Royal Oak, MI Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

City Code § 710-8 places the trimming duty directly on the property owner rather than the City. Every owner of a tree, shrub or plant overhanging streets or highways in the City of Royal Oak must turn back branches so they do not obstruct the light from a street lamp or the view of a street intersection, and must maintain a clear space of eight feet above the surface of the street or highway. The same section separately obligates owners to remove all dead, diseased or dangerous trees, and any broken or decayed limbs, once they become a menace to public safety, regardless of the eight-foot clearance issue.

This trimming duty sits inside Article I of Chapter 710, which also gives the Department of Public Works broad control over public trees under § 710-1 and requires DPW permission before anyone excavates near a public tree under § 710-7, so a homeowner planning tree work near the curb should confirm whether DPW approval is separately needed if the work reaches into the public right-of-way. Because § 710-8 is an ongoing maintenance obligation rather than a permit application, there is no fee or filing step described in the code; the duty simply runs with ownership of the overhanging tree, shrub or plant, and enforcement follows the same Article I penalty structure that covers the rest of the tree-protection provisions in this chapter.