Larkspur Tree Removal, Redwood Trimming & Heritage Tree Permits

Larkspur heritage trees (Chapter 12.16)

Chapter 12.16 of the Larkspur Municipal Code, "Trees, Including Heritage Trees," treats the city's mature trees as part of its heritage. The key rules for homeowners:

• No heritage tree may be removed without a permit from the city.
• The application requires a report from a qualified arborist unless the city waives it.
• Size is measured by trunk circumference. For a multi-trunk tree, each trunk is measured and the circumferences are added together, so a clump of modest redwood stems can qualify as one heritage tree.

Confirm the current size threshold and species list with the Larkspur Planning Department before you plan a removal; we have not reproduced a number here because we could not verify the current figure. Because the arborist report is part of the application, it makes sense to get it before you collect removal bids. A good report covers species, measured size, health, structure, defects, and what is at risk, and it should say whether pruning or tree cabling and bracing is a reasonable alternative. Nobody can promise a permit will be approved.

Baltimore Canyon, Madrone Canyon, and Palm Hill

West of Magnolia Avenue, Larkspur climbs into Baltimore Canyon and Madrone Canyon, steep, shaded drainages under tall second-growth redwoods, with bay, coast live oak, tanoak, and madrone on the slopes. Many homes there date from the early 1900s through the mid-century, set on narrow lots with tight roads and little room to stage equipment. Palm Hill and the streets above downtown share the same mix of big trees and steep access.

• Redwoods drop large limbs in wind and crowd foundations, decks, and sewer laterals. Thinning, deadwood removal, and clearance pruning often solve the problem without removal.
• Tanoaks and oaks in these canyons are exposed to Sudden Oak Death. UC Cooperative Extension advises removing dead ones that pose fire or fall risk.
• Access is the main cost driver. Expect sectional takedowns, rigging over roofs, and in some cases crane tree removal from the road.

Kent Woodlands, just west of the city line, has the same kind of terrain but is unincorporated Kentfield, so Marin County's tree rules apply there instead of Larkspur's.

Central Marin Fire and defensible space

Larkspur is served by the Central Marin Fire Department, formed in 2019 through a joint powers agreement between the City of Larkspur and the Town of Corte Madera. Central Marin Fire is one of the agencies in Marin's interagency defensible space program, funded through the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority under Measure C. About a third of Marin's residential parcels are evaluated each year, so each home is typically seen about every three years and receives a Wildfire Risk Report.

Under redwood and oak canopy, the tree items that appear most are overhanging limbs and needles on the roof and in gutters, dead branches, low limbs, and dead trees near the house. Clearance pruning is generally a different matter from removal, but if a required item would mean removing a heritage-size tree, talk to the city first.

Greenbrae and Larkspur Landing

East of Highway 101, Greenbrae's hillside streets and the flatter ground near Larkspur Landing and Corte Madera Creek are mostly mid-century and later development with planted landscapes: Monterey pines, eucalyptus, liquidambars, and ornamental street trees that are now large. Those trees bring routine tree trimming and pruning, roof clearance, and occasional removals after winter wind. Not every Greenbrae address is inside the city limits, so check which jurisdiction your parcel is in before you assume the city ordinance applies.