Does Rancho Cordova Require a Tree Removal Permit?
Yes, for protected trees. Rancho Cordova incorporated in 2003, and Municipal Code Chapter 19.12 (Preservation and Protection of Private Trees) requires a permit from the Department of Public Works before you remove, damage, or perform "major trimming" on a protected tree anywhere in the city — the rule applies whether the tree sits in a 1960s Cordova Meadows yard or a lot graded last year in Anatolia. Public Works reviews applications against the decision criteria in Section 19.12.070, and a certified arborist's statement is part of every application. A separate chapter, 19.04 (Protection of Public Trees), covers trees in the street, planting strip, and other city property. Between the two chapters, most of the mature canopy in the older Folsom Boulevard-area neighborhoods and the preserved oaks out toward Anatolia and Sunridge fall under one protection category or another — worth checking before you schedule a removal.
Which Trees Are Protected Under Chapter 19.12?
The ordinance defines "protected tree" as exactly four categories (RCMC 19.12.030.V). Native oaks carry the lowest threshold; other species are protected at a larger diameter, and the cutoff itself depends on whether the property is residential.
To measure diameter without cutting the tree, wrap a tape around the trunk at 4.5 feet above grade and divide the circumference by 3.14. A residential-lot ornamental has to reach 24 inches before it's protected — roughly a 75-inch circumference — while a valley oak crosses the line at just 6 inches. The ordinance carves out one exemption: trees held for sale by a nursery within the city aren't "protected trees" under this chapter.
| Category | What qualifies | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| Native oak | Valley oak (Quercus lobata), interior live oak (Quercus wislizenii), blue oak (Quercus douglasii), oracle oak (Quercus morehus) | 6 inches or more in trunk diameter, measured 4.5 feet above natural grade |
| Non-oak tree — non-residential property | Any tree species other than a native oak | 12 inches or more in diameter, measured 4.5 feet above natural grade |
| Non-oak tree — residential property | Any tree species other than a native oak | 24 inches or more in diameter, measured 4.5 feet above natural grade |
| Development or mitigation condition tree | Any tree planted as a site-development requirement, tree permit condition, or landscape-plan replacement designated by Public Works or Planning | No size minimum — protected regardless of diameter |
What Counts as "Major" Trimming
The permit requirement isn't limited to full removal. Rancho Cordova's ordinance defines major trimming specifically enough that routine maintenance and major work fall on different sides of the line (RCMC 19.12.030.O–P).
- Major trimming — cutting or pruning that reduces the tree's overall canopy by 10 percent or more, or cuts roots or branches greater than two inches in diameter, within any 12-month period. This needs the same permit as removal.
- Minor trimming — canopy reduction under 10 percent that doesn't cut roots or branches over two inches in diameter. This generally doesn't require a permit.
- Topping — major trimming that removes more than half the canopy — is separately prohibited outright unless the Public Works Director specifically authorizes it.
- Work inside a protected tree's dripline — trenching, grading, or fill — is also regulated even when no branches come off; see Section 19.12.140.
How to Apply for a Rancho Cordova Tree Removal Permit
The Department of Public Works handles the protected tree permit application (RCMC 19.12.050). Confirm current forms with the city before applying — permit processes get revised periodically.
- Submit a Request for a Tree Removal Permit online, including a brief statement of the reason for removal or major trimming written by a certified arborist, the property owner's consent, and a tree inventory (site plan, species, trunk diameter, height, and dripline).
- If you're asking to remove the tree, the application must include a tree replacement plan — see the mitigation section below.
- Staff reviews the completed application and arborist statement within 20 business days of submittal; the tree may also get a site inspection before a decision.
- An approved permit is valid for six months, with one possible six-month extension. Keep the permit or its conditions of approval at the work site.
- Pay the posted $31 permit fee at issuance and pick up the approved permit at City Hall, 2729 Prospect Park Drive, Rancho Cordova. Fee schedules are set by council resolution and can change — confirm the current amount before applying.
- Direct questions to the Public Works tree permit team at TreePermits@cityofranchocordova.org.
How Public Works Decides Whether to Approve a Permit
Section 19.12.070 lists the criteria Public Works weighs before granting or denying a protected tree permit. A tree doesn't need to hit every criterion — any one of these can support approval.
- The tree is dead, or dying with 50 percent or more of its leaves and buds dead.
- It's attacked by an insect or disease that can't be controlled without removing it.
- It's structurally unsound or presents a risk that can't reasonably be reduced without removal.
