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Pleasanton, in short
Do I need a permit to remove a tree on my property in Pleasanton?
Yes, for a protected tree. In Pleasanton a tree is protected at 55 inches around, or 37 inches around if it is one of 13 native species, measured 4.5 feet above the ground. Removing a protected tree needs a no-cost permit from the City’s Landscape Architect.
The story of Pleasanton
Pleasanton, named for a Union general and known, in the City’s phrase, as a city of planned progress.
Pleasanton began as Alisal, a roadside stop on the Bernal family’s rancho, and grew into a town when the Transcontinental Railroad came through the valley. It incorporated in 1894 under the name Pleasanton, which was reportedly chosen to honor a Union general.
The City says the area was first settled 4,000 years ago by the Ohlone peoples, and became a thriving agricultural area when the Spanish arrived in the 1770s.
In 1772, the City’s downtown historic context statement says, Fray Juan Crespi noted two villages of Ohlone near the site of Pleasanton.
For the Spanish, the Museum on Main says, “the Valley became a vast cattle range under the authority of Missions Santa Clara and San Jose.”
Augustín Bernal received the Rancho del Valle de San José in 1839, the largest single Mexican land grant east of the San Francisco Bay at more than 48,000 acres, the City’s historic context statement says. He arrived in 1850 and built an adobe house about a mile west of the future town site.
The settlement was called Alisal, after the cottonwood or sycamore trees along the arroyos. It served as a main mercantile stopover in the Gold Rush era, and John Kottinger, an Austrian immigrant who married into the Bernal family, built its first store in 1855.
In 1858 Augustín Bernal’s son Refugio laid out a race track on the site that is now the Alameda County Fairgrounds, which the City calls the nation’s oldest one-mile racetrack. The first Alameda County Fair was held there in 1912.
In 1863 John Kottinger subdivided a small portion of his land at the north end of Main Street into three downtown lots, and the coming of the Central Pacific Railroad in 1869 made the downtown a shipping center for agricultural and manufactured products.
The plat maps of 1868 and 1869 show the first use of the name Pleasanton, which Kottinger reportedly chose to honor his friend Major General Alfred Pleasonton of the Union Army. The City believes a typographical error by the U.S. Post Office is responsible for the current spelling.
In the 1880s George and Phoebe Apperson Hearst bought a 500-acre ranch near the town, and in 1899 Phoebe Hearst moved into the Hacienda del Pozo de Verona, her manor on the ridge west of town, where Castlewood Country Club stands today.
Portuguese immigrants were among the largest and most prominent ethnic groups in town. California’s first Portuguese newspaper was printed in Pleasanton from 1889 to 1893, and the Festa do Divino Espirito Santo began in 1901.
Pleasanton incorporated as a city on June 18, 1894.
The Chamber of Commerce formed in 1907 and the Women’s Improvement Club in 1908.
The Women’s Improvement Club gave the land for the first City Hall on Main Street, completed in 1915, which served as City Hall until 1984 and is now the Museum on Main.
The arch over Main Street, the downtown’s gateway since 1932, was paid for from the Women’s Improvement Club’s funds.
In 1917 Pleasanton was chosen as the setting for the film Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, starring Mary Pickford, and the city briefly enjoyed celebrity as “Hollywood of the North”. It was a common filming location in the mid- to late 1920s for its good climate, easy railroad access and downtown architecture.
Voters supported a bond issue in 1922 to build Amador Valley High School in Pleasanton; students had commuted to Livermore until 1924.
During World War II the U.S. Navy built the Naval Construction Battalion Center in 1943 and later Camp Parks and Camp Shoemaker, just north of Pleasanton.
Pleasanton’s rural character underwent unprecedented population growth in the 1960s, the City says, after research laboratories attracted thousands of new residents in the 1950s and 1960s.
In 1963, concerned about rapid development, local residents organized the Amador-Livermore Valley Historical Society. In 1984 the City offered it the vacant building on Main Street that is now the Museum on Main.
During the 1980s the Tri-Valley’s first large business center, Hacienda Business Park, and the Stoneridge Shopping Center defined Pleasanton’s position at the crossing of Interstates 580 and 680, and by the mid-1980s, the City says, Pleasanton “was the third fastest growing city in California.”
The Downtown Specific Plan was first adopted in 1989, and the plan adopted in August 2019 is the update of it.
In 2015 the City surveyed the downtown homes built before 1942; 88 qualified as historic resources, and three more had been found historic in earlier surveys.
