Who maintains street trees and sidewalks in Orange County?
Updated . By Landen Chu, Co-founder of OakTend. How we research
This guide is for Orange County, California homeowners, with a row for each city whose pages we could check. This is general information, not legal advice; your city has the final word.
Who is responsible for the parkway tree in front of my house?
Usually the city. Cypress, for example, says its street trees are city property, and pruning one yourself is an infraction with a fine of up to $500. You often still water it: Newport Beach, Buena Park and Westminster all leave watering to the owner.
There are exceptions. San Clemente's code has the owner do the trimming that can be done from the ground, and Irvine says many trees in its right of way are maintained by owners, HOAs or businesses. Roots in your own sewer line are a separate job; see our sewer line guide.
Who is responsible for a sidewalk lifted by tree roots?
Under Streets and Highways Code section 5610, the owner of a lot that fronts a sidewalk must keep it in a condition that will not endanger people or property. The duty does not cover a condition someone else created under a permit. If a sidewalk is out of repair, section 5611 has the city notify the owner to fix it, and under section 5615 the city repairs it itself if the owner does not, then charges the cost back through a notice, hearing and assessment process.
Many cities do not pass the repair to owners and fix sidewalks themselves; Santa Ana and Irvine both run repair programs. San Clemente's code puts the repair on the owner unless the lift is more than 1 inch and a city street tree or a city utility cut caused it. Your city's row says which way it goes.
Am I liable if someone trips on the sidewalk?
Section 5610 sets the owner's duty to keep the sidewalk safe; it does not say who pays if someone is hurt. San Clemente's code, as published on a public copy (gocodebook.com), says the owner who must repair a sidewalk is liable to anyone injured because it was not kept safe; confirm with the city. For the other rows, the table says "Not stated": neither the city's pages nor the code sections we read address it, which is not the same as being safe from a claim. Ask your homeowners insurer or a lawyer about your own case.
What does each Orange County city do?
23 cities have a row. Each one links the city pages or code it comes from.
| City | Parkway trees | Lifted sidewalk and liability | How to ask |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anaheim | Parkway trees: The city trims and cares for 6,000 of its public trees each year. | Lifted sidewalk: Tell the city about a tree that is affecting a sidewalk, and it will look at it.Owner liable for injuries: Not stated | How to ask: Anaheim Anytime, or Public Works at (714) 765-6860.Sources: City of Anaheim: street tree maintenance |
| Brea | Parkway trees: A city contractor trims parkway trees every three years, and palms every year. Trimming or removing a street tree yourself needs the city's written permission. | Lifted sidewalk: Not statedOwner liable for injuries: Not stated | How to ask: Call (714) 990-7691 to ask for a trim.Sources: City of Brea: street tree FAQ, Brea Municipal Code chapter 12.20 |
| Buena Park | Parkway trees: The owner waters the city tree in the parkway but does not otherwise maintain it. Removing a tree needs a Public Works permit. | Lifted sidewalk: The city pays the full cost to repair standard concrete sidewalk where the city caused the damage.Owner liable for injuries: Not stated | How to ask: Street Division at (714) 562-3655, for trees and sidewalks.Sources: Buena Park Municipal Code chapter 12.20, City of Buena Park: Public Works FAQs, City of Buena Park: parkway improvements |
| Costa Mesa | Parkway trees: The city maintains, plants and approves removal of all trees in the public right of way. Installing, replacing or altering a parkway tree needs a city permit. | Lifted sidewalk: Not statedOwner liable for injuries: Not stated | How to ask: Parks, Parkways and Tree Maintenance at (714) 754-5123.Sources: Costa Mesa Municipal Code, trees, City of Costa Mesa: parks, parkways and trees |
| Cypress | Parkway trees: Street trees are city property, and only the city may prune or remove them. Doing it yourself is an infraction with a fine of up to $500. | Lifted sidewalk: Not statedOwner liable for injuries: Not stated | How to ask: Maintenance Division at (714) 229-6760, or the online request form.Sources: Cypress City Code, street trees, City of Cypress: maintenance |
| Dana Point | Parkway trees: The city maintains parkway trees. Trimming, pruning or removing one yourself is a misdemeanor. | Lifted sidewalk: A city contractor grinds and repairs damaged sidewalks as needed. The owner keeps everything else in the parkway strip in good repair.Owner liable for injuries: Not stated | How to ask: The sidewalk repair line at (949) 248-3597, or Public Works at (949) 248-3554.Sources: Dana Point Municipal Code, city streets, City of Dana Point: street maintenance |
