Do you need a permit?
Check with the city
Arvada publishes a good deal about the trees it maintains on city property and almost nothing about the tree in your yard. We could not verify whether a permit is required to remove a tree on private property, so call Parks Maintenance before you cut. What Arvada does state clearly is the trimming line: the city may trim your tree back to the property line, and you may trim a city tree back to yours.
Worth knowing
- On the property line: "Yes, the City is allowed to trim resident-owned trees to our property line," and "Yes, you may trim City-owned trees to your property line."
- Branches over the sidewalk must be cut back to 10 feet, and over the street to 14 feet.
- Along irrigation ditches, the vegetation including trees is the adjacent owner's responsibility — neither ditch companies nor municipalities generally own that land.
- A contractor whose tree trimming needs traffic control set up in an Arvada street needs a right-of-way permit even when nothing physically disturbs the right-of-way.
What we could not confirm
We would rather tell you what we don't know than guess. Call the office below to confirm these before you cut.
- — Whether a permit is required to remove a tree on private property, and any size threshold. Arvada's urban forestry pages and FAQ do not address it.
- — Whether Arvada licenses tree service companies specifically.
- — The municipal code section governing trees; fees and penalties.