Between 2003 and 2004 concerned citizens began a campaign to clean up the Pioneer Cemetery, and more than 1,300 signatures were collected asking the City to buy and care for it. The City Council voted on September 5, 2006 to buy it from the Odd Fellows, and on June 5, 2007 its name was changed to the Pleasanton Pioneer Cemetery.
Fire safety
Your fire department
The Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department serves Pleasanton. The cities of Livermore and Pleasanton joined their fire departments through a joint powers authority in 1996.
Find out if you are in a fire hazard zone
The fire department’s page sorts the zones into three classes, Moderate, High and Very High, from terrain, vegetation, fire history and local weather, and points owners to its zone look-up map. When a property has more than one severity zone, the higher rating zone is used. By our reading of the legend on the State Fire Marshal’s map of Pleasanton, which the City hosts, the map shows two classes, High and Moderate, and no Very High class.
Fire department page read Oct 24 2026; the map’s legend read by eye
See 5 more
The City’s zone ordinance
The City Council adopted Ordinance No. 2293 on May 6, 2025. It designates the zones “as recommended by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection” on the map dated February 24, 2025.
Ordinance 2293, adopted May 6, 2025
Roof edge and gutters
A University of California guide that the fire department links says: “Roofs can be vulnerable at the roof edge where a gutter is attached. Debris in the gutter can ignite from embers, and flames can ignite other components at the roof edge (e.g., wood-based sheathing and fascia board).” Its advice: “Remove vegetative debris from gutters on a regular basis during fire season.” and “Remove accumulated vegetative debris from roofs on a regular basis.”
Gutter covers, in the same guide
The guide also says: “Use a noncombustible gutter cover to minimize accumulation of debris in the gutter. Some gutter covers result in accumulation of debris on the roof behind the gutter, so these will still require routine maintenance.”
Weeds and grass on a lot with a home
For developed properties, the fire department’s page says weed abatement is handled by each city’s code enforcement agency, and the City’s Code Enforcement page lists overgrown weeds and vegetation on developed properties among the issues it handles. The department itself removes hazardous vegetation on undeveloped and unimproved land. Grass must be trimmed.
Ask for a defensible space inspection
“Defensible Space” is one of the service inspections on the fire department’s inspections page, and it takes requests through an online inspection request form with at least 48 hours’ notice.
Need a hand with this? Gutter guards
Pleasanton this month
Storm season: the City’s self-service sandbag station at the Operations Services Department on Busch Road has free sand and sandbags 24 hours a day during the rainy season.
The Pleasanton blog starts when there is enough local news to keep it current.
Culture and history
Museum on Main
The Museum on Main is dedicated, in its own words, to “preserving, clarifying and disseminating information about history specific to the Tri Valley region”. Its permanent exhibit, “Growing Pleasanton”, follows the history of this area “from the Ohlone tribes who first lived here to the suburban community of today’s city.” More in The story of Pleasanton, below.
Hometown Holiday Celebration
A parade on Main Street at 5:00 p.m. with floats, marching bands and community groups is followed by a tree lighting in front of the Museum on Main, with live music, the tree lit by the Mayor and City Council, and a special appearance by Santa. The City’s page calls it one of Pleasanton’s most cherished traditions and announces Saturday, December 5, 2026.
City page read Oct 24 2026
See 10 more
Ghost Walk
The Museum on Main’s Ghost Walk is a two-hour guided walking tour of the most haunted sites along Main Street downtown, an annual event held for over seventeen years during the Halloween season.
Museum page read Oct 24 2026; its 2026 tours ran October 9 to 17 and no later date is posted
Farmers’ Market
The Pleasanton Farmers’ Market runs on Saturdays from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, year-round, on West Angela Street, in partnership with the Pleasanton Downtown Association.
Hours as the market’s page prints them, read Oct 24 2026
Cultural Celebrations
The City’s Cultural Celebration series at the Firehouse Arts Center offers free, family-friendly events that celebrate a variety of cultures and heritage months, with dates announced through May 2027.
Dates as the series page prints them, read Oct 24 2026
Scottish Highland Gathering and Games
The Games are held at the Alameda County Fairgrounds on Labor Day weekend; the Games’ page counts 160 gatherings so far, the latest on September 5 and 6, 2026, and lists September 4 and 5, 2027 for the 161st.
Page read Oct 24 2026
Ed Kinney Series
The Museum on Main’s Ed Kinney Series is a monthly program of historical character portrayals and speakers.