| Fountain Valley | Parkway trees: Parkway trees are under the Public Works director's control. You need the city's permission to trim or remove one. | Lifted sidewalk: Where the city keeps certain trees in place, it grinds, ramps or replaces the sidewalk to fit them.Owner liable for injuries: Not stated | How to ask: Call (714) 593-4600 to ask for a parkway tree inspection.Sources: Fountain Valley Municipal Code chapter 12.04, City of Fountain Valley: parkway trees, City of Fountain Valley: tree removal |
| Fullerton | Parkway trees: The city's contractor trims city trees. Altering or removing a street tree needs a Public Works permit. | Lifted sidewalk: The Street Division decides whether to grind, patch or replace a sidewalk. Funding covers only a limited number of sites each year.Owner liable for injuries: Not stated | How to ask: Online service request or the myFullerton app, or (714) 738-6897.Sources: City of Fullerton: tree trimming, City of Fullerton: sidewalk cracks, City of Fullerton: tree root damage, Fullerton Municipal Code 9.06.100 |
| Garden Grove | Parkway trees: A city contractor trims city trees every four to five years. You may not trim or remove one without the city's authorization. | Lifted sidewalk: Not statedOwner liable for injuries: Not stated | How to ask: Public Works at (714) 741-5375.Sources: City of Garden Grove: tree maintenance FAQ, Garden Grove Municipal Code chapter 11.32 |
| Huntington Beach | Parkway trees: Planting, pruning or removing a tree in a parkway needs a city permit. | Lifted sidewalk: Report a broken or displaced sidewalk online. The code also requires the owner next to it to keep the sidewalk free of holes and dangerous obstructions.Owner liable for injuries: Not stated | How to ask: Report an Issue online, or Maintenance Operations at (714) 960-8861.Sources: Huntington Beach Municipal Code 13.50.040, Huntington Beach Municipal Code chapter 12.28, City of Huntington Beach: maintenance operations |
| Irvine | Parkway trees: The city prunes the trees it maintains on a four-year cycle. Many trees in the right of way are maintained privately, by owners, HOAs or businesses. A tree removal permit may be required for certain trees. | Lifted sidewalk: The city's Concrete Maintenance Program repairs displaced sidewalks in the city right of way.Owner liable for injuries: Not stated | How to ask: Service request online, or (949) 724-7600.Sources: City of Irvine: tree maintenance and pruning, City of Irvine: private trees and permits, City of Irvine: concrete maintenance |
| La Habra | Parkway trees: Parkway trees are generally trimmed about every four years, by district. You may trim or remove one only with Parks Division authorization and proof of $1,000,000 liability insurance from the trimming company. | Lifted sidewalk: Not statedOwner liable for injuries: Not stated | How to ask: Parks Maintenance Division, (562) 383-4170.Sources: City of La Habra: parkway tree program |
| Los Alamitos | Parkway trees: City crews plant parkway trees and a contract arborist removes them. Send trimming requests to Public Works. | Lifted sidewalk: Send all sidewalk repair requests to Public Works.Owner liable for injuries: Not stated | How to ask: Online service request or the My Los Al app, or Public Works at (562) 431-3538 ext. 301.Sources: City of Los Alamitos: Public Works FAQ, City of Los Alamitos: Public Works |
| Newport Beach | Parkway trees: The city prunes and sprays parkway trees. The owner next to the tree waters and fertilizes it. | Lifted sidewalk: The city code requires the owner to repair a sidewalk that is out of repair, under Streets and Highways Code sections 5610 to 5618.Owner liable for injuries: Not stated | How to ask: Report a Problem online, or Municipal Operations at (949) 644-3055.Sources: Newport Beach Municipal Code 13.09.030, Newport Beach Municipal Code 13.01.100, City of Newport Beach: Municipal Operations |
| Orange | Parkway trees: The city keeps its more than 22,000 street trees trimmed to keep the public right of way clear. | Lifted sidewalk: Not statedOwner liable for injuries: Not stated | How to ask: Report a city tree through Orange 24/7, with your location and contact details.Sources: City of Orange: trees |
| Placentia | Parkway trees: Public Works maintains all city trees on a four-year pruning cycle. Owners must not prune or remove a city tree except under Public Works' direction. | Lifted sidewalk: The city's 2019 urban forest plan says an arborist first checks whether the roots can be pruned. If not, the city removes the tree, repairs the damaged concrete and replants.Owner liable for injuries: Not stated | How to ask: Public Works at (714) 993-8148, or iPlacentia.Sources: City of Placentia: urban forest program, City of Placentia: city tree FAQ, City of Placentia: 2019 urban forest plan |
| San Clemente | Parkway trees: The owner waters the street tree and does the trimming that can be done from the ground. | Lifted sidewalk: The owner repairs the sidewalk, except where the lift is more than 1 inch and city street trees or city utility cuts caused it.Owner liable for injuries: Yes, per the code copy we read (gocodebook.com, unofficial). The owner who must repair a sidewalk is liable to anyone hurt because it was not kept safe. | How to ask: Maintenance service request online, or the 24/7 hotline at (949) 361-8317.Sources: San Clemente Municipal Code chapter 12.24 (gocodebook copy), City of San Clemente: service requests |
