Short answer: it depends on the city and the reason for removal. Several Central Coast agencies name an arborist's written evaluation in their codes, most often to confirm a tree is dead, diseased, or hazardous, or to document trees affected by construction. The report has to answer the specific question the code asks, with enough detail for staff to verify it in the field.
When an arborist's documentation comes up
Across the cities and counties in our Central Coast Tree Permit Guide, arborist documentation is tied to three situations:
- A protected tree is dead, diseased, or hazardous. Many codes allow removal for these reasons, but staff need evidence before they approve it.
- Construction will happen near protected trees. Some cities want every tree in the work area identified and evaluated, plus a plan to protect the ones that stay.
- An exemption depends on a professional's judgment. Some exemptions, such as an "immediate safety threat," only apply when a qualified arborist makes that call.
What the codes actually say
| Jurisdiction | What the code asks for |
|---|---|
| City of San Luis Obispo | When tree removal is part of a development permit, the application includes an arborist report covering every tree in the development footprint — both those proposed for removal and those staying. A single-family project that needs only a ministerial permit may not need one. The city can also require a site-specific tree protection plan. (§12.24.090) |
| Atascadero | A tree protection plan, prepared to a certified arborist's specification, is required when work happens within 20 feet of a native tree's dripline. Removal for thinning requires a tree condition report from an arborist. The city's handout says the permit form is signed by both a certified arborist and the owner. (Ch. 9-11) |
| Paso Robles | Staff can approve removing an oak 6 inches or larger only if it is clearly dead or diseased beyond correction, and the extent of disease is subject to an arborist's evaluation. Owners can skip the deposit for a dead or diseased oak with an arborist's documentation that it wasn't their fault. (§10.01.050) |
| Morro Bay | Hazard removals require a certified arborist's Tree Hazard Evaluation Form stating the tree is a hazard and must be removed. (Major Vegetation Removal guidelines) |
| Arroyo Grande | A "dead regulated tree" is defined as one a certified arborist has determined to be dead or in advanced decline, during a season when it won't be mistaken for dormant. (§12.16.020) |
| Buellton | Protected native trees posing an immediate safety threat, as determined by a qualified arborist, are exempt from the removal permit. (Ch. 12.32, read from a third-party copy of the code) |
| Unincorporated SB County, coastal zone | One of the findings that allows a tree removal permit is that the tree is diseased and endangers healthy trees nearby, with a certificate from a licensed tree surgeon filed with Planning & Development. (§35-140) |
| Carpinteria | Diseased street trees may be removed when a certificate is filed with the city clerk by a state-licensed pest control advisor or a state-licensed contractor proficient in arboriculture. (§12.28.210) |
Codes not listed here may still ask for arborist documentation through their application forms or staff review. Check with the agency.
What a useful report covers
Staff are trying to answer a specific question. A report that answers it directly saves a round of follow-up. Depending on the code and the situation, that usually means:
- Tree identification: species, trunk diameter measured the way the code specifies (usually 4.5 feet above grade), height, and a numbered location on a site plan, so staff can match each tree in the field.
- Condition, with evidence: what was observed (decay, cracks, dieback, root damage, pests or disease) with photographs, rather than a conclusion alone.
- An answer to the code's question: dead or alive, diseased beyond correction or not, a hazard or not, affected by the proposed work or not.
- Construction impacts, where relevant: how the work relates to each tree's root zone, and the protection measures for trees that stay.
- Options: where a tree can reasonably be retained, what that would take.
- Limitations: what was and wasn't inspected, and when laboratory testing would change the answer.
Why independence matters here
A permit report is read by people deciding whether a protected tree can come down. ArborSolutions doesn't sell pruning or removal, so the findings follow the tree's condition, not a work order. The report states what the evidence supports, whether that helps the removal request or not.
Before you call
- Find your jurisdiction in the Central Coast Tree Permit Guide.
- Ask the agency what they'll want with the application, and whether there's a deadline.
- Have the address, the trees in question, and any plans or contractor proposals ready.
About this article.
Requirements were checked against each agency's published code on October 25, 2026. Codes change, and agencies may ask for more than their code states. This is general information, not legal advice, and no report guarantees a permit decision.