Sonoma-Marin Tree Service connects Tiburon homeowners with local tree service contractors for view pruning, removals, and fire clearance. Tiburon's tree rules are specific: some trees are protected, some species are classed as undesirable, and neighbors who lose a view or sunlight to a tree have a defined process to follow before anyone goes to court.
The work Tiburon homeowners ask about most is view pruning, tree removal, tree trimming and pruning, and arborist reports and tree permits.
Which Tiburon trees need a permit
The Town of Tiburon's planning department describes two categories that drive permits:
- Protected trees: heritage trees, meaning a trunk circumference over 60 inches measured 24 inches above the ground; native oaks (coast live, California black, interior live, canyon live, Engelmann, and valley oak); and trees dedicated by Town Council resolution.
- Undesirable trees: blue gum eucalyptus, Monterey pine, Monterey cypress, coast redwood, and other species that generally grow more than three feet a year and can top 35 feet at maturity. An undesirable tree can still be protected if it meets the protected-tree criteria.
On lots in single-family and two-family residential zones, a permit is needed to remove or alter a protected tree, or to plant an undesirable one. On undeveloped property, including land that could be subdivided, a permit is needed to remove or alter any tree, and the same goes for other zoning districts. Applications include a site plan or aerial photo, the trees are marked with colored ribbon, and the ribbons stay up through a 10-day appeal period.
When injury or property damage is imminent, or the fire marshal declares a tree a fire hazard, designated town officials can authorize emergency removal without a permit, and the work must be reported to the Community Development director on the next business day.
View and sunlight disputes
Tiburon has a view and sunlight ordinance for neighbor disputes over trees. Under the process as the Town Council revised it in April 2022, the neighbor seeking relief starts with a written notice to the tree owner describing the nature and extent of the obstruction, identifying every tree involved, and proposing the restorative action. If the two sides do not agree, the complaining neighbor can propose mediation no sooner than 30 days after that first notice; mediation is voluntary, and the 2022 changes had the town pay for one hour of a professional mediator's time. If mediation is declined or fails, the next step is a civil action.
Most of these disputes are settled with pruning rather than removal. Good view pruning thins and reduces a crown selectively, opening sight lines while leaving a healthy tree. Topping is the opposite: it creates weak regrowth that blocks the view again within a few years and can kill the tree. If the tree is protected, confirm with the town whether the proposed pruning counts as an alteration that needs a permit.
Monterey pine, cypress, and the peninsula landscape
Much of Tiburon's tree cover was planted: Monterey pine, Monterey cypress, and eucalyptus set out as windbreaks and screens as the peninsula was built out, now standing over homes in Old Tiburon, Lyford Cove, Bel Aire, Del Mar, and the hillside streets toward Ring Mountain. Many of those plantings are now old and large, and pines and cypress in decline shed limbs, lose tops in winter wind, and can fail on saturated slopes. These are the same species the town lists as undesirable, which is worth knowing when you plan replacement planting.
Native coast live oaks grow on the open hillsides, and they are protected regardless of size. Steep lots, tight streets, and homes set below the road mean many removals call for rigging or crane tree removal, and a clear plan for staging and debris.
Tiburon Fire and defensible space
Fire prevention in Tiburon runs through the Tiburon Fire Protection District, whose Fire Prevention Bureau describes the required 100 feet of defensible space as three home ignition zones, starting at the outside of the house. The district has held Chipper Day events, including in 2026, where residents bring vegetation cuttings to a drop-off site. Tiburon and Belvedere opted out of Measure C, the 2020 tax that funds the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority, so ask Tiburon Fire directly how evaluations work for your address. Fire clearance on a protected tree, like removing deadwood or limbs over the roof, is something to raise with the town if it goes beyond routine pruning.
Have a tree on your Tiburon property you are worried about? Call (707) 634-8593, or request an estimate from a local tree service contractor.
