Dublin, CA Tree Protection: Parkway Planting (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- DMC Chapter 7.56, Street Trees
- Permit required
- Encroachment permit, Public Works Dept.
- Permit fee
- Waived for tree service work
- Development trees
- No permit if arborist-supervised
- Appeal window
- 2 weeks from planting notice
- Adopting ordinance
- Ord. 3-14
Summary
In Dublin, California, planting a tree in the public right-of-way or parkway strip requires an encroachment permit from the Public Works Department, which sets the location and approved species. Trees required by an approved development plan can go in without a separate permit if a certified arborist supervises the work.
A. An encroachment permit from the Public Works Department must be obtained prior to any tree being planted in the public right-of-way. The permit shall specify the location and variety of the trees or plants to be installed. The trees shall be approved street trees. The encroachment permit fee will be waived for any tree service.
B. Street trees or other plantings that are required to be planted by private development or public project in accordance with plans and specifications approved by the city may be planted without a permit; provided, however, that such trees and plantings shall conform to the city’s streetscape master plan and shall be planted under the supervision of a qualified tree professional.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2-26, passed March 3, 2026).
Full Breakdown
56 governs every tree planted in a street right-of-way, parkway easement, or public space anywhere in Alameda County's Tri-Valley city of Dublin. 040, anyone planting a tree in the public right-of-way must first get an encroachment permit from the Public Works Department specifying the location and variety; only an 'approved street tree' conforming to the city's streetscape master plan qualifies, and the encroachment permit fee is waived specifically for tree service work. 020 as an International Society of Arboriculture certified arborist or similarly licensed individual.
070 makes the Public Works Department responsible for the annual planting program in vacant planting sites, and puts watering and protection duties for right-of-way trees on the current resident, or the property owner if there is no resident. A property owner unhappy with a planned street tree can appeal to the Public Works Director; if the tree is going on private property, the resident gets at least two weeks' written notice before planting, and an appeal on a planting easement must be filed within two weeks of that notice.
Replacement of a dead or removed approved street tree happens within six months, budget allowing. This chapter was adopted by Ordinance 3-14 and is distinct from Alameda County's separate tree rules, which apply only to unincorporated pockets like Castro Valley, not to incorporated Dublin.
Violations & Fines
Planting an unapproved species or skipping the encroachment permit exposes the planting to removal as an 'unapproved street tree,' for which the city bears no maintenance responsibility under Section 7.56.070(F). Interfering with a Public Works planting decision beyond the formal appeal window in Section 7.56.070(C) does not stay the city's planting schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to plant a tree in the Dublin, CA parkway strip?
Can I object to a street tree the city wants to plant in front of my Dublin home?
Who waters a newly planted Dublin street tree?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Dublin
California rules heatmap·Compare Dublin to another location·View the California tree protection overview
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Parkway Planting in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Alameda County handle parkway planting.