- The property is overcrowded enough that the tree's canopy overlaps others and removing it wouldn't reduce the site's overall tree cover.
- Keeping the tree would block reasonable use or development of the property, or conflicts with an existing or proposed solar installation.
- Other factors: effect on soil stability and erosion, proximity to structures or utilities, whether reasonable alternatives to removal exist, and the proposed tree replacement plan.
If the Permit Is Approved: Replacement, Stumps, and Fees
An approved removal in Rancho Cordova almost never ends with just a stump. Chapter 19.12 requires a tree replacement plan (Section 19.12.120), and any resulting stump has its own rule (Section 19.12.220).
- Single-unit or duplex residential lots — replace each removed protected tree with at least one new tree.
- Other properties — replace at a 1:1 ratio measured by trunk diameter (inch of new tree's DSH for every inch of the tree removed).
- In-lieu option — if on-site or off-site replanting isn't feasible, the city can accept a fee into the Rancho Cordova tree program fund instead, priced off the current cost of a 15-gallon replacement tree, planted and irrigated.
- Stumps — any stump visible from the public right-of-way is a public nuisance under the code. It must be ground to at least four inches below grade, or removed entirely.
- Removing a tree without an approved permit doesn't waive the replacement requirement — the city can still impose it, on top of any penalty.
Not sure if your tree is protected?
Send the address and we'll tell you whether a permit is likely, what the process looks like, and give you a free, site-specific estimate.
Dead, Hazardous, and Emergency Trees
Dead and hazardous conditions aren't an exemption from the permit process — they're the most common basis the city approves a removal on. "Dead," "dying (50 percent or more of the canopy gone)," "diseased beyond control," and "structurally unsound" are all listed decision criteria under Section 19.12.070. Document the condition with dated photos and, ideally, a certified arborist's assessment before you apply — that's the evidence Public Works acts on. A true emergency is handled differently. Section 19.12.080 defines an emergency as an imminent, serious threat to health or safety, and it lets the tree come down first — but the property owner must file an after-the-fact permit application within 10 business days, with a photograph of the condition and a letter from a certified arborist or a report from an emergency responder documenting the hazard.
Street Trees Aren't Yours to Cut
If the tree sits in the planting strip between the sidewalk and the curb — or anywhere else on city property — it falls under Chapter 19.04 (Protection of Public Trees), separate from the private-tree rules in Chapter 19.12. That's common in the older Cordova Meadows and Lincoln Village blocks, where decades-old Modesto ash and sycamore often sit in the strip rather than the yard proper. Chapter 19.04 requires its own public tree permit before anyone plants, prunes, or removes a public tree, alive or dead, and carries the same misdemeanor penalty as the private-tree chapter for violations. Report a dead or hazardous street tree to Public Works rather than handling it yourself.
The same crew from estimate to cleanup.
No juggling separate contractors for one tree. Tell us the address and what you're dealing with, and we'll come back with a written, site-specific number.
- Removal, trimming, stumps, and cleanup handled by one crew
- Free, site-specific estimates — priced to your tree, not a flat rate
- Sacramento, Placer, El Dorado, and Yolo counties
Penalties for Unpermitted Work
A violation of Chapter 19.12 (or the parallel public-tree Chapter 19.04) is a misdemeanor: up to six months in county jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both — and each day a violation continues counts as a separate offense. Beyond the fine, the city can still require the tree replacement plan Section 19.12.120 would have required with a permit, so removing a protected tree without one doesn't avoid the replanting cost. The permit fee is a small fraction of either exposure.
How 916 Trees Handles Rancho Cordova Permits
We work across Rancho Cordova regularly — aging ash and sycamore in Cordova Meadows and Lincoln Village, preserved valley oaks out toward Anatolia and Kavala Ranch, and scheduled maintenance for the Highway 50 and Sunrise Boulevard commercial corridors. On every estimate that touches a native oak, a large non-oak tree, or a street tree, we measure diameter, flag the Chapter 19.12 or 19.04 question, and tell you honestly whether a permit is likely before you commit to the job. If documentation helps the application, our arborist report service covers it. Estimates are free and specific to your address.
