A neighbor's Coast redwood: what it does, what the law allows, and what the report settles

What the tree actually does

Redwoods are the tallest trees in the world and grow fast: 3 to 5 feet a year when young, in Bay Area yards where they were never native. Roots are shallow, fibrous and extremely dense, spreading far beyond the canopy and lifting pavement, fences and shallow footings. The trunk is strong and whole-tree failure of a healthy redwood is uncommon; the real hazards are large limb drop in wind, codominant tops that split, and trees stressed by drought or trenching. Needle and cone drop is heavy and constant. Shade is total under a mature canopy.

The disputes it causes

Shade killing a neighbor's garden or solar output; needle and cone litter in gutters and pools; surface roots lifting driveways, patios and fences; limbs on roofs in winter wind; and the fear that a 100-foot tree is aimed at a bedroom. Redwood hedges planted at 5-foot spacing produce the worst versions of all of these.

What the law says

• The trunk decides ownership (Civil Code 833 and 834).
• You may trim branches and roots that cross onto your land, reasonably and without injuring the tree (Booska v. Patel).
• Roots or limbs causing actual damage can be a nuisance; shade, litter and a blocked view are not (Civil Code 3479).
• A hazardous tree the owner knows or should know about is the owner's liability when it fails; written notice with an arborist's findings establishes that (Civil Code 1714). See dead or leaning tree next door.
• Cutting a neighbor's tree past the line, or injuring it, carries double or treble damages (Civil Code 3346).

What the city adds for this species

Protected at 18 inches DBH in Palo Alto, 95 inches circumference as a heritage tree in Mill Valley, and under general size thresholds (typically 12 to 18 inches) in most other Bay Area cities. Sausalito lists coast redwood as an undesirable species excluded from heritage status, one of the few places it is easier to remove. Topping a redwood is treated as damage nearly everywhere and produces a hazardous multi-leader regrowth. Rules by city →

What the report settles

Whether the tree presents an elevated likelihood of failure, which is the question most callers actually have; which limbs over the roof can be removed; what root management is possible for the driveway or fence without harming the tree; and, for shade and debris complaints, the honest statement that those are not actionable, with a pruning specification that reduces them as far as the city allows.

Dispute Assessment Report, from $850. Start the report or text (415) 881-0124 with a photo for a free read.