Journal ·
Do I Need a Permit to Remove a Tree in Burbank?
It depends on where the trunk stands. The tree between the sidewalk and the curb in front of a Burbank house is a public tree, and removing or even trimming it without a written permit is a misdemeanour. A tree standing wholly on private ground is not covered by that chapter at all, which is the reverse of how Glendale and Santa Clarita treat native species. Buyers meet the difference when a contractor prices a driveway.
Which tree in front of your house is a public tree?
Burbank's tree rules sit in Title 7, Chapter 4, Article 1 of the Burbank Municipal Code, rewritten by Ordinance 23-3,990, effective March 31, 2023, and amended by Ordinance 25-4,028, effective July 25, 2025.
Section 7-4-101 defines a public tree as "any tree located in a street or public area," and defines the parkway as the part of the public right of way between the curb and the abutting property line. Together those put the tree outside your front fence in public hands.
The city is direct about ownership. Its Parkway Tree Program page says the city "controls only the right-of-way between the curb and private property line for street, sidewalk, and utility purposes, but does not own the land." The strip can be part of your parcel. The tree on it is not.
The same section counts a tree as a woody perennial reaching a mature height of at least 16 feet. Anything shorter is a shrub, with its own parkway rule.
| Parkway tree | Tree wholly on private land | |
|---|---|---|
| Status in the code | Public tree, 7-4-101 | Not addressed by this article |
| Watering | Abutting owner, 7-4-104(B) | Owner |
| Permit to remove | Yes, 7-4-111(A) | Not required by this article |
| Permit to prune | Yes, in writing, 7-4-104(C) | Not required by this article |
| Unpermitted work | Misdemeanour, 7-4-104(F) | Not an offence here |
What removing a parkway tree costs
Section 7-4-111(A) is short and expensive. A removal permit is required. The permittee replaces the tree with a species, size and location chosen by the Parks and Recreation Director under the Master Street Tree Plan. And the permittee pays the city the valuation of the tree removed and of the replacement tree before any work begins.
That valuation is not an estimate off a bid sheet. Section 7-4-101 requires the Trunk Formula from the current Guide for Plant Appraisal: Tree Value = Base Value x Cross-sectional Area x Species Class x Condition Class x Location Class. Cross-sectional area rises with the square of trunk diameter, so the number climbs steeply on an old tree.
Under Section 7-4-105, a public tree removed, defaced or injured and not replaced is reimbursed at its appraised value, set by an arborist certified by the International Society of Arboriculture.
Removal is not automatic. The department states on its Forestry Services page that requests "are inspected individually and only granted when a justifiable and necessary cause is established per Department's removal policy."
Trimming is maintenance, and maintenance needs a permit
Section 7-4-104(C) makes it unlawful to alter or perform maintenance on a tree in the public right of way without a written permit. Subsection (D) limits a permit to the work it names, and (E) reserves root pruning to people the city has authorised.
Maintenance is defined widely in 7-4-101, from pruning and topping to spraying, mulching and fertilising. Hiring a crew to shape the parkway tree counts.
Section 7-4-113 lists what is unlawful against a public tree. Pouring toxic material near it. Attaching a sign, guy wire, rope or nail. Unauthorised digging that injures roots inside the dripline. Unauthorised pruning, topping or shaping. And last, overwatering or underwatering.
That last one deserves a second look. The abutting owner must water the tree under 7-4-104(B) and can breach 7-4-113(F) by watering it wrong. That matters when a new owner takes out a lawn and re-plumbs the front.
Section 7-4-104(F) makes a violation a misdemeanour under Section 1-1-105, punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, six months in jail, or both.
The Tree Protection Zone lands on your building plans
Section 7-4-101 sets the Tree Protection Zone as the area extending 10 feet beyond the dripline of a public tree, and adds that "in no case shall the protected zone be less than ten (10) feet from the trunk." The same section defines development to include any work needing a building, demolition or encroachment permit, and any grading, excavation or construction inside that dripline.
