Fresno Tree Guides — Permits & Signs of a Dead or Dying Tree

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Full guides: the two topics below also have their own full pages — Do You Need a Permit to Remove a Tree in Fresno? and Signs Your Tree Is Dead or Dying. The cards below are the short versions.

Fresno tree permits — what homeowners actually need

Private yard trees: Fresno does not require a removal permit for most trees on private residential property — it's your tree.

Street & parkway trees: trees in the city right-of-way belong to the City of Fresno — pruning or removal needs city approval; call the city's landscape maintenance division before touching one.

Power lines: only PG&E and its contracted line-clearance crews may work within 10 feet of energized lines. If branches are in the wires, report it to PG&E first — line clearance itself is free to you.

HOAs & heritage trees: some Fresno HOAs and historic districts (Old Fig Garden, Tower) add their own approval step, and large valley oaks draw extra scrutiny. Your estimator flags these at the visit so nothing is cut before paperwork is right.

Read the full permits guide →

Signs your tree is dead or dying

Bark & trunk: long vertical cracks, peeling bark with no new layer beneath, or fungal conks/mushrooms at the base.

Canopy: more than a third of the crown dead, leaves dropping in spring, or a whole side thinning — common in drought-stressed Fresno pines and ash.

Ground signs: heaving soil or new lean after wind, sawdust piles (borer activity), and oozing sap with a sour smell.

The scratch test: nick a small twig — green and moist underneath means alive; brown and dry across most twigs means the tree is gone or going. When in doubt, get the free on-site check before storm season makes the decision for you.

Read the full dying-tree signs guide →