Museum page read Oct 24 2026; the schedule is a picture, so no dates are carried
Alviso Adobe Community Park
The City’s fully restored interpretive park “reveals the history of the Amador Valley and a rare glimpse of times past”, and it is open to the public. More in The story of Pleasanton, below.
Firehouse Arts Center
A 20,000 square foot cultural arts center with a 221-seat theater, a fine arts gallery and a classroom, where the Harrington Gallery shows five group exhibitions a year.
Public art
The City’s Public Art Collection has more than 60 pieces, sculptures, murals and installations in public spaces.
The Pleasanton Arch
The gateway arch over Main Street downtown. More in The story of Pleasanton, below.
Hollywood of the North
In the silent-film years the town earned that nickname. More in The story of Pleasanton, below.
Community
Amador-Livermore Valley Historical Society
The society that runs the Museum on Main. More in The story of Pleasanton, below.
Pleasanton Heritage Association
It is “dedicated to the preservation, enhancement, and celebration of Pleasanton’s heritage buildings and neighborhoods in order to protect the historic character of the city and quality of life of its residents”, and it serves as “a resource of information for preserving, remodeling, renovating, and restoring heritage buildings.”
See 2 more
Pleasanton Downtown Association
The City Council created it in 1984; it operates as an assessment district and says it is home to over 550 businesses.
Firewise neighbors
Neighbors can organize a Firewise USA community of at least 8 homes, a program the fire department presents; the steps are under Programs on offer.
City rules and regulations
Re-roofs need a building permit
The City’s page on permit types puts a re-roof under “Residential Alteration” for one- and two-family homes. The City’s code requires a roof framing and sheathing inspection before roofing material is installed, and the City lists the fee for a one- or two-family re-roof in its Master Fee Schedule.
Page read Oct 24 2026
Roof repairs
The City’s code lists “Repairs to a roof that do not exceed the lesser of 25 percent of the roof area or a maximum of 500 square feet” among the work that needs no permit.
See 5 more
Historic homes downtown
The City’s historic preservation handout lists roofs, “including, but not limited to, roof form, eaves, material, color, and pitch”, among the changes to a historic home downtown that need Administrative Design Review.
Handout revised May 2026
The 13 native species
The code counts these as native, protected from 37 inches around: big leaf maple, box elder, California buckeye, California sycamore, canyon oak, coast live oak, interior live oak, blue oak, California black oak, valley oak, California bay laurel, California black walnut and tan oak.
City-owned trees
The City’s tree brochure says: “You may not prune any City-owned tree.” City-owned trees are those typically in the planting area between the sidewalk and the street curb, and in medians, parkways, parks, open spaces and the historic downtown. The City lists planting a tree between the sidewalk and the curb under its encroachment permit.
A neighbor’s tree
The City says: “The City recommends that you work with your neighbor on a mutually acceptable pruning solution.”
When you buy or sell The fire zone at a sale
The fire department’s zone page says: “Sellers are required to disclose the FHSZ designation during the sale of a property.”
Fire department page read Oct 24 2026
Need a hand with this? Roofing
Storms, flood and drainage
Free sandbags
The City’s self-service sandbag station is at the Operations Services Department on Busch Road. Sand and sandbags are free and available 24 hours a day during the rainy season; bring your own shovel and fill your own bags. Zone 7’s 2026 sandbag map also lists its administrative building on Parkside Drive.
Storm Watch page, undated, read Oct 24 2026
Roof, drains and gutters before a storm
The City’s storm-preparation list includes “Inspect your roof for any damage or leaks” and “Inspect your property, clearing private drains, v-ditches and rain gutters”. Its Storm Watch page adds: “Clear private gutters, drains, and downspouts, and look for areas where water may collect.”
Read Oct 24 2026
See 7 more
The street gutter is not your roof gutter
In the City’s documents the “gutter” is usually the street’s. Its page calls storm drains “those grates in the street that most people call the ‘gutter,'” which flow directly to the creeks, wetlands and the Bay and do not connect to the sewer. The City’s reminder: “Remember, only rain down the storm drain!”
Page read Oct 24 2026
Leaves on the street
From November through February, Public Works crews collect naturally fallen leaves from City-owned street trees on public streets before scheduled street sweeping. The City does not provide a residential curbside leaf pickup program and cannot collect leaves from private property. Property owners are responsible for leaves and yard waste on their property, including leaves from City trees that fall onto it, and the City asks that they go in the green organics cart, never into the street or gutter.