Section 7-4-115 forbids excavating trenches or installing pavement inside the zone without prior written approval, and requires four-foot rigid fencing for the whole job. Section 7-4-117(A) routes any plan that could injure a public tree to Parks and Recreation, which verifies the zone is drawn on it. A new curb cut, sewer lateral trench or driveway widening can land in that review. Hillside parcels add the triggers in the Burbank hillside development permit guide.
What the code says about a tree on your own land
Article 1 is built around public trees. The removal permit in 7-4-111 sits under a subsection headed "Public Trees," and the prohibitions in 7-4-113 and 7-4-115 both name the public tree. There is no size threshold, no protected species list and no private tree permit here. The city's newsroom notice of January 9, 2025 tells residents with private property tree issues to hire a private tree-trimming company.
Treat that as strong evidence, not blanket permission. A permit condition, a recorded easement or an association rule can each reach a private tree, and none appears in Chapter 7-4.
Three provisions do cross the property line:
- Overhanging the street. Section 7-4-110(A) lets the city cut down a private tree that overhangs the street and appears dead or dangerous, and assess the cost to the owner.
- Disease. Section 7-4-109(B) makes the owner treat or remove a tree infested badly enough to threaten public trees, on written notice. If nothing is done, the city may enter and bill.
- Corner sight lines. Section 7-4-110(C) covers everything within 40 feet of the point where adjacent curb lines intersect, public or private: ground cover no more than 8 inches above the curb, branches no lower than 14 feet.
Parkway planting has its own trap. Section 7-4-112 lets the Director order out any tree or plant put in a parkway without approval, at the owner's cost. A drought-tolerant strip installed by a previous owner may not conform, and that lands on whoever owns the house next.
How Burbank compares with Glendale and Santa Clarita
| Burbank | Glendale | Santa Clarita | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected | Public trees in streets and public areas | Seven native species citywide | Oaks (genus Quercus) citywide |
| Trigger | Where the trunk stands | Species plus six-inch trunk | Species, small-trunk exemption |
| Private tree permit | Not under this article | Yes | Yes |
| Department | Parks and Recreation | Public Works | Community Development |
| Owner pays | Appraised value plus replacement | Fee plus mitigation | Fee by tier |
Read the first row twice. A protected live oak in a Glendale back yard needs a permit for any cut over two inches, as the Glendale indigenous tree guide sets out. The same oak in a Burbank back yard falls outside Chapter 7-4. Move it to the Burbank parkway and the permit returns with an appraisal. The Santa Clarita oak permit guide shows a third pattern, where genus alone triggers the ordinance.
What to check before you write an offer
- Work out where the property line runs. The tree on the strip in front of it is public whatever the survey says about the dirt.
- Before pricing a wider driveway, a curb cut or front hardscape, sketch the protection zone: dripline plus ten feet, never less than ten feet from the trunk.
- Look for a fresh stump or a gap in an even row of street trees, and ask the seller in writing about permits.
- On a corner lot, measure 40 feet back from the intersecting curb lines, then check hedge height and branch clearance.
- If the parkway has been replanted, ask whether it was approved.
These checks belong inside the inspection contingency of a Burbank purchase. A seller preparing a listing can run the list in reverse before the first showing.
Q: Who owns the tree in front of my Burbank house?
The code treats it as a public tree because it stands in the right of way, while the city says it does not own the land under it.
Q: Can I trim the parkway tree myself?
Not without a written permit. Section 7-4-104(C) covers altering or maintaining any tree in the right of way, and 7-4-104(E) reserves root pruning to people the city has authorised.
Q: Do I need a permit for a tree in my Burbank back yard?
Chapter 7-4, Article 1 does not require one, and the city directs private tree work to private companies. Check separately for permit conditions, easements and association rules, and check whether the tree overhangs the street or threatens public trees.
Q: Does the same rule apply in Toluca Lake?
Only on the Burbank side. Toluca Lake is split between Burbank and Los Angeles, and street trees on the Los Angeles side run through a different department. The Toluca Lake city line guide explains how to tell which side an address sits on.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Ordinances and fee schedules change, so confirm current requirements with Burbank Parks and Recreation before acting. Call Alla at (818) 699-5367 or use the enquiry form.
Looking at homes in Burbank? Start with the Burbank area guide.