insurance on file.

Parks & Recreation itself provides free maintenance, trimming, and pruning of street trees on a fixed cycle; routine maintenance can be requested through 311, and fallen trees or branches blocking roadways or walkways should be reported to 911. Permits for street-tree work are coordinated through the Street Tree Management Division.