Tree services in Tiburon
- Tree Removal → Removal of dead, leaning, diseased, and unwanted trees, including large oaks, redwoods, and eucalyptus on tight or sloped lots.
- Storm-Damaged & Fallen Tree Removal → Fallen trees, split trunks, hanging limbs, and trees on roofs, fences, or driveways after North Bay winter storms.
- Tree Trimming & Pruning → Crown thinning, deadwood removal, structural pruning, and clearance pruning for oaks, redwoods, and ornamentals.
- Stump Grinding & Removal → Grinding stumps and surface roots below grade so you can replant, lay lawn, or build, plus full stump removal where needed.
- Arborist Reports & Tree Permits → Arborist reports for city and county tree removal permits, protected and heritage trees, and construction near trees.
- Defensible Space & Fire Clearance → Limbing up, juniper and brush removal, dead tree removal, and chipping for Marin evaluations and Sonoma inspections.
- Oak Tree Removal & Sudden Oak Death → Dead and dying coast live oaks, tanoaks, and valley oaks, including Sudden Oak Death losses and protected-oak permits.
- Eucalyptus Tree Removal → Taking down tall, brittle blue gum eucalyptus near homes, roads, and fire zones, and dealing with regrowth.
- Redwood Tree Removal & Trimming → Redwoods crowding foundations, driveways, and sewer lines, thinning redwood groves, and removals where a permit allows.
- Crane Tree Removal → Crane-assisted removals for big trees over houses, on steep hillside lots, and anywhere there is no room to drop or rig.
- Dead & Hazardous Tree Removal → Dead, dying, cracked, and leaning trees that threaten the house, the street, or the neighbors, with the paperwork hazard removals need.
- Roof Clearance & Limb Removal → Lifting limbs off roofs, gutters, chimneys, and decks for fire clearance, insurance letters, and plain peace of mind.
- Tree Risk Assessment → A qualified look at a leaning, cracked, or hollow tree before a storm decides for you, with a written recommendation.
- Lot Clearing & Brush Chipping → Clearing overgrown lots, thinning small trees and brush, and chipping or hauling the debris for building, fire safety, or sale.
- Fruit Tree & Olive Pruning → Dormant and summer pruning for backyard orchards, old olives, and heritage fruit trees on wine country properties.
- Palm Tree Trimming & Removal → Skinning and trimming tall palms, removing dead fronds and seed pods, and taking out palms that have outgrown the lot.
- Tree Cabling & Bracing → Support systems for split trunks and heavy limbs on trees worth keeping, installed and inspected to industry standards.
- Insurance-Required Tree Removal → Clearing trees and limbs an insurer has flagged before a policy renewal or non-renewal deadline, with documentation.
- View Pruning → Opening up bay, hill, and valley views with selective thinning and reduction that keeps the tree healthy and the neighbors on side.
Frequently asked questions
What makes a tree a heritage tree in Tiburon?
The town defines a heritage tree as one with a trunk circumference over 60 inches, measured 24 inches above the ground. Native oaks are protected too, along with trees dedicated by Town Council resolution.
Do I need a permit to remove a Monterey pine in Tiburon?
On a single-family or two-family residential lot, only protected trees need a removal permit, and Monterey pine is on the undesirable list. But an undesirable tree can still be protected if it meets the heritage size of over 60 inches in circumference, so measure first. On undeveloped property, any tree removal needs a permit.
My neighbor's trees block my view. What do I do first?
Under Tiburon's view and sunlight process, start with a written notice to the tree owner describing the obstruction, the trees involved, and the restorative action you propose. If you cannot agree, mediation can be proposed no sooner than 30 days after that notice, and civil action is the step after that.
Will view pruning hurt the tree?
Done well, no. Selective thinning and reduction cuts made to the ANSI A300 standard open a view while keeping the tree healthy. Topping is the cut to avoid: it causes dense, weakly attached regrowth that blocks the view again and can shorten the tree's life.
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