San Bernardino County requires trees overhanging sidewalks trimmed to 8 feet and streets to 14 feet. In fire zones, PRC 4291 requires 10-ft chimney clearance and removal of ladder fuels.
San Bernardino County Code of Ordinances requires property owners to maintain trees on their property so that branches do not encroach on public sidewalks below 8 feet or public streets below 14 feet. Trees overhanging onto neighboring properties may be trimmed by the neighbor up to the property line under California nuisance law, provided the trimming does not kill or destroy the tree. In Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, PRC 4291 requires tree limbs to be trimmed at least 10 feet away from chimneys and stovepipes, dead branches to be removed, and the lower 6 feet of branches from the ground (or one-third the tree height, whichever is less) to be cleared to prevent ladder fuels. Trees within 30 feet of a home in fire zones should have a canopy separation of 10 feet between trees. Protected heritage trees in certain community plans (e.g., Joshua trees outside Joshua Tree National Park, oaks in mountain areas) may require a permit before trimming or removal.
Failure to trim overhanging branches can result in code enforcement citations starting at 100 dollars. In fire zones, ladder fuel or chimney-adjacent branches can trigger CAL FIRE citations up to 500 dollars plus forced abatement. Killing a neighbor's tree through improper trimming can lead to civil liability including triple damages under California Civil Code 3346.
See how San Bernardino County's tree trimming rules stack up against other locations.
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