Overgrown Hedges and Branches Blocking Sidewalks in San Diego

• The property owner. The City's Get It Done FAQ says property owners are responsible for maintaining private trees and vegetation "so that they do not encroach on the street and sidewalk public right-of-way," and asks owners to check their property frequently.
• Section 54.0110. Municipal Code section 54.0110, titled Unauthorized Encroachments Prohibited, makes it unlawful to "plant, or maintain any vegetation or object on any public street, alley, sidewalk, highway, or other public property or public right-of-way, except as otherwise provided by this Code," including allowing it to remain.
• Section 62.0611. The street planting rules require the owner of every lot with trees, palms, shrubs or plants to trim their branches to standards adopted by the City Council, and give the City the same duty for plants in a public street that intrude onto private property.
• What owners must clear. The Vegetation Encroachment form lists shrubs or plants growing over sidewalks, curbs and drains; plants and bushes hanging over curbs or sidewalks; trees and shrubs blocking or obscuring traffic signs; and trees obstructing pedestrian and vehicle rights-of-way. It says private vegetation must allow clearance for pedestrian and vehicle traffic under City landscape maintenance standards. The City does not list hedges, vines or cactus by name, but they are shrubs and plants.

• 14 feet 6 inches and 8 feet. The Get It Done FAQ, which the report form points to for specific standards, says a tree branch "must be 14 feet 6 inches above street pavement/alley and 8 feet above the sidewalk."
• Sidewalk, parkway and curb. The same FAQ says shrubs and plants must be trimmed back from the sidewalk and from the parkway, the strip between the sidewalk and the curb, and trimmed back from the curb. For a cracked or lifted sidewalk, see our sidewalk repair guide.
• Landscape Standards. The City's Landscape Standards (part of the Land Development Manual) say trees should be kept so that branches extending over dedicated street rights-of-way have at least 14 feet 6 inches of clearance above the street, and that plants should be pruned to avoid blocking walks, passageways and sight distance views for vehicles.
• A different number for new projects. The Landscape Regulations, which apply to planting required for certain development projects, say required trees must be kept with branches 6 feet above pedestrian walkways and 16 feet above vehicle travel ways (section 142.0403(b)(11)). For an existing yard, the figures the City publishes for encroachment reports are the ones in the Get It Done FAQ above.

• Visibility areas. The Code's definitions describe a visibility area as the area needed for adequate sight distance for safe vehicle and pedestrian movement at intersections involving a public right-of-way. Under section 113.0273, it is a triangle whose two sides typically run 25 feet along the property lines at a street intersection, 10 feet at a street and alley, and 10 feet along the property line and 10 feet along the driveway edge at a driveway. The City Engineer may increase or reduce those distances.
• 36 inches. Section 142.0409(b)(2) of the Landscape Regulations says plant material, other than trees, in visibility areas or the adjacent public right-of-way "shall not exceed 36 inches in height," measured from the lowest grade next to the plants. That section applies to the development types listed in the Landscape Regulations; as of November 2, 2026, we did not find a City page explaining how it is applied to an existing yard.
• Hedges are not fences. The fence regulations limit fences in visibility areas to 3 feet (section 142.0310(b)), but section 142.0370(f) says natural living plant material is not fence material and is not regulated by that division.
• Traffic signs. The Get It Done FAQ says shrubs and plants must be trimmed back from the curb "and maintain clear visibility of all traffic signs." A private plant hiding a sign goes on the Vegetation Encroachment report. A missing or damaged sign is a Traffic Sign report; see our traffic signals and signs guide.

• Get It Done: Vegetation Encroachment. Use the Vegetation Encroachment report online or in the Get It Done app. The City's Get It Done page describes it as "Private property vegetation obstructing sidewalks, streets, or alleys," and as of November 2, 2026 listed the Trees and Vegetation group as operating at reduced capacity.
• What to include. The address of the property the plants grow from (the form asks you to confirm the location is in the City of San Diego), what is blocked (sidewalk, curb, street, alley, a traffic sign or a driver's view at a corner or driveway), and a photo taken from the sidewalk or street that shows how far the growth reaches.
• Fire risk on unimproved streets or open space. The form says vegetation and trees on unimproved streets or open space areas that present an imminent fire risk can be reported to the San Diego Fire Department at 619-533-4444.
• More on Get It Done. How reports, tracking and the app work is covered in our guide to reporting a problem to the City of San Diego.

• A code compliance process. The form says "achieving compliance can take several weeks depending on the nature of the required inspection, notice, & citation periods" conducted by the Transportation Department's Right of Way Code Compliance team. As of November 2, 2026, we did not find a City page that describes further steps, such as whether or when the City trims private plants itself.
• 629 days. As of November 2, 2026, the Vegetation Encroachment form showed an estimated resolution time of 629 days, calculated from the last 90 days of data, seasonal trends and staff knowledge. The City's timeframe list, last updated May 7, 2026, also says 629 days and explains that "due to steps required in the code enforcement process and a backlog of open reports, this type of report is taking longer than normal."
• City trimming for visibility. On its tree maintenance page, the City says its trimming to provide visibility for motorists, traffic signals and other traffic control devices "may include trimming vegetation on private property that encroaches on the public right-of-way."

• City street trees. A tree planted in the parkway between the sidewalk and curb is usually a City street tree, not the neighbor's. Report low branches or a blocked sign on the Tree Maintenance form, and do not trim it yourself: Municipal Code section 62.0604 bars trimming a tree growing in a City street without a permit. Details are in our street trees guide.
• Fire-hazard brush and weeds. Overgrown brush or dry weeds on a lot or hillside are a San Diego Fire-Rescue matter, not a sidewalk encroachment. See our overgrown brush and weeds guide.
• Branches near power lines. The City says a City-maintained tree affecting power lines should be reported to SDG&E immediately at 1-800-411-7343. Never trim, climb or pull on anything near wires. Who owns which wire and pole is in our downed lines and utility poles guide.
• A corner that is still unsafe. If trimming is not enough and you want a stop sign, red curb or other change, that is a Traffic Service Request, and staff may also consider trimming vegetation to improve sight distance. See our traffic safety requests guide.
• Yard upkeep in general. Overgrown plants that stay inside the property line are not a right-of-way issue. Our code enforcement guide explains which private property complaints the City currently enforces.

Given the City's posted wait times, a friendly word often works faster than a report. Some neutral tips, which are not legal advice:

• Keep it specific and practical. Mention what is blocked (for example, the sidewalk is narrowed for strollers or wheelchairs, or drivers cannot see the stop sign), not the look of the yard. Many owners do not notice growth they only see from inside the property.
• Share the City's standard. Pointing to the Get It Done FAQ (14 feet 6 inches over the street, 8 feet over the sidewalk) keeps the conversation about a published rule. If the owner is a landlord or business, a short note to the owner or property manager may reach the right person.
• Do not trim someone else's plants without permission. As of November 2, 2026, we did not find City guidance authorizing residents to cut plants on another person's property; disputes between neighbors are a civil matter. If nothing changes after a reasonable time, file the Get It Done report.