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Beaverton street trees: who prunes, who removes, who replaces
The tree between your sidewalk and the street is an odd piece of property. It stands on public land, the city controls whether it lives or dies, and yet the job of looking after it is yours. This guide covers what that means in practice.
By Harry Fauver, founder of Tree Service Beaverton. Updated September 2026.
What counts as a street tree
A street tree is any tree in the public right-of-way, which is the strip of public land that holds the street, the curb, the planting strip and the sidewalk. The property line is usually a foot or so behind the sidewalk, not at the curb.
On streets without a planting strip, the right-of-way still exists, and it often reaches several feet into what looks like your front lawn. A tree planted near the street on one of those lots may legally be a street tree. If you are unsure, the city can tell you where the line runs for your address.
Who does what
Six situations, and whose job each one is.
Pruning is the adjoining owner's job
City code makes the owner or occupant of the adjoining property responsible for maintaining right-of-way trees, and it requires the work to follow recognized arboriculture standards or be supervised by an ISA certified arborist. Keep each pruning under 20 percent of the crown. The city prunes only along certain arterials where a wall or fence separates the houses from the street.
Removal needs a city permit
Nobody may remove a right-of-way tree without one. The city wants a reason, such as death, disease, structural failure or serious damage to paving or pipes. Leaves, shade and general inconvenience are not usually accepted. Apply before you schedule the work. We supply photos and a written assessment when they help.
A replacement is normally required
A removal permit obligates the owner to plant a new tree of a species the city approves, in a suitable spot. The old stump has to come out first, since a new tree won't establish in rotting wood. Under wires and in narrow strips, pick a small-maturing species.
Roots and sidewalks
In Beaverton, as in most Oregon cities, keeping the sidewalk in repair generally falls to the adjoining owner. Don't solve a lifted panel by cutting big roots yourself. Removing large roots on one side can destabilize the tree, and cutting 20 percent or more of the root system counts as removing it. Ask us and the city before the concrete crew arrives.
Leaves are yours too
Raking and disposing of a street tree's leaves is the adjoining owner's task, and the city runs leaf drop-off events each fall to help. Keep storm drains clear in front of your house, because a blocked drain floods the street and your own driveway first.
After a storm
A broken limb hanging over the street or sidewalk is urgent, and dealing with it is still the adjoining owner's responsibility. If the tree has to come down at once to prevent injury or damage, the code recognizes emergency removal. Photograph it first and tell the city afterward. If wires are involved, call PGE before anyone else.
The clearance numbers, and why they exist
Beaverton's code requires that no part of a right-of-way tree hang lower than 8 feet above a sidewalk or path, 12 feet above a street, or 14 feet above an arterial. A separate section asks owners to keep trees and shrubs on their own lots at least 8 feet above sidewalks and 10 feet above the roadway where they overhang.
The numbers come from what uses the space. Eight feet clears a tall pedestrian with an umbrella and a cyclist standing on the pedals. Twelve to fourteen feet clears garbage trucks, school buses, delivery vans and fire engines, all of which break low limbs, and get damaged by them, when the clearance isn't there.
Raising a crown properly means removing whole lower limbs back to the trunk or to a large side branch, a few at a time over several years. It does not mean shearing the underside flat. On a young tree, start early: taking off a one-inch limb at year five is kinder than taking off a six-inch limb at year twenty.
What you may not do
- Top it. The code prohibits topping right-of-way trees. Topping also ruins the tree, producing weak sprouts over decaying cuts.
- Prune away a fifth or more at once. Removing 20 percent or more of the crown, trunk or root system is treated as removal, which needs a permit.
- Remove it because you dislike it. Permits are granted for the condition of the tree or the damage it causes, not for taste.
- Plant whatever you like. New and replacement street trees come from the city's approved list, matched to the width of the strip and whatever is overhead.
- Work near the power lines. Trees growing into the high-voltage lines are pruned by PGE's line-clearance crews. Stay 20 feet from lines yourself.
Choosing a replacement
Most street tree problems are planting problems thirty years on: a large-maturing tree in a four-foot strip, or a tall one under the wires. Picking the right size of tree for the space is the single decision that matters most.
- Narrow strips, under 4 feet, or under power lines: small-maturing trees that top out around 25 feet.
- Strips of 4 to 6 feet: medium trees, 30 to 45 feet.
- Wide strips with nothing overhead: large shade trees, which give the most benefit and live the longest.
Avoid ash, now that emerald ash borer is in Beaverton, and avoid ornamental pear and sweetgum, which split in ice. Try to plant something different from the trees either side of you, so that the next pest or storm doesn't take the whole street at once. Plant in fall if you can, and water through the first three summers.
Outside Beaverton city limits
- Unincorporated Washington County (Aloha, Cedar Mill, Cedar Hills, Bethany and others): roadside trees are generally the adjoining owner's responsibility. There is no street tree removal permit, but work that affects traffic on a county road needs a right-of-way permit. Homeowners associations often set their own rules.
- Hillsboro: a free Tree Care Permit is needed to plant, remove or replace a street tree and for major pruning. Clearance is 8 feet over sidewalks and 15 feet over streets.
- Tigard: street trees need a removal permit, replacements are usually required, and clearance is 8 feet over sidewalks and 13 to 18 feet over streets depending on the street type.
The permit guide covers private trees, and each service area page says which rules apply there.
Related services and guides
Questions people ask
Who is responsible for street trees in Beaverton?
The owner of the adjoining property maintains them, including pruning and clearance. The city controls removal through a permit and normally requires a replacement. The city itself maintains trees only along some arterials separated from homes by a wall or fence.
How high do branches have to be over the sidewalk in Beaverton?
Eight feet over sidewalks and paths, 12 feet over streets, and 14 feet over arterials. For trees on your own lot that overhang the right-of-way, the code asks for 8 feet over sidewalks and 10 feet over the roadway.
Can I remove the street tree in front of my house?
Only with a city permit. The city looks at the tree's condition and the damage it causes, and normally requires a replacement from its approved list. Removing one without a permit can bring penalties and a replanting order.
Can I cut the roots that are lifting my sidewalk?
Be careful. Large roots hold the tree up, and cutting 20 percent or more of the root system legally counts as removing the tree. Have the tree looked at first. Options include ramping or re-routing the walk, or a permitted removal and replacement.
Does the city prune street trees for me?
Generally not. Maintenance is the adjoining owner's job. PGE prunes trees that grow into its high-voltage lines, for clearance and not for the tree's shape, which is one reason to plant small trees under wires.
Request an estimate
Tell us about the tree and we'll call to set up a site walk. For emergency service, skip the form and call.