A City Council-approved Master Street Tree List is available for tree planting throughout the City of El Cerrito. When planning your landscape, please consult the tree list to plant an appropriate tree. The tree list is in pdf format (to obtain the free Adobe Acrobat Reader, click here).

Prior to selecting a location to plant a street tree in the parking strip, owners should make sure that they are not planting a tree directly over a sewer line, water service or gas line. Tree roots could damage underground utilities, and you could accidentally damage an underground pipe during excavation to plant the tree.

Home owners can determine the location of these underground utilities by calling Underground Service Alert (USA) at 1-800-227-2600 before they dig. Utility companies will mark the location of their service lines so you know not to plant a tree in that location. This is a free service, and is required by law for anyone excavating in the public right-of-way. Sewer laterals from your home which go into the street can usually be found by looking for a metal or plastic cleanout cap which is located in the planting strip or just behind the back of the sidewalk. If you are unsure of your sewer line location you can contact Stege Sanitary District at (510) 524-4668 or at http://www.stegesd.dst.ca.us/.

Once you have chosen a tree and the location, the next steps are:

• Call (510) 215-4369 or e-mail maintengin@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us with your tree selection.

• Apply for an encroachment permit. The issuance fee is $56.00 and is refundable upon a City inspection 1 year from the date the tree is planted. The property owner will be required to sign a 2-year agreement to maintain the tree the first 2 years of its life at the time the encroachment permit is obtained. After two years, the City will then take over the care of the tree.

• If a City tree has died, it can be replaced with another tree from the Approved Master Tree List. Please contact the City Maintenance Division at (510) 215-4369.

Click here for the Master Street Tree List