Tree Removal Permits in Bend, OR

Verified against Bend city sources · last checked 2026-08-06

Do you need a permit?

It depends on the tree

On a normal Bend city lot — one acre or smaller with a house already on it — you do not need City approval to remove a tree in your yard, at any size, including a back-yard juniper or ponderosa pine. Bend publishes a decision flowchart that ends in "No City approval required" for exactly that case. Two overlays flip the answer: in the Waterway Overlay Zone along the Deschutes River and Tumalo Creek, removing any tree over 4 inches DBH is prohibited without a land use approval, and in an Upland Area of Special Interest vegetation removal is prohibited with no size threshold at all. A tree in the right-of-way always needs a City tree permit.

Size threshold

Four thresholds using three conventions. A "Regulated tree" is defined at Bend Code 16.05.030 as "an individual tree with a trunk diameter of six inches or larger measured at four and one-half feet above the ground (known as DBH, for 'diameter at breast height')." A "Priority tree" is 20 inches DBH or larger. The Waterway Overlay Zone threshold is a prohibition, not a permit — BDC 2.7.610(D): "Removal of trees greater than four inches DBH within the WOZ is prohibited, except as provided in BDC 4.1.600." For right-of-way trees the definition is by height or a much smaller diameter — BC 3.60.020: "Tree means a woody perennial plant that has attained or will attain a height of 12 feet or a trunk diameter of at least two inches at four and one-half feet above natural grade." Multi-stem trees use an unusual formula at BC 16.05.030: "the DBH is found by taking the square root of the sum of all squared stem DBHs."

What's protected in Bend

All trees over 4 inches DBH in the Waterway Overlay Zone. This is a flat prohibition with a narrow land use exception, not a permit.
All native vegetation in an Upland Area of Special Interest, with NO size threshold. BDC 2.7.700(D): "Removal of existing vegetation from an Upland Area of Special Interest is prohibited," with exceptions only for fuel breaks with fire prevention authorities, mitigation of fire hazard as determined by the Fire Code Official, and trees a qualified professional determines to be diseased or hazardous.
All native vegetation in a River Corridor Area of Special Interest (BDC 2.7.630) and in the Riparian Corridor Sub-Zone (BDC 2.7.620(B)).
Regulated trees, 6 inches DBH and larger, on sites LARGER than one acre. BC 16.40.010(A): "Sites must preserve all regulated trees."
Priority trees, 20 inches DBH and larger, in a development context. BDC 3.2.200(C)(1)(a): "At least 20 percent of all priority trees on site must be preserved."
Any tree wholly or partly on City property or in the right-of-way. BC 3.60.030 is broad: "Any portion of a tree that extends over City property is considered to be on City property."
Boundary trees. BDC 3.2.200(A)(3) notes that "nothing in this code authorizes removal of the boundary tree without written authorization for removal of all involved property owners."

How to apply in Bend

1
Work the city's published flowchart, "Tree Removal Requirements on Residential Sites, With No Development Proposed," last revised July 8, 2026. Step 1: is the site in the Waterway Overlay Zone? If yes and the tree is greater than 4 inches DBH, see Development Code 2.7.610.D and contact Planning staff. If yes but the tree is 4 inches or smaller, no City approval is required.
2
Step 2: if not in the WOZ, are you removing trees 6 inches DBH or larger? If no, no City approval is required.
3
Step 3: if yes, is the site 1 acre or smaller? If yes, no City approval is required. Footnote 1 defines the site as "A site with one or more existing dwelling units, micro-units, or Single Room Occupancies."
4
Step 4: if the site is larger than one acre, the route depends on why. Dead, diseased or hazardous, or reducing flammable vegetation as directed by the Fire Code Official: apply for a Miscellaneous Removal of Hazardous Tree Land Use Application in the Online Permit Center Portal. Any other reason: apply for a Grading Permit in the Online Permit Center Portal.
5
For a dead or hazardous tree above the exemption, BC 16.40.030 requires a report and recommendation from an ISA certified arborist and approval by the Planning Manager before removal: "Prior to tree removal, the applicant must provide a report to determine whether the subject tree is diseased or poses a hazard, and any possible treatment to avoid removal."
6
For a right-of-way tree, BC 3.60.040(A) requires the application and fee "at least three working days before the intended activity," and provides that "Only adjacent property owners may apply." Permits are valid for a maximum of 90 days and may carry mitigation, replacement, a long-term maintenance contract, or tree value reimbursement.