Storm Watch page, undated, read Oct 24 2026
Send roof water away from the foundation
The City’s rain-capture page suggests “Disconnected downspouts direct roof runoff away from the foundations toward a landscaped area where plants and soils can absorb flows and filter pollutants.” It adds: “Some of these systems require technical guidance. For steep slopes and erodible soils please consult with an appropriate professional such as a landscape architect or engineer.”
Waterways with flooding potential
The City’s floodplain page says: “Areas adjacent to a major channel have documented flooding potential, these include:” Arroyo de La Laguna/Alamo Canal, Arroyo del Valle, Arroyo Mocho, Chabot Canal and Tassajara Creek.
Page read Oct 24 2026
Is your address in the floodplain?
The City’s floodplain page says less than five percent of the city is in a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area. The City’s 2009 Public Safety Element, working from a 2005 FEMA map, put about 1,900 acres in the 100-year flood plain.
Page read Oct 24 2026; the Element is of 2009
Site visits on flooding and drainage
City of Pleasanton staff will make site visits to provide one-on-one advice to property owners regarding flooding and drainage issues on private property. The City’s Floodplain Information Message Center is at (925) 931-5649 and the Engineering Division at (925) 437-4005.
Page read Oct 24 2026
Hill slopes in the rainy season
The City’s 2009 Public Safety Element says a high potential for active landsliding should be considered to exist on all slopes bordering the Amador Valley and other hill slopes, unless a site-specific geotechnical investigation shows local stability, and that landslides are more likely in the rainy season, when soils are saturated.
The City’s 2009 account
Need a hand with this? Gutter cleaning
Programs, loans and insurance
City Housing Rehabilitation Program
The City says its Housing Rehabilitation Program “can provide grants and loans for accessibility improvements in rental units and owner-occupied homes”; ramps and other more expensive modifications for homeowners can be addressed under the Major Owner Rehabilitation Loan Program.
Page read Oct 24 2026
Check back Habitat for Humanity home repair: check back
Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley’s Pleasanton page lists Roofing among its eligible repairs and says “Many repairs for homeowners can be funded by a city grant, so the repairs have no cost to the homeowner.” Because of the volume of applications for the Pleasanton grant program, it says, homeowners interested in applying only to the grant program are currently being added to a waitlist.
Page read Oct 24 2026
See 14 more
Check back Renew Alameda County loans: check back
Renew Alameda County’s home page says “APPLICATIONS NOW CLOSED”, and you can still join the interest list. Habitat’s Pleasanton page still describes the loan program as open for enrollment; the program’s own page is the more specific statement.
Page read Oct 24 2026
Firewise USA
The fire department’s page lists five steps: organize your neighbors (a minimum of 8 homes), complete online training, create a wildfire risk assessment and 3-year action plan, volunteer one hour annually per home, and apply for recognition and display a Firewise sign. It invites homeowners in the wildland-urban interface designated “High or Very High” on the 2025 maps to consider becoming Firewise.
Page read Oct 24 2026
County-wide Check back Diablo Firesafe Council cost-share: check back
The Council’s page says it “has temporarily closed the applications for the Partners in Wildfire Prevention fuel reduction grant match”, which had offered up to $3,500 of cost-share funds for vegetation management in Alameda or Contra Costa County. Its pages do not name Pleasanton, and roofs and gutters are not named.
Page read Oct 24 2026
County-wide Diablo Firesafe Council: Five Easy Actions
The Council offers “Five Easy Actions, an informative, 90-minute hands-on talk to discuss home hardening for your FIREWISE group.”
County-wide BayREN EASE Home: weatherization for income-qualified homes
BayREN “covers 80% of the cost for essential weatherization upgrades, including insulation and duct sealing” for homeowners with a household income under or at 120% of area median income. The program page shows an Apply Now button.
Page read Oct 24 2026
County-wide PG&E Energy Savings Assistance
PG&E’s program offers free home upgrades “at no charge” to income-qualified customers in a home at least five years old. The page names no town, and Pleasanton is in PG&E’s gas and electric territories.
Income guidelines valid through May 31, 2027, as the page prints them; read Oct 7 2026
Check back Earthquake Brace + Bolt: check back
The California Residential Mitigation Program’s Earthquake Brace + Bolt is “available only for homes in select ZIP Codes”, and Pleasanton’s ZIP codes 94566 and 94588 are on its 2025 list. Income-eligible homeowners can also apply for an additional grant of up to $7,000 (for families with a yearly household income of $94,480 or less). Registration is open for a limited time each year.
