Rapid City, SD Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

130 of the Rapid City Municipal Code sets two separate overhead clearance standards for tree branches: any tree overhanging a city sidewalk must be kept trimmed so the space between the sidewalk and the lowest overhanging branch is not less than 7 feet, and any tree overhanging a street or alley must be kept trimmed so the space between the street or alley and the lowest overhanging branch is not less than 11 feet. 080(C) already puts maintenance of street trees, meaning trees growing in the parkway strip between the property line and the curb, on the owner of the abutting property; that same responsibility carries over to keeping those trees clear of the sidewalk and street below the 7-foot and 11-foot lines.

140. 150. The 7-foot and 11-foot clearances exist to keep pedestrians, delivery trucks, snowplows, and emergency and utility vehicles from striking low branches, and they apply citywide wherever a tree canopy extends over a public sidewalk, street or alley in Rapid City.