Woodland, CA Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

Woodland Municipal Code § 12.48.020 splits tree work into two tiers: 'minor maintenance' covers trimming or pruning branches under three inches in diameter and needs no permit, while 'major maintenance' covers trimming, pruning, or cabling that removes branches three inches or greater, plus any similar work besides watering and minor pruning. Section 12.48.050(E) makes it unlawful for anyone other than a City worker or contractor to perform major maintenance on a street tree without a tree permit from the Community Services Director. Fronting property owners remain free to do their own minor maintenance without a permit under § 12.48.090(A), and public utilities may still trim around lines to make repairs, meet safety rules, or avoid a service interruption without one either.

Where major maintenance is requested, § 12.48.060 requires the Director to evaluate the tree against ISA standards, considering the odds the work will injure or destroy it, the tree's health and desirability as a street tree, and whether less invasive options exist; unlike a removal request for a tree 24 inches DBH or greater, a major-maintenance permit does not need a recommendation from the Urban Forest Subcommittee first. All pruning, whether under a permit or exempt as minor maintenance, must still follow the pruning standards the code adopts from the ANSI A300 series for tree care and the ISA's Best Management Practices (§ 12.48.020).

A permit applicant denied major-maintenance work can appeal to the Parks and Recreation Commission and, after that, to the City Council (§ 12.48.070). Performing unpermitted major maintenance is a separate offense for each tree and each day the violation continues under § 12.48.240.