Tree rules in San Francisco: permits, protected trees and fees
What San Francisco Public Works says about street trees, significant trees on private land near the sidewalk, landmark trees, removal permit fees from US$475 to US$1,913, the 30 day posting, hearings and appeals.
Checked against the sources at the bottom of this page on October 8, 2026. Rules, fees and pay change: the source has the last word.
This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. It describes San Francisco Public Works pages on significant and landmark trees, removing a street tree, street tree and plant permits, and tree removal notifications, as read on October 8, 2026. The rule behind them is Article 16 of the Public Works Code. The wider list of cities is on the guide to tree permits in the largest US cities.
Which trees need a permit
The removal page says a permit is required to remove a street tree, and that any tree in the public right-of-way is a street tree. It says legislation enacted in 2007 requires a permit to remove any Significant Tree. Per the significant and landmark trees page, a Significant Tree stands on private property with any part of the trunk within 10 feet of the public right-of-way and meets any one of these sizes:
- 20 feet or greater in height;
- 15 feet or greater canopy width;
- 12 inches or greater trunk diameter, measured at 4.5 feet above grade.
The page says these trees are granted the same protections as street trees. Landmark trees are different: the Board of Supervisors designates them, for rareness of species, size, age, structure, ecological contribution, or historical or cultural importance, and the page says they are protected from physical damage and removal. It lists the designated landmark trees by address and species, including six blue gum eucalyptus at 1801 Bush Street, Canary Island date palms on Dolores Street and Quesada Street medians, and a coast redwood at 46 Stillings Avenue. Two entries are marked removed, one for structural failure and one for tree death.
The permits page adds two more rules. A permit is required before pruning any street tree within 150 feet of any part of a general advertising sign. And it says all of the city's street trees are maintained by StreetTreeSF, so pruning ahead of a scheduled pruning needs the Bureau of Urban Forestry first. It states that pruning or removing a street tree without a permit violates Article 16 of the Public Works Code and "penalties will apply".
Fees and what the applicant carries
The removal page lists non-refundable application fees, payable to San Francisco Public Works:
| Request | Fee |
|---|---|
| 1 to 3 trees, diseased, hazard or sidewalk damage | US$475 |
| 1 to 3 trees, construction or development | US$957 |
| 4 to 9 trees | US$1,273 |
| 10 or more trees | US$1,913 |
The permits page says there is no fee for a street tree planting permit. The removal page says that if a permit is approved, the applicant is expected to complete the removal and bears all costs, including buying and planting the replacement. It states "for each tree removed, a replacement tree is required", the application names the replacement species, and the new tree must be maintained for three years, after which Urban Forestry inspects before the city takes over. A tree that dies in that period must be replaced at the owner's expense. Construction-related requests carry site plans showing tree locations and the building permit number; damage claims carry proof such as paid repair invoices.
Process, notice and appeal
Per the removal page, Public Works inspectors evaluate the tree. If they recommend removal, a notice is posted on the tree for 30 days. If objections arrive, a public hearing is scheduled; if removal is denied, the applicant can request one. A hearing officer then recommends to the Public Works Director, who issues the final decision, which the page says may be appealable to the Board of Appeals.
The removal notifications page, updated every Monday, lists current postings with the reason and the posting dates. It says that under Article 16, Section 806 a written appeal about a removal can be made within 15 or 30 days of the posting date, depending on the posting period, stating the grounds. It also quotes the code's hazard tree definition: a tree posing an imminent hazard to person or property, including one that appears dead, dangerous or likely to fall, or obstructs or damages a street or sidewalk.
Contact on the pages is the Bureau of Urban Forestry, 49 South Van Ness Avenue, Suite 1000, phone (628) 652-8733.
Sources
- San Francisco Public Works, Significant and landmark trees, read October 8, 2026
- San Francisco Public Works, Remove a street tree, read October 8, 2026
- San Francisco Public Works, Permits for street trees and plants, read October 8, 2026
- San Francisco Public Works, Tree removal notifications, read October 8, 2026