ZIP list printed 08/2025; read Oct 7 2026, not read again
Check back Water rebates from the City and Zone 7: check back
The City’s water conservation page lists “up to $3,575” for residential customers who convert a lawn, with funding that is limited and first-come, first-served. Zone 7’s rebate page says applications for water conservation rebates are currently being placed on a waitlist and that funding may become available beginning in July 2027.
Pages read Oct 24 2026
Check back City ADU rebate: check back
The City’s ADU rebate page names a program period of October 1, 2024 to August 31, 2026, which has ended, and the page does not say whether the rebate continues.
Page read Oct 24 2026
Mills Act for historic homes
The City’s Housing Element says Pleasanton administers a Mills Act program, property tax relief for owners of qualified historic buildings.
The Element is of 2023
County-wide County help for income-qualified households
Spectrum Community Services’ weatherization program lists attic and floor insulation, window and exterior door repair or replacement, heater and water heater replacement, weather-stripping and more, with no roof, gutter or drainage item; to qualify you live in Alameda County, provide a utility bill and proof of the household’s monthly income, and own the residence or get the owner’s approval. The Alameda County Healthy Homes Department’s page says “Grants of up to $12,000 per unit for lead paint hazard repair work” are available for pre-1960 residential property in Alameda County, and that owner-occupied units must be home to a child under six years old or a pregnant person, or be regularly visited by a child under six; income limits apply.
Pages read Oct 7 2026; the Healthy Homes page shows 2024 income limits
Insurance Flood insurance is open to everyone in town
The City says Pleasanton property owners and renters can obtain low-cost flood insurance because Pleasanton is a National Flood Insurance Program member with a floodplain management program, and that you do not have to live in the floodplain to qualify.
Page read Oct 24 2026
Insurance The City’s flood rating
The City says it is a Community Rating System Class 7 community in the National Flood Insurance Program, and FEMA’s Community Status Book of October 7, 2026 lists Pleasanton at class 7. What that means for a given policy is for your flood insurance agent.
FEMA table dated 10/07/2026, read Oct 7 2026
Insurance A 30-day wait
Keep in mind, the City says, there is a 30-day waiting period before a flood insurance policy takes effect, so do not get caught applying for flood insurance the day before the storm.
Page read Oct 24 2026
Who serves your home in Pleasanton
- Fire: The Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department, a joint powers authority of the cities of Livermore and Pleasanton since 1996; five of its ten stations are in Pleasanton.
- Water: The City’s own utility, Pleasanton Water, delivers it, and the City buys its water from Zone 7 Water Agency, the Tri-Valley’s wholesaler.
- Sewer: The City runs the collection pipes; the Dublin San Ramon Services District treats most of the wastewater by contract, and the City of Livermore’s plant takes the Ruby Hill area’s.
- Garbage: Pleasanton Garbage Service, which the City names as its curbside garbage, recycling and organics service; residents must subscribe.
- Electricity: Ava Community Energy is the default supplier, and Ava’s FAQ says PG&E still handles delivery, maintenance and billing.
- Gas: PG&E, whose service-area page lists Pleasanton in both its electric and its gas territory.
- Flood control: Zone 7 Water Agency maintains the majority of the waterways that cross the city, the City’s floodplain page says.
- Storm drains: The City runs them, about 228 miles of storm drain pipe; most of what they collect flows into larger creeks and channels that Zone 7 operates.
- Air district: The Bay Area Air Quality Management District, which regulates the nine counties around San Francisco Bay, Alameda among them.
Useful links: Pleasanton Unified School District · Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department (including its fire hazard severity zone look-up) · City of Pleasanton: Storm Watch and free sandbags · City of Pleasanton: Floodplain Management · Zone 7 Water Agency · Pleasanton Garbage Service · Ava Community Energy · Museum on Main · Pleasanton Downtown Association · Pleasanton Heritage Association
The homes of Pleasanton
Pleasanton’s median home was built in 1984, and about 40 percent of its homes were built before 1980, by our own calculations from the Census Bureau’s 2020-2024 tables. About 61 percent of its homes are single-family houses that stand apart.
Built before 1942
Victorian to Mission Revival downtown
The Downtown Specific Plan says the downtown homes were designed in a variety of styles including Victorian, Queen Anne, Colonial Revival and Mission Revival, and the City’s design guidelines say most buildings from before 1910 were built by carpenter-builders choosing floor plans from pattern books, simpler and smaller than the Eastern originals.
