Boulevard trees: the City's rules, your tree, our crew
In Sioux Falls, the tree in the parking strip between your curb and sidewalk is yours to take care of from planting to removal, under the City's rules. Here's how those rules work, and what we do inside them.
City ordinance makes the abutting property owner responsible for the trees in the parking strip, from planting through removal. The code calls that the area between the curb line and the sidewalk line, and a tree in it a street tree. Owners must keep those trees trimmed to 10 feet over the sidewalk, 12 feet over the street and 16 feet over arterial and collector streets. Owners must also treat or remove a street tree so diseased or infested it's a public hazard. The Forestry team checks this through Project TRIM, a survey of one district of the city each year, with letters to owners whose trees need work.
Removing a street tree takes a permit from the director of Parks and Recreation (Code § 94.035). The City says the permit is free and you request it by calling 605-367-8222. The code also requires any permitted removal to include grinding the stump and the major flare roots six to eight inches below grade. Topping a street tree is prohibited, and so are climbing spurs for pruning one. Ash is the big exception to "the owner pays." Under the City's 10-year EAB response plan, the City removes parking-strip ash and grinds the stump at no charge to the abutting owner, unless the owner treats the tree. After the City grinds the stump, the owner removes the grindings, backfills with topsoil and seeds grass.
Replanting is the other half. A Street Tree Planting Permit has been required by ordinance since October 2018, and you can't dig until City staff sign and return it. The code sets the spacing. The parking strip must be at least 5 feet wide, the tree at least 3 feet from the curb, 40 feet from other street trees, 10 feet from hydrants and driveways, 15 feet from streetlights, 30 feet from the corner on a corner lot, and not under power lines without approval. The City's Street Tree Voucher Program pays $100 per approved tree for owners with an approved planting permit, and its CommuniTree program plants free street trees for eligible homeowners in low-canopy areas. We handle the permit, the 811 call and the planting. See tree planting.
What's included
Project TRIM letters
Clearance pruning done to the 10-, 12- or 16-foot rule before the City's deadline.
Removal permit
The City's free street-tree removal permit requested before we cut.
Stump to code
Stump and major flare roots ground 6 to 8 inches below grade, as the ordinance requires.
Ash on the boulevard
Help deciding whether to treat it (and report it) or let the City remove it free.
Grindings and grass
After a City stump grind, we can remove the grindings, backfill with topsoil and seed.
Replanting with a permit
Species from the City's list, spaced to code, with the planting permit and the $100 voucher.
Boulevard tree costs in Sioux Falls, SD
| Job | Typical price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Clearance pruning for a TRIM letter | $150 – $450 per tree | 10, 12 or 16 feet to code |
| Street tree removal (not ash) | $500 – $1,800 | Permit requested; stump ground to code |
| Stump grind, 6–8 in below grade | $150 – $400 | Required with a permitted removal |
| Grindings removed, topsoil and seed | $150 – $350 | After a City or our stump grind |
| Street tree planted, with permit | $350 – $650 | Less the City's $100 voucher |
| City crews doing it instead | $150 per hour | The City's rate if a TRIM deadline is missed |
These are 2026 Sioux Falls ranges to help you budget. Your written price is itemized (climb or bucket work, rigging, chipping and haul-off, stump grinding, crane time) and good for 30 days.
Recent work
Questions we get about boulevard trees
Who owns the tree between my curb and sidewalk?
It's a public street tree, but City ordinance makes the abutting owner responsible for it from planting through removal. That includes pruning it to the clearance rules and removing it if it becomes hazardous.
Do I need a permit to remove a boulevard tree?
Yes. The City's street-tree removal permit is free; call 605-367-8222. The stump and major flare roots have to be ground 6 to 8 inches below grade.
The City painted a blue number on my ash. What does that mean?
Street trees with a blue number are part of the City's EAB removal process. The City will remove the ash and grind the stump for free. If you're treating the tree, report it to the 211 Helpline Center with the blue number.
What does a blue X mean?
The Forestry team found the street or City tree hazardous and will remove it. A paper notice goes on the abutting owner's door.
Can I plant any tree I want there?
No. You need a Street Tree Planting Permit, and the City keeps an approved list. Lindens, hackberry, resistant elms, Kentucky coffeetree, honeylocust and several oaks are on it. Ash is banned, and pin oak isn't recommended.
What can grow in the parking strip besides the tree?
Turf kept at or below 8 inches, and other plantings that stay within 3 feet of curb height. Shrubs and thorny plants aren't allowed, under Code § 96.010.