Ordinance-size means 38 inches around

Wrap a tape at 4.5 feet. Thirty-eight inches around is the house-lot line in San Jose.

People call a tree “too big for the yard” and assume the city has to sign off. On a single-family lot or a duplex in San Jose, the removal permit kicks in at ordinance size: 38 inches or more in circumference at 4.5 feet above the ground. One trunk, or the trunks added together if it splits. Under that, and not a street tree or a heritage tree, a yard tree can come out without that permit.

Street trees, heritage trees, and commercial lots do not get the same pass.

What still needs a permit

A street tree, in the right-of-way between the curb and the walk, needs the city’s removal process no matter how thin the trunk is. A heritage tree needs the city arborist before anyone prunes or removes it. On multifamily, commercial, or industrial property, a tree of any size can need a removal permit.

The city will look at whether the tree is an imminent hazard, dead or dying, unsuitable, or in the way of a real improvement. An imminent hazard needs a signed report from a certified arborist, not a photo and a guess. If the permit is issued, a copy has to be posted where it can be read from the street before and during the removal.

Measure before you book the crane. A tape at chest height takes one minute and changes the paperwork. Multi-trunk trees get added up. A 20-inch trunk and a 20-inch trunk are already over 38 inches combined.

We flag when a permit may apply — you confirm with the city. We do not pull permits unless that is scoped in writing. Los Gatos and Campbell write their own sizes. Do not use the San Jose number on a tree that sits in another city.

Send the measurement, the address, and whether it is in the parkway.

What to photograph

The trunk with the tape in the frame, at about 4.5 feet. The full tree. The curb and sidewalk if you are not sure it is a yard tree or a street tree. Any heritage plaque or old city tag. If it is a removal, we still need access: fence, slope, and what the tree would fall toward.

A prune is a different permit on a street tree, and many yard trees do not need one for ordinary trimming. Say which job you want. The tape only answers the removal question.

Start Easy Estimate or call 408-439-6975.