Who Pays the Repair?
Decision dossierEvidence reviewed
Portland, OR · Tree Roots

Tree Roots in Portland, OR: Who Pays?

Who pays for tree roots in Portland: owner, official rule, boundary, and sources.

Status: published
Who paysowner
JurisdictionPortland, OR
Sources2
Verified2026-08-19
Who pays?
owner

Portland: the property owner pays — Portland Street Tree Care.

Confidence 75%
Boundary
Owner maintains trees on their property AND the adjacent right-of-way planting strip (Title 11).

Permit required: unknown

Case-by-case adjudication: may be required
Responsibility Boundary

Default rule and exceptions

Owner duty
Adjacent property owner responsible for street-tree maintenance in the right-of-way (City Code Title 11 §11.60); city-funded Street Tree Care program supplements but does not replace the duty.
Public / utility duty
City runs a funded Street Tree Care program (inspection/pruning/removal/replanting).
Exceptions
Research pending

Common questions

Who pays for tree roots in Portland, OR?

The property owner — Adjacent property owner responsible for street-tree maintenance in the right-of-way (City Code Title 11 §11.60); city-funded Street Tree Care program supplements but does not replace the duty.

What does the city cover?

City runs a funded Street Tree Care program (inspection/pruning/removal/replanting).

Reference list

Sources

  1. Portland Street Tree Careofficial · verified-official · accessed 2026-08-19
  2. Portland City Code 11.60official · verified-official · accessed 2026-08-19