Daly City, CA Tree Protection: Parkway Planting (2026)

Title 11 of the Daly City Municipal Code governs all work within the public right-of-way, including the parkway/planting strip. Residents who wish to plant a new street tree must request a permit or planting authorization from Public Works; the city will identify suitable locations (away from driveways, fire hydrants, utility poles, sewer laterals, and street lights), recommend species from the approved street tree list, and may inspect the planting. Underground Service Alert (Dig Alert, 811) notification is required before excavation for the planting hole under California Government Code Section 4216 et seq. Property owners adjacent to a parkway tree have a duty to keep sidewalks safe under California Streets and Highways Code Section 5610, which can include managing root-related sidewalk uplift. Daly City's coastal-fog microclimate favors moderately sized, wind-tolerant species; large-canopy species like London plane and large eucalyptus are typically discouraged in narrow parkways. Encroachment of branches over the sidewalk or street must maintain at least 8 feet of clearance above sidewalks and 14 feet above streets to keep pedestrian and vehicle passage clear.