Which state has more cities with heritage tree programs, California or Colorado?

California has heritage tree programs in 45 of 50 verified cities, compared with 13 of 14 in Colorado. Heritage designation typically overrides standard DBH thresholds, so even smaller heritage trees require a removal permit.

Are tree removal permit fees higher in California or Colorado?

Across published permit fees, California has a median of $310 (across 5 of 50 verified cities) and Colorado has a median of $50 (across 1 of 14). On the published median, Colorado is the cheaper jurisdiction — but city-by-city variance is wide, so always check the specific city before filing.

How do tree replacement obligations compare between California and Colorado?

California documents a replacement obligation in 45 of 50 verified cities; Colorado in 13 of 14. Among cities with a numeric ratio, the median is 1:1 in California and 1:1 in Colorado. Many cities accept an in-lieu fee per tree when on-site replanting isn't feasible.

Tree removal permit rules: California vs Colorado

A cross-state summary drawn from 50 verifieds California cities and 14 verifieds Colorado cities. For city-level detail, see the California ordinance hub or the Colorado ordinance hub.

Side-by-side summary

Field	California	Colorado
Cities with a heritage tree program	45 of 50	13 of 14
Cities with a replacement ratio	45 of 50 (median 1:1)	13 of 14 (median 1:1)
Cities documenting who can apply	45 of 50	12 of 14
Cities publishing processing time	35 of 50	12 of 14
Permit fee (median, where published)	$310 (5 of 50 publish)	$50 (1 of 14 publish)
Cities requiring arborist certification	45 of 50	13 of 14
Cities specifying report sections	45 of 50	12 of 14

Counts are over verified cities only — cities awaiting verification or with sparse ordinance text don't contribute to these summaries.

How the two states compare

Which state has more cities with heritage tree programs, California or Colorado?: California has heritage tree programs in 45 of 50 verified cities, compared with 13 of 14 in Colorado. Heritage designation typically overrides standard DBH thresholds, so even smaller heritage trees require a removal permit.
Are tree removal permit fees higher in California or Colorado?: Across published permit fees, California has a median of $310 (across 5 of 50 verified cities) and Colorado has a median of $50 (across 1 of 14). On the published median, Colorado is the cheaper jurisdiction — but city-by-city variance is wide, so always check the specific city before filing.
How do tree replacement obligations compare between California and Colorado?: California documents a replacement obligation in 45 of 50 verified cities; Colorado in 13 of 14. Among cities with a numeric ratio, the median is 1:1 in California and 1:1 in Colorado. Many cities accept an in-lieu fee per tree when on-site replanting isn't feasible.

California verified cities

+ 42 more California verified cities.

Colorado verified cities

+ 6 more Colorado verified cities.

Filing in California or Colorado?

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