1920 to 1940
Bungalow and Mission Revival cottages
The Spring Street and Ray Street neighborhoods were developed between 1920 and 1940, with designs from bungalow cottages on Ray Street to Mission Revival cottages on Spring Street.
1920s to 1950s
The West Side: cottages, bungalows and duplexes
The West Side neighborhood south of Division Street was developed later, from the 1920s through the 1950s, with modest cottages and bungalows and, later, apartments and duplexes.
World War II
The first modern subdivision
The City’s Housing Element says the first modern speculative subdivision in Pleasanton was the Harris Acres tract of 50 small single-family homes.
1950 to 1970
Today’s single-family neighborhoods
The Housing Element says this period also saw the establishment of many of the single-family neighborhoods that make up much of Pleasanton’s residential areas today.
Downtown today
Roofs and gutters under the design guidelines
For downtown homes, the City’s guidelines say to “Coordinate roof material with the architectural style of the house, i.e., tile roofs on Spanish- or Mediterranean-style homes”, that metal roofs are discouraged but metal shingles that resemble shake or tile may be approved, and that in additions you should “match roof trim, eave design, gutters, and down spouts of the original home.”
Older roofs and gutters need a different hand: Gutter Repair · Roof Repair · Gutter Installation
The story of Pleasanton
History and character
The City says the area was first settled 4,000 years ago by the Ohlone peoples, and became a thriving agricultural area when the Spanish arrived in the 1770s.
In 1772, the City’s downtown historic context statement says, Fray Juan Crespi noted two villages of Ohlone near the site of Pleasanton.
For the Spanish, the Museum on Main says, “the Valley became a vast cattle range under the authority of Missions Santa Clara and San Jose.”
Augustín Bernal received the Rancho del Valle de San José in 1839, the largest single Mexican land grant east of the San Francisco Bay at more than 48,000 acres, the City’s historic context statement says. He arrived in 1850 and built an adobe house about a mile west of the future town site.
The settlement was called Alisal, after the cottonwood or sycamore trees along the arroyos. It served as a main mercantile stopover in the Gold Rush era, and John Kottinger, an Austrian immigrant who married into the Bernal family, built its first store in 1855.
In 1858 Augustín Bernal’s son Refugio laid out a race track on the site that is now the Alameda County Fairgrounds, which the City calls the nation’s oldest one-mile racetrack. The first Alameda County Fair was held there in 1912.
In 1863 John Kottinger subdivided a small portion of his land at the north end of Main Street into three downtown lots, and the coming of the Central Pacific Railroad in 1869 made the downtown a shipping center for agricultural and manufactured products.
The plat maps of 1868 and 1869 show the first use of the name Pleasanton, which Kottinger reportedly chose to honor his friend Major General Alfred Pleasonton of the Union Army. The City believes a typographical error by the U.S. Post Office is responsible for the current spelling.
In the 1880s George and Phoebe Apperson Hearst bought a 500-acre ranch near the town, and in 1899 Phoebe Hearst moved into the Hacienda del Pozo de Verona, her manor on the ridge west of town, where Castlewood Country Club stands today.
Portuguese immigrants were among the largest and most prominent ethnic groups in town. California’s first Portuguese newspaper was printed in Pleasanton from 1889 to 1893, and the Festa do Divino Espirito Santo began in 1901.
Pleasanton incorporated as a city on June 18, 1894.
The Chamber of Commerce formed in 1907 and the Women’s Improvement Club in 1908.
The Women’s Improvement Club gave the land for the first City Hall on Main Street, completed in 1915, which served as City Hall until 1984 and is now the Museum on Main.
The arch over Main Street, the downtown’s gateway since 1932, was paid for from the Women’s Improvement Club’s funds.
In 1917 Pleasanton was chosen as the setting for the film Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, starring Mary Pickford, and the city briefly enjoyed celebrity as “Hollywood of the North”. It was a common filming location in the mid- to late 1920s for its good climate, easy railroad access and downtown architecture.
Voters supported a bond issue in 1922 to build Amador Valley High School in Pleasanton; students had commuted to Livermore until 1924.
During World War II the U.S. Navy built the Naval Construction Battalion Center in 1943 and later Camp Parks and Camp Shoemaker, just north of Pleasanton.
