About us: Sac Tree Quotes is a free referral service that connects Sacramento-area homeowners with independent local tree professionals. We are not a tree contractor and do not perform tree work, and we may be paid by the pros we refer.

Do you need a permit to remove a tree in Citrus Heights?

Citrus Heights regulates trees through its Zoning Code (Citrus Heights Zoning Code ch. 106.39 (Tree Preservation and Protection)), administered by the city's Planning Division. Native oaks and certain large "mature" trees are protected, and a Tree Permit is generally needed to remove them, prune them, or dig in their root zone. But there's an important exemption for many single-home lots — so the answer depends on your tree and your parcel. Here's what the code and the city's pages say.

Which trees are protected in Citrus Heights?

Under § 106.39.020(A), a "protected tree" is any of the following:

• Native oaks — blue oak, interior live oak, coast live oak, or valley oak with a trunk diameter of 6 inches or more measured 54 inches (4.5 ft) above the ground, or a multi-trunk oak with an aggregate diameter of 10 inches or more.
• Heritage or landmark trees or groves, and significant groves or stands of trees, identified by City Council resolution.
• Mature trees 19 inches or more in diameter — but only on a commercial parcel, a residential parcel that can be further subdivided, or a parcel in the RD-1, RD-2, or RD-3 zones. Willow, fruit trees, eucalyptus, alder, cottonwood, pine, catalpa, fruitless mulberry, privet, tree of heaven, and palms don't count.
• Trees required to be planted, relocated, or preserved by the Zoning Code, a permit condition, or environmental mitigation.
• Trees within 25 feet of a seasonal stream that are 19 inches or more in diameter.

The city's City of Citrus Heights – Tree Preservation & Protection Regulations page summarizes this as native oaks 6"+, mature trees 19"+, and trees planted as a condition of approval or mitigation, and lists alder, fruit, catalpa, cottonwood, eucalyptus, fruitless mulberry, palm, pine, and willow as exempt types. To get diameter, the City of Citrus Heights – Tree Permits page says to measure the trunk's circumference and divide by 3.142.

What needs a Tree Permit

Section 106.39.020(B) requires a Tree Permit before:

• relocating, removing, cutting down, or otherwise destroying a protected tree;
• grading, paving, or other ground disturbance within a protected tree's protected zone, or anything that would change the soil moisture there; and
• any pruning of a protected tree.

On pruning, the city's regulations page says that, in general, only light trimming of branches 2 inches or less in diameter is allowed without a permit, and that cutting larger branches requires consulting a certified arborist and getting a permit. In non-residential zones, the code says a removal permit won't be issued except together with a discretionary project, building permit, or subdivision improvement plans for the same site.

Exemptions — including the small-lot residential exemption

Under § 106.39.020(C), removal or relocation of a protected tree is exempt in these situations:

1. Existing tree on residential property: removal of a native oak or a "mature tree" is exempt if the tree is in a residential zone on a parcel that contains a single dwelling and that is 10,000 square feet or less, or that cannot be further subdivided under the zone's minimum lot size.
2. Emergencies where the Director, General Services Director, law enforcement, or the Fire Department determines the tree poses an imminent threat to public safety or general welfare.
3. Traffic line-of-sight removals required by the Director or City Engineer.
4. Removal to protect existing electric power or communication lines.
5. City-approved street widening.
6. Nursery and tree-farm stock, and commercial orchards or fruit trees.
7. Dead or dying trees determined by the Director, or an arborist approved by the Director, to be dead or dying, hazardous or unsightly as a result, and of limited habitat value.

Read the residential exemption carefully. It covers removal of native oaks and mature trees — it doesn't mention pruning or root-zone work, and it doesn't cover landmark/heritage trees, protected groves, trees kept or planted as a permit condition or mitigation, or 19"+ trees within 25 feet of a seasonal stream. The city's own web pages also describe the small-lot rule a little differently (the Tree Permits page says lots under 10,000 sq ft are exempt from the permit requirement; the regulations page says lots under 10,000 sq ft in a subdivision "may be exempt"). Check your parcel size in the Sacramento County Assessor's Parcel Viewer and call the Planning Division at 916-727-4740 to confirm before any work.