Official sources
- City of Rancho Cordova — Urban Forest Program, Tree Care Tips — Protected-tree definitions, permit fee, and process. Live: cityofranchocordova.org/departments/public-works/urban-forest-program/tree-care-tips. Archived copy verified this session: web.archive.org/web/20260617232542/https://www.cityofranchocordova.org/departments/public-works/urban-forest-program/tree-care-tips
- Rancho Cordova Municipal Code, Chapter 19.12 — Preservation and Protection of Private Trees — Full ordinance text (protected-tree definition, decision criteria, replacement/mitigation, penalties). Live host (ecode360.com/RA4605) blocks automated access; archived copy verified this session: web.archive.org/web/20250515171422/https://www.codepublishing.com/CA/RanchoCordova/html/RanchoCordova19/RanchoCordova1912.html
- Rancho Cordova Municipal Code, Chapter 19.04 — Protection of Public Trees — Governs street trees and other public trees, separate from Chapter 19.12. Archived copy verified this session: web.archive.org/web/20221201032548/https://www.codepublishing.com/CA/RanchoCordova/html/RanchoCordova19/RanchoCordova1904.html
- City of Rancho Cordova — Apply for a License or Permit (Residents) — Tree Removal Permit application access and Public Works contact. cityofranchocordova.org/residents/resident-services/apply-for-a-license-or-permit-residents
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If the tree does come down, the local page for tree removal in Rancho Cordova covers access, species, and cleanup. You can also look through the removals and takedowns we handle or read how we deal with protected trees.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Rancho Cordova?
- Only if it's protected. Rancho Cordova Municipal Code Chapter 19.12 protects native oaks six inches or more in trunk diameter, other tree species 12 inches or more in diameter on non-residential property, other species 24 inches or more in diameter on residential property, and any tree planted as a development or permit condition. Trees below those thresholds generally don't require a permit. We identify the species and measure diameter during the free estimate and tell you which category applies.
What size does a non-oak tree have to be before it's protected?
- It depends on the property. On non-residential property, any tree other than a native oak is protected once it reaches 12 inches in trunk diameter, measured 4.5 feet above natural grade. On residential property, the threshold is higher — 24 inches. Native oaks are protected at just 6 inches regardless of property type, which is why oaks trigger the permit question far more often than ornamentals.
How much does a Rancho Cordova tree permit cost?
- The city's posted fee is $31, due at the time the permit is issued, for work on any protected tree. Fee schedules are set by city council resolution and can change, so confirm the current amount with the Department of Public Works — TreePermits@cityofranchocordova.org — before you apply.
How long does the Rancho Cordova tree permit process take?
- The ordinance gives staff 20 business days to review a completed application and the required arborist statement, with a possible site inspection before a decision. Apply well before you book a crew — an approved permit is valid for six months, with one possible six-month extension if the work runs long.
Does trimming a protected tree require a permit, or just removal?
- Both can, depending on scope. Rancho Cordova defines "major trimming" as a canopy reduction of 10 percent or more within 12 months, or cutting roots or branches greater than two inches in diameter in that period — and major trimming needs the same permit as removal. "Minor trimming" below those thresholds generally doesn't. Topping — removing more than half the canopy — is prohibited outright unless Public Works specifically authorizes it.
Can I remove the tree in the planting strip in front of my house?
- Not on your own authority. Trees in the public right-of-way — the strip between sidewalk and curb — are public trees under Chapter 19.04, separate from the private-tree rules in Chapter 19.12, and the city requires its own permit before anyone plants, prunes, or removes one. This comes up often in the older Cordova Meadows and Lincoln Village neighborhoods, where mature ash and sycamore commonly sit in that strip. Report a dead or hazardous street tree to Public Works rather than cutting it yourself.
Is a dead or hazardous tree exempt from the permit requirement?
- No, but it's the easiest kind of application to approve. "Dead," "dying with 50 percent or more of the canopy gone," and "structurally unsound" are explicitly listed as grounds Public Works approves removal on. Document the condition with dated photos and an arborist's assessment before applying. A genuine emergency — an imminent threat to health or safety — can come down first, but the owner must file an after-the-fact permit within 10 business days with photo documentation and an arborist letter or emergency responder report.
What happens if I remove a protected tree without a permit?
- It's a misdemeanor under the municipal code — up to six months in county jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both, with each day of an ongoing violation counted separately. On top of that, the city can still require the tree replacement the permit process would have required, so skipping the paperwork doesn't avoid the replanting cost. Confirm the permit question before removal; it's a $31 fee against a much larger exposure.
Hiring someone to pull the Rancho Cordova permit and do the work? Run through the paperwork worth asking any contractor for first. Broader questions are answered in our tree-work FAQ.