Pleasanton’s rural character underwent unprecedented population growth in the 1960s, the City says, after research laboratories attracted thousands of new residents in the 1950s and 1960s.
In 1963, concerned about rapid development, local residents organized the Amador-Livermore Valley Historical Society. In 1984 the City offered it the vacant building on Main Street that is now the Museum on Main.
During the 1980s the Tri-Valley’s first large business center, Hacienda Business Park, and the Stoneridge Shopping Center defined Pleasanton’s position at the crossing of Interstates 580 and 680, and by the mid-1980s, the City says, Pleasanton “was the third fastest growing city in California.”
The Downtown Specific Plan was first adopted in 1989, and the plan adopted in August 2019 is the update of it.
In 2015 the City surveyed the downtown homes built before 1942; 88 qualified as historic resources, and three more had been found historic in earlier surveys.
Between 2003 and 2004 concerned citizens began a campaign to clean up the Pioneer Cemetery, and more than 1,300 signatures were collected asking the City to buy and care for it. The City Council voted on September 5, 2006 to buy it from the Odd Fellows, and on June 5, 2007 its name was changed to the Pleasanton Pioneer Cemetery.
Pleasanton, roof and gutters
Pleasanton sits in the Amador Valley, which the City’s 2009 Public Safety Element calls a depression in the Coast Range that joins the San Ramon Valley to the north with the Livermore Valley to the east. The oak-covered Pleasanton Ridge rises to the west, the steep Southeast Hills close the south, and four major waterways cross town: Arroyo Mocho, Arroyo de la Laguna, Arroyo del Valle and Alamo Canal.
Yearly rain averages about 15 inches at the two nearest federal weather stations, both in Livermore: the airport (15.18 inches) and the town station (14.60 inches). The City’s 2009 Water Element says flood-producing rainfall occurs during the winter months, and at those two stations November through April brings about 89 percent of the year’s rain, by our own calculation from NOAA’s 1991-2020 monthly normals.
The Public Safety Element says clay soils that swell when wet and shrink when dry are potentially present in northern Pleasanton and along the north-eastern flank of the Pleasanton Ridge.
The City’s 2023-24 count of the trees it looks after in streets and parks found 23,722, led by London plane (11.5 percent), coast live oak (9.4), coast redwood (8.5), valley oak (7.2) and Chinese pistache (6.8). In the hills and woodland the General Plan names coast live oak, valley oak, black oak and blue oak, and along the creeks willows, white alders, big-leaf maples and sycamores.
The Forest Service’s review of American sweetgum, which is 4.2 percent of the City’s trees, says its fruit ripens from September to November and often stays on through the entire winter.
We have been working on Bay Area roofs and gutters since 2002. If yours hasn’t had a look in a while, we’d be glad to come by.
Landmarks and parks
Museum on Main
A single-story, reinforced concrete city hall in the Mediterranean Revival style.
Alviso Adobe
The City names it Pleasanton’s oldest structure, the State lists it as California Historical Landmark No. 510, and the park around it is open to the public.
The Pleasanton Arch
The gateway arch over Main Street downtown.
Veterans Memorial Building
A Spanish Revival hall on Main Street, built in 1933 to honor World War I veterans and rehabilitated in 2007.
Firehouse Arts Center
A cultural arts center on the site of the former Fire Station No. 1 on Railroad Avenue; its Harrington Gallery keeps parts of the old firehouse.
IDES Hall
The hall of 1910 on St. Mary Street that the City’s historic context statement calls the most visible and significant building in Pleasanton associated with Portuguese culture.
Pioneer Cemetery
The City’s five-acre cemetery on Sunol Boulevard, kept in its natural state, includes many of the City’s founding pioneers and military veterans.
Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park
A 9,090-acre regional park on the oak-covered ridge overlooking Pleasanton from the west.
Shadow Cliffs Regional Recreation Area
A former gravel quarry donated to the Park District by Kaiser Industries, opened as a park in 1971.
