The rules, as TRPA publishes them
TRPA requires a permit to remove a live tree larger than 14 inches DBH, measured at DBH (4.5 feet above the ground). On lakeshore lots the threshold is lower: over 6 inches DBH for trees between the house and the lake. Removing branches from the upper two-thirds of a tree also needs a permit, with exceptions for work near structures, utility conflicts and dead wood. A dead tree that could fall on a house does not need a permit.
Fire protection districts handle defensible space tree permits with a free evaluation: North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District for Incline Village and Crystal Bay, and Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District for the Nevada south shore. TRPA decides, not us, and rules can change.
Why it matters here
The Basin is the one part of the service area where measuring a trunk is a legal step. A tree that looks like a routine removal on a Carson City lot can need a permit across the ridge. Tahoe sits above 6,000 feet, so trees are conifers more often than not, and cutting one is a decision a neighbourhood notices. Use the diameter checker on our Lake Tahoe diameter guide.
We serve the Nevada side only. We do not do work in California or in South Lake Tahoe, CA.
What an arborist does about it
The arborist measures the DBH, notes the lot position and condition of the tree, and tells you what the paperwork looks like. The permit conversation is with TRPA or the fire district; Battle Born does not issue it. For a hazardous tree, say so early, because condition changes which rule applies.
Sources
- Tahoe Regional Planning Agency: Trees and defensible space (read October 17, 2026)