Oak Tree Removal and Permits in Cameron Park

Oaks and gray pines are most of the native tree cover in Cameron Park. The county protects native oaks by name. A county summary of its oak rule names these, among others:

• Interior live oak
• Blue oak
• Canyon live oak
• Valley oak
• California black oak

Most of the oaks in local yards are on that list. So it's worth knowing the rule before you plan a patio, a pool or a new shop.

The rule lives in county code Chapter 130.39. It's run by the county Planning & Building Department. The county Fire Safe Council posted a short summary of it. Here's that summary in plain words.

How they measure

Trunks get measured at 4 feet 6 inches up, from the uphill side. That's called "diameter at breast height," or dbh.

Two sizes that matter

• An "individual native oak" means a single trunk bigger than 6 inches but smaller than 36. Multi-trunk oaks count once the trunks total more than 10 inches.
• A heritage oak is 36 inches or more. Several trunks that add up to 36 inches count too.

When a permit comes up

Per the summary, non-exempt work tied to a building permit on a developed parcel needs a removal permit. Building a garage or an addition near oaks? Expect questions.

The exemptions

• Personal use: 8 native oaks a year from a single parcel, total trunk size capped at 140 inches.
• Trimming gets a pass, unless the trimming kills the tree.
• Oaks removed for defensible space upkeep, or under an approved Fire Safe Plan, don't need mitigation.
• Dead, dying or diseased oaks, or ones likely to fail, don't need mitigation either. The catch: a certified arborist or Registered Professional Forester has to say so in writing.

Rules get updated, so confirm with the county Planning & Building Department before anyone cuts. A wrong guess on a heritage oak can cost real money. Thumbtack notes that cutting a protected tree without approval can mean a fine of $20,000 to $60,000. That's a general figure, not a county one, but it shows how ugly it can get.

Cameron Park has something most foothill towns don't. The CSD runs a CC&R department and an Architectural Review Committee, or ARC. Together they handle design review and enforcement for over 80 neighborhoods and nearly 8,000 homes.

CC&Rs are deed rules. The CSD says they were filed with the county and made a condition of buying the lot from the original developer. They pass to every new owner, because they're attached to the deed. So even if you just moved in, they apply.

Here's the part that matters for trees. The ARC handbook lists tree removals right next to paint, fences and roofs as work that needs approval. Where your CC&Rs say so, planting or removing landscaping needs approval too. The exception is landscaping inside fully enclosed parts of the lot.

And timing counts. The CSD says if you don't get ARC approval before the project starts, it's a potential CC&R violation and extra fees may be charged. Their fee book even lists a penalty for work done without ARC approval.

How the ARC works

• It meets every other Tuesday at 8:30am in the social room at the Community Center.
• Your application, plans and payment are due by end of business the Tuesday before the meeting.
• Questions go to the compliance officer at (530) 672-2031 or [email protected].
• The CSD has a neighborhood map that shows which CC&R area you're in.

One more thing that trips people up. ARC approval is not county approval. The handbook says so plainly. If the county needs to sign off too, you need both.

Oak wood is heavy and hard. That shows up in the price. This Old House and Thumbtack supply the numbers below. Treat them as a ballpark, not a bid.

Sources: This Old House tree removal guide (updated March 2026); Thumbtack tree removal guide (October 2026), arborist guide (June 2026) and land clearing guide (October 2026).

Paperwork costs money too. If you need an arborist's letter for a dead oak, add that to the budget. Same for any county permit fee or ARC fee.

Big oak near the house? It'll likely come down in pieces, which takes longer. See trees close to the house.

First, the paperwork check. Which oak, how big, which rule. Then the tree work itself. Usually it's branches first and the trunk in chunks after, unless there's open ground to fell it in one go. The wood gets cut up or chipped. Some folks keep the rounds for the stove.

The stump is extra. You can leave it, or have it ground. Read about stump grinding in Cameron Park.

• We locate a tree outfit that handles oak work in Cameron Park.
• We tell you who to call about the county rule and the CC&Rs.
• We set the visit, so you get a written price fast.
• No charge to you for our part.

Pricing and cutting are the pro's side. Ours is getting you there faster.

1. Phone (530) 457-1414. The estimate form works too.
2. Tell us it's an oak, about how big, and if your street has CC&Rs.
3. You check with the county and, if needed, the ARC.
4. We get the site visit booked.
5. The pro writes up a price. Ask if the stump and hauling are included.
6. Once the approvals are in hand, you schedule the work.

Clearing for fire? See defensible space clearing in Cameron Park. Live by the El Dorado Hills line? See El Dorado Hills tree removal. Or go back home.