Applying for a Citrus Heights Tree Permit

The City of Citrus Heights – Tree Permits page says to file the application through the city's online application portal (linked from that page), and that a site plan and arborist report may be required. Under §§ 106.39.030–106.39.040:

• The application uses city forms and is accompanied by the fee in the city fee schedule (check the city for the current amount — we don't list fees because they change).
• A site plan shows property lines, structures, paving, and each protected tree with its protected zone — the code defines the protected-zone radius as the trunk diameter in inches converted to feet (a 6-inch tree has a 6-foot radius). The Director can waive the site plan for dead or hazardous trees.
• An arborist's report (when the Director decides one is needed) lists each tree's botanical and common name, location, diameter at 54", protected-zone radius, condition, construction impacts, and recommendations. Find one in ISA's Find an Arborist directory.

Decision: the Director decides most permits (the Planning Commission decides when the removal is part of a project it must approve). Approval requires findings that the permit won't harm public health, safety, or welfare and that measures are in place to mitigate impacts or replace removed trees. A permit is denied if removing a healthy tree could be avoided by reasonable redesign or by pruning, thinning, or other reasonable treatment — and removal is delayed if the tree holds an active nest of a bird covered by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act that can't be safely relocated.

Replacement: the city may require inch-for-inch replacement of the removed tree's diameter — a 15-gallon tree counts as 1 inch, a 24-inch box as 2 inches, a 36-inch box as 3 inches — with at least half met by native oaks, or relocation, revegetation, or an in-lieu fee. Section 106.39.090 sets the in-lieu fee at $298 per inch of diameter where on-site replacement isn't feasible.

Timing: a Tree Permit must be exercised within six months of approval; extensions totaling up to two more years can be granted.

Penalties: violations can be charged as a misdemeanor or infraction, and someone who removes or damages a protected tree without a permit must pay a mitigation fee equal to three times the tree's value as determined by a city-engaged arborist (§ 106.39.080).

Practical checklist for Citrus Heights homeowners

1. Identify the tree: native oak 6"+ (10"+ combined for multi-trunk)? Another species 19"+ that isn't on the exempt list?
2. Check your parcel: one home, 10,000 sq ft or less, or too small to subdivide? Then removal may be exempt — confirm with Planning (916-727-4740), especially if the tree was a permit condition or is near a seasonal creek.
3. Planning to prune branches over 2 inches on a protected tree, or dig or pave near it? Expect to need a permit even if removal would be exempt.
4. Dead or dying? The exemption depends on a determination by the Director or a Director-approved arborist — get that in writing first. Imminent danger? See our emergency tree removal guide.
5. Hire properly: tree work is a CSLB-licensed specialty (C-49 Tree and Palm Contractor); under the CSLB bulletin on the $1,000 minor-work limit, an unlicensed person can't take a job of $1,000 or more or any job that requires a permit. Verify any contractor's license at cslb.ca.gov.

For typical prices, see tree removal cost in Citrus Heights.

Related guides

• Unincorporated Sacramento County tree permits
• Rancho Cordova tree removal permits
• Roseville tree removal permits
• Oak tree removal rules
• Dead or hazardous trees

Get quotes from independent local pros

We don't do tree work ourselves. Tell us about your tree and we'll connect you with independent local tree professionals so you can compare written quotes. Always verify the contractor's license and insurance at cslb.ca.gov.

Request free quotes

Tree removal costs by area: Sacramento · Elk Grove · Roseville · Folsom · Citrus Heights · Rancho Cordova · Carmichael · West Sacramento · Davis · Natomas · Antelope · Fair Oaks
More guides: Stump grinding cost · Emergency/storm removal · Tree trimming cost · Palm tree removal · Tree permits · Tree fell on house: insurance · Neighbor & boundary trees · Oak tree removal · Dead/hazardous trees · Trees near power lines · Roots, sewers & foundations · Elk Grove permits · Roseville permits · Folsom permits · Citrus Heights permits · Rancho Cordova permits · Sacramento County permits