# San Diego: Who Pays for Street Tree & Root Damage? | Who Pays the Repair?

> San Diego controls street trees and pays to fix root damage once notified, but owners trim their own frontage trees.

**Who pays:** shared

San Diego's Park and Recreation Department controls all street trees and pays to remove or remedy one damaging a sidewalk once notified, though owners must trim their own frontage trees and get a permit for other work.

**Boundary:** San Diego's Park and Recreation Department has legal jurisdiction and control over all trees in the public right-of-way and requires a permit for any planting, removal, or trimming; owners must trim their own frontage trees, but the City removes or remedies a tree damaging a sidewalk at the City's own expense once notified under Municipal Code §62.0613.

## Sources
- [San Diego Municipal Code, Ch. 6, Art. 2, Div. 6 (Street Planting), § 62.0602: Jurisdiction and Authority](https://docs.sandiego.gov/municode/MuniCodeChapter06/Ch06Art02Division06.pdf) — "The Park and Recreation Department shall exercise jurisdiction and control over the planting, maintenance, care and removal of trees, or plants in all streets or other public rights of way of The City of San Diego..." (accessed 2026-09-13)
- [San Diego Municipal Code, Ch. 6, Art. 2, Div. 6, §§62.0611/62.0613: Owners Required to Trim Branches; Notice of Damage by Property Owner to Park and Recreation Director](https://docs.sandiego.gov/municode/MuniCodeChapter06/Ch06Art02Division06.pdf) — "The duty is hereby imposed upon a property owner to notify the Park and Recreation Director when any tree, palm, shrub or plant in a public street adjacent to his property is injuring or damaging any public sidewalk. The Park and Recreation Director is hereby authorized to have removed, at the expense of The City of San Diego, such tree, palm, shrub or plant or to otherwise remedy the dangerous condition." (accessed 2026-09-13)

_Last verified 2026-09-26. Source: Who Pays the Repair? — https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/san-diego-ca-street-tree-responsibility/ — every claim checked against a primary source before publication (see /methodology/)._