Fees, penalties, and the ordinance

Fee: From the Fiscal Year 2026-27 Fee Schedule, Exhibit A, effective July 1, 2026: Tree Removal (Dead, Diseased, Hazardous) Request $567.13 each; Tree Removal to Mitigate Fire Hazard (WOZ and Upland ASI) $2,700.43 each; Grading Permit, including plan review and inspection, $1,666.35 each; Grading and Erosion Control Review, Residential, $286.24 each; Tree Removal / New Street Tree $292.39 each; In Lieu of Required Replacement Tree(s) $614.40 per required replacement tree. The schedule adds: "Section 2, Community Development, Planning, Signs and Engineering fees and charges are subject to a City of Bend surcharge of four percent (4%) to fund the City's Long Range Planning (LRP) program." No fee applies in the ordinary case, because no approval applies.
Penalties: Bend Development Code 1.3.300, Table 1.3.1 sets the civil penalty for unauthorized removal of a regulated tree by size: 6 to 9.9 inches DBH, $1,500; 10 to 16 inches DBH, $3,000; greater than 16 inches DBH, $5,000. Violation is a Class A civil infraction and "If a violation is ongoing, each day that a violation remains is a separate violation." The city may also require replacement "in an amount that is at least equivalent to what was removed," and 1.3.300(D) provides that "the owner, lessee, and/or a business on the property at the time of the violation will be presumed to be responsible for the violation." Removing a right-of-way tree without a permit is a Class A civil infraction under BC 3.60.090. Downtown street trees carry a value reimbursement schedule under BC 3.60.070(E): under 6 inches DBH, $1,000; 6 to 10 inches, $1,500; greater than 10 inches, $2,000.
Ordinance: Bend Code Title 16, Chapter 16.40 — Tree Preservation and Removal (Ord. NS-2505, 2024; Ord. NS-2514, 2024), with the grading permit trigger at BC 16.10.020 and definitions at BC 16.05.030; Bend Code Chapter 3.60 — Trees on City Property and Public Rights-of-Way (Ord. NS-2182, 2012). Development-side standards are at Bend Development Code 3.2.200 (Ord. NS-2548, 2026; NS-2541, 2025; NS-2503, 2024; NS-2488, 2023; NS-2016, 2006), with the overlays at BDC 2.7.610, 2.7.620, 2.7.630 and 2.7.700. The modern tree regime was adopted by City Council in June 2024 on the recommendation of the Tree Regulation Update Advisory Committee. The Bend Code is current through Ordinance NS-2555, passed June 3, 2026; the Bend Development Code is current through Ordinance NS-2553, passed May 6, 2026.