| Santa Ana | Parkway trees: The city plants and maintains its nearly 50,000 street trees. | Lifted sidewalk: The city's Street and Sidewalk Repairs Program maintains and repairs all city streets and sidewalks.Owner liable for injuries: Not stated | How to ask: Online form, the mySantaAna app, or the Public Works helpline at (714) 647-3380.Sources: City of Santa Ana: street tree services, City of Santa Ana: street and sidewalk repairs |
| Seal Beach | Parkway trees: A private contractor maintains and trims the city's trees for the city. | Lifted sidewalk: The Street Maintenance section maintains all city sidewalks.Owner liable for injuries: Not stated | How to ask: Public Works at (562) 431-2527 ext. 1414, or by email.Sources: City of Seal Beach: maintenance operations |
| Stanton | Parkway trees: City staff trim the trees. The city arborist decides on requests to trim or remove one. | Lifted sidewalk: Not statedOwner liable for injuries: Not stated | How to ask: Public Works at (714) 890-4205.Sources: City of Stanton: tree program, City of Stanton: Public Works FAQ |
| Tustin | Parkway trees: City contractors trim the 16,000 trees in the public right of way. | Lifted sidewalk: Street Maintenance handles sidewalks. Staff look at reported damage and decide when to repair it.Owner liable for injuries: Not stated | How to ask: Field Services at (714) 573-3350.Sources: City of Tustin: tree maintenance, City of Tustin: street maintenance |
| Westminster | Parkway trees: The city keeps parkway trees trimmed. The owner waters the tree. | Lifted sidewalk: The Maintenance Division maintains city sidewalks.Owner liable for injuries: Not stated | How to ask: The My Westminster app or online form, or the corporation yard at (714) 895-2876.Sources: City of Westminster: parks and trees, City of Westminster: maintenance division |
| Yorba Linda | Parkway trees: City contractors trim on a cycle of about three years. A tree you plant through the Street Tree Beautification Program is yours to maintain. | Lifted sidewalk: Report sidewalk damage, and staff decide whether to repair it.Owner liable for injuries: Not stated | How to ask: MyCivic 311, or Public Works at (714) 961-7170.Sources: City of Yorba Linda: street tree maintenance, City of Yorba Linda: street tree beautification, City of Yorba Linda: sidewalks, curbs and gutters |
| Unincorporated areas (county) | Parkway trees: County crews trim trees in the county right of way on a cycle of about two and a half years. | Lifted sidewalk: County crews repair sidewalks in the county right of way on request, including ones lifted by tree roots.Owner liable for injuries: Not stated | How to ask: MyOCeServices online, or OC Operations and Maintenance at (714) 955-0200.Sources: OC Public Works: tree maintenance, OC Public Works: sidewalk, curb and gutter |
Checked November 11, 2026.
We could not confirm the rules for Aliso Viejo, La Palma, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Woods, Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Juan Capistrano or Villa Park: their pages would not open or did not answer these questions. If you live there, call your city's public works department.
Keep up with your home
Start my free home planWhat if I live in an HOA or an unincorporated area?
In an HOA, check the CC&Rs first. Civil Code section 4775 has the association maintain the common area unless the CC&Rs say otherwise, so the trees and sidewalks along private streets may be the association's job.
Outside city limits, the county handles trees and sidewalks in the county right of way. See the unincorporated areas row or OC Public Works. For other problems outside the house, see who to call for home problems.
City pages: Irvine, Santa Ana, Anaheim, San Clemente, Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley, or every city on the Orange County hub.
Sources
- California Streets and Highways Code section 5610
Where the street is improved or the strip is kept as a parkway, owners of lots fronting a public street or place shall maintain any sidewalk so it will not endanger persons or property or interfere with public convenience, except conditions created by another person under a permit or right granted by law or the city, who is under a like duty. - California Streets and Highways Code section 5611
When a sidewalk is out of repair and endangers persons or property, the superintendent of streets shall notify the owner or person in possession of the fronting property to repair it. - California Streets and Highways Code section 5615
If the repair is not begun and completed as the notice requires, the superintendent of streets shall repair the sidewalk; the cost goes through the chapter's notices, hearings and assessment and collection procedures. - California Civil Code section 4775
Unless the CC&Rs say otherwise, the association repairs and maintains the common area. - OC Public Works: tree maintenance
Trees in the County right of way in unincorporated areas are trimmed on a two and a half year cycle; submit a service request or call OC Operations and Maintenance at (714) 955-0200. - OC Public Works: sidewalk, curb and gutter
OC Public Works Operations and Maintenance repairs sidewalks in the County right of way on a request basis, including sidewalks lifted by tree roots.