Tree Removal Permit

Heritage Oaks are designated as protected trees in Los Altos Hills and require a permit in order to remove.  Any work or action that damages or causes a Heritage Oak tree to die is expressly prohibited.  A Tree Removal Permit is not required to remove any other species of tree.

A Heritage Oak tree is any tree of the genus quercus, including, but not limited to, Valley Oak (Quercus lobata), California Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia), Black Oak (Quercus kelloggii) and Blue Oak (Quercus douglasii) that has a trunk or multiple trunk thirty-six (36) inches in circumference (approximately twelve (12) inches in diameter) at a point four (4) feet above the root crown (LAHMC Section 12-2.101)

A request to obtain a Heritage Oak Removal Permit can be made by completing the Zoning Permit Application Form and providing information about the subject tree(s), such as size and location, and justification for why the removal is necessary. Reasons to support removal may include, but not be limited to, the fact that the Heritage Oak is dead, diseased beyond reclamation, hazardous, or crowded and that good horticultural practices dictate its removal. If there is a disagreement regarding the condition of the Heritage Oak between the applicant and the Town, an arborist’s opinion must be obtained at the expense of the applicant.

The fee to submit a Tree Removal Permit is $250 and payment is required in order to process the application.  For situations that include a Heritage Oak that is posing an immediate hazard and/or is dead and creating a fire hazard, the application fee will be waived and the permit can be issued over-the-counter.

For additional information about Heritage Oak trees and the Town's Tree Removal permit program, please contact the Planning Department at (650) 941-7222 or email