Worth knowing

The Bend Park and Recreation District is NOT the tree authority. BC Chapter 3.60 places trees on City property and rights-of-way with the City, permits are issued through the City Permit Center, and appeals go to a "Tree Board" defined as the City Council or designee. The City's Urban Forestry program sits inside the Community Development Department.
The abutting owner must maintain the right-of-way tree they cannot remove without permission. BC 3.60.050: "The owners of adjacent property are responsible for maintaining the health of trees in rights-of-way between their property and the nearest travel lane. Responsibility includes watering, pruning, and protection against damage."
Bend does not regulate by species. A juniper or a ponderosa pine is treated exactly like any other tree; only DBH, lot size, overlay status and City ownership matter.
There are two codes and the split matters. Tree removal not tied to development is in the municipal code (BC 16.40); tree removal with development is in the Development Code (BDC 3.2.200).
The one-acre residential exemption does not rescue an overlay property. BC 16.10.020(A)(1) separately requires a grading permit for "Any clearing and grading activity located entirely or partially on sensitive areas or within a designated area of special interest or Waterway Overlay Zone."
A true emergency lets you cut first. BC 16.40.040(A): "Regulated trees may be immediately removed in the event of an emergency when the tree poses an immediate threat to life or safety. The Planning Manager retains authority to determine if particular circumstances constitute or constituted an emergency."
A dead tree left standing can itself be a violation. BC 13.30.015: "No owner or person in charge of property shall allow a dead or decaying tree to stand if it is a hazard to the public or to persons or property on or near the property." That is a Class B civil infraction.
Clearance duty, BC 3.60.060(C): "trees shall be pruned to maintain at a minimum a clearance height of eight feet over public sidewalks and local streets and 14 feet over arterial and collector streets."
BC 3.60.080 prohibits topping any tree on City property and attaching ropes, wires or chains, with seasonal holiday lights permitted up to 90 days.
Do not rely on the statewide wildfire hazard map. Oregon SB 83 (2025 Regular Session), Chapter 590 "Voids the State Forestry Department orders that had assigned property to a wildfire hazard zone." Bend's fire-related tree removal pathway runs through the local Fire Code Official instead.
Both BC 16.40.020(A)(5) and BC 16.10.020 exempt "Removal of trees within an area approved by Deschutes County for a sanitary septic system" — a county-triggered exemption written into city code.
In a development context, BDC 3.2.200(E)(1)(a) sets mitigation ratios: a tree of 6 to 9.9 inches DBH removed requires one replacement, 10 to 19.9 inches requires two, and 20 inches or more requires four. Preserved and replacement trees must survive three years, with the obligation running with the land.

What we could not confirm

We would rather tell you what we don't know than guess. Call the office below to confirm these before you cut.

— A drafting tension inside BC 16.40 that we are recording rather than resolving. Section 16.40.010(A) states "Sites must preserve all regulated trees," while 16.40.020(A)(1) exempts "Removal of trees on a site one acre or smaller that includes one or more existing dwelling units." The city's own flowchart and the parallel grading-permit exemption both resolve it in favour of the exemption, but the code text reads in tension on its face.
— The city's flowchart omits the Upland Areas of Special Interest overlay entirely. It asks only about the Waterway Overlay Zone, yet BDC 2.7.700 prohibits tree and vegetation removal in an Upland ASI with no size threshold, and the city's own fee schedule has a line item for "Tree Removal to Mitigate Fire Hazard (WOZ and Upland ASI)." A homeowner in an Upland ASI who follows the flowchart would be told no approval is required and would be wrong.
— The flowchart's two footnote citations appear transposed relative to the boxes they mark. Footnote 2 sits on the dead/diseased/hazardous box but cites the fire-safety provision, and footnote 3 sits on the fire box but cites the dead/diseased/hazardous provision. Both routes lead to the same application, so the effect is harmless.
— Whether the Bend Park and Recreation District controls trees within its own parks. We could establish that BPRD is not the permitting authority for private or right-of-way trees, but found no BPRD primary source describing what it does control.
— Bend-specific defensible space and wildland urban interface requirements. Bend adopts the Oregon Fire Code by reference; the specific provisions and any local amendments were not verified, and the city routes these questions to the Deputy Fire Marshal.
— Whether the 4 percent Long Range Planning surcharge applies to each specific tree fee line.
— Whether a fee for the BC 3.60 street tree permit exists separately from the $292.39 "Tree Removal / New Street Tree" line, which was matched by name rather than by an explicit cross-reference.
— Whether Bend maintains a public parcel lookup showing Waterway Overlay Zone and Upland Area of Special Interest boundaries.
— The city's Tree Preservation Guide PDF is dated February 4, 2025 and therefore predates Ordinance NS-2548 (2026) amending BDC 3.2.200; two of its internal links are dead.