How we can help in Pleasanton
Why Sunshine Gutters and Roofing
- Family-owned since 2002, trusted by thousands of returning Bay Area homeowners
- Licensed (CSLB #1053780), bonded, with $2 million in general liability coverage
- Our own crew, never subcontractors
- We keep track of local regulations, fire safety rules and insurance programs
- We show you what we found, with photos, so you decide what happens next
The year in Pleasanton
| January | Lunar New Year Celebration, the City’s Cultural Celebration series (Saturday, January 30, 2027) |
|---|---|
| February | End of the City’s seasonal leaf collection from public streets (November through February) Black History Month Celebration, the City’s Cultural Celebration series (Saturday, February 27, 2027) |
| May | AAPI Heritage Month Celebration, the City’s Cultural Celebration series (Saturday, May 15, 2027) |
| September | Scottish Highland Gathering and Games at the Fairgrounds, Labor Day weekend (2027: September 4 and 5) |
| November | The City’s seasonal leaf collection from public streets begins (November through February) Native American Heritage Month Celebration, the City’s Cultural Celebration series (Saturday, November 14, 2026) |
| December | Hometown Holiday Celebration: parade and tree lighting downtown (Saturday, December 5, 2026) Wettest stretch at the two nearest federal stations: December to February holds about 56 percent of the year’s rain |
Pleasanton questions
What Pleasanton homeowners ask us
Do I need a permit to replace my roof in Pleasanton?
To replace it, yes. The City’s page on permit types puts a re-roof under “Residential Alteration” for one- and two-family homes, and its Master Fee Schedule lists a residential re-roof permit fee. If you wish, we can also pull the permit for you, as most of our customers ask us to. Roof repairs up to the lesser of 25 percent of the roof area or 500 square feet are on the City’s list of work that needs none.
Can I get a permit to remove a tree because its leaves, pods or seeds clog my gutters?
No. The City’s tree ordinance lists “Tree debris, e.g., leaves, messy fruit, pods, seeds, etc.” among the things that are not reasons to remove a protected tree. It does allow a permit when the tree is dead, dying or diseased, is in a dangerous or hazardous condition, or has outgrown its planting space and is causing damage to utilities, structures or other significant improvements.
Where should I send the water from my downspouts in Pleasanton?
The City suggests disconnected downspouts that “direct roof runoff away from the foundations toward a landscaped area where plants and soils can absorb flows and filter pollutants.” It also says: “Clear private gutters, drains, and downspouts, and look for areas where water may collect.” That is advice on the City’s pages, not a code section, and the street storm drain is for rain only.
Do I need a permit to prune a tree on my property in Pleasanton?
Normal maintenance and pruning of a protected tree needs no permit, but it must follow the City’s pruning guidelines, and all pruning of a protected tree is done under the supervision of an ISA-certified arborist. City-owned trees, typically those in the planting strip between the sidewalk and the curb, are not to be pruned by residents.
What our customers say
Get a free estimate
We usually respond promptly within the day. Phone first for emergencies: (510) 525-0880.
Where we work
Pleasanton neighbourhoods we serve
Downtown
The Downtown Specific Plan names five heritage neighborhoods here, the Downtown Commercial Center among them.
Ruby Hill
The City’s development review handout names a Ruby Hill homeowners association.
Vintage Hills
A City park, Vintage Hills Park, and Vintage Hills Elementary School carry the name.
Laguna Oaks
The City has a Laguna Oaks Specific Plan, and the Pleasanton Weekly profiled the neighborhood in its 2023 neighborhood edition.
Mohr-Martin
The City’s Conservation and Open Space Element names “the Mohr-Martin neighborhood”.
Pleasanton Meadows and Fairlands
The City’s Community Character Element names “the Pleasanton Meadows and Birdland neighborhoods”, and Fairlands Park, Meadows Park and Fairlands Elementary School carry the names.
Birdland
Residents quickly adopted the name from their bird-named streets like Starling or Larrikeet, the Pleasanton Weekly reported in 2002.
Pleasanton Valley
The City’s Community Character Element sets “the more conventional suburban homes in Pleasanton Valley” between the semi-rural Happy Valley and the Victorian and bungalow streets around downtown.
Foothill Knolls
Meadowlark Park is shared among residents from Foothill Knolls and Laguna Oaks, the Pleasanton Weekly says.
Ironwood
Ironwood Estates, bordered by Valley and Mohr avenues, is “one of the newer areas in the City of Pleasanton,” the Weekly’s 2023 neighborhood edition says.
Happy Valley
The City’s 860-acre Happy Valley Specific Plan area “includes both incorporated and unincorporated land”, and its stated intent is to preserve the semi-rural character of Happy Valley.
Also covering Castlewood
Castlewood is in the City’s table of neighborhoods, while the City’s Public Safety Element lists the Castlewood Country Club among developed areas outside the city limits that the fire department serves by contract.
Also serving nearby: Dublin · Sunol · Livermore · Hayward