Sierra County, CA Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

There is no Sierra County Code chapter requiring a homeowner to get a permit before pruning or trimming an ordinary tree on private property. The practical trimming standards come from three sources. First and most important is California's defensible-space law, Public Resources Code section 4291, which for fire safety requires creating vertical and horizontal spacing between grass, shrubs and trees, removing tree branches at least six feet from the ground, and removing any portion of a tree within 10 feet of a chimney or stovepipe outlet. Second, the County's grading, erosion and sediment control ordinance (SCC Chapter 12.08) directs that natural features including vegetation be protected and preserved wherever possible during land-disturbing work (SCC 12.08.590). Third, work in the public right-of-way - such as trimming or removing trees within a County road easement - is governed by the encroachment provisions in Title 35; an encroachment permit is generally required before doing work in County road right-of-way. Utility-line vegetation clearance is a separate state matter under Public Utilities Code section 8387 (wildfire mitigation). For trees that overhang a neighbor's property, California common law (not a County ordinance) lets the neighbor trim back to the property line without harming the tree's health.