Sources

Who to contact in Bend

City of Bend Permit Center (applications). Technical questions: Urban Forestry, Community Development Department.

541-388-5580 (Permit Center). Urban Forester: 541-388-5577. permitcenter@bendoregon.gov. Urban Forestry: urbanforestry@bendoregon.gov Official page

Bend City Hall, 710 N.W. Wall St., Bend, OR 97703. Counter hours Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

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Size threshold

What's protected in Bend

All trees over 4 inches DBH in the Waterway Overlay Zone. This is a flat prohibition with a narrow land use exception, not a permit.

All native vegetation in an Upland Area of Special Interest, with NO size threshold. BDC 2.7.700(D): "Removal of existing vegetation from an Upland Area of Special Interest is prohibited," with exceptions only for fuel breaks with fire prevention authorities, mitigation of fire hazard as determined by the Fire Code Official, and trees a qualified professional determines to be diseased or hazardous.

All native vegetation in a River Corridor Area of Special Interest (BDC 2.7.630) and in the Riparian Corridor Sub-Zone (BDC 2.7.620(B)).

Regulated trees, 6 inches DBH and larger, on sites LARGER than one acre. BC 16.40.010(A): "Sites must preserve all regulated trees."

Priority trees, 20 inches DBH and larger, in a development context. BDC 3.2.200(C)(1)(a): "At least 20 percent of all priority trees on site must be preserved."

Any tree wholly or partly on City property or in the right-of-way. BC 3.60.030 is broad: "Any portion of a tree that extends over City property is considered to be on City property."

Boundary trees. BDC 3.2.200(A)(3) notes that "nothing in this code authorizes removal of the boundary tree without written authorization for removal of all involved property owners."

How to apply in Bend

1
Work the city's published flowchart, "Tree Removal Requirements on Residential Sites, With No Development Proposed," last revised July 8, 2026. Step 1: is the site in the Waterway Overlay Zone? If yes and the tree is greater than 4 inches DBH, see Development Code 2.7.610.D and contact Planning staff. If yes but the tree is 4 inches or smaller, no City approval is required.
2
Step 2: if not in the WOZ, are you removing trees 6 inches DBH or larger? If no, no City approval is required.
3
Step 3: if yes, is the site 1 acre or smaller? If yes, no City approval is required. Footnote 1 defines the site as "A site with one or more existing dwelling units, micro-units, or Single Room Occupancies."
4
Step 4: if the site is larger than one acre, the route depends on why. Dead, diseased or hazardous, or reducing flammable vegetation as directed by the Fire Code Official: apply for a Miscellaneous Removal of Hazardous Tree Land Use Application in the Online Permit Center Portal. Any other reason: apply for a Grading Permit in the Online Permit Center Portal.
5
For a dead or hazardous tree above the exemption, BC 16.40.030 requires a report and recommendation from an ISA certified arborist and approval by the Planning Manager before removal: "Prior to tree removal, the applicant must provide a report to determine whether the subject tree is diseased or poses a hazard, and any possible treatment to avoid removal."
6
For a right-of-way tree, BC 3.60.040(A) requires the application and fee "at least three working days before the intended activity," and provides that "Only adjacent property owners may apply." Permits are valid for a maximum of 90 days and may carry mitigation, replacement, a long-term maintenance contract, or tree value reimbursement.

Fees, penalties, and the ordinance

Fee

From the Fiscal Year 2026-27 Fee Schedule, Exhibit A, effective July 1, 2026: Tree Removal (Dead, Diseased, Hazardous) Request $567.13 each; Tree Removal to Mitigate Fire Hazard (WOZ and Upland ASI) $2,700.43 each; Grading Permit, including plan review and inspection, $1,666.35 each; Grading and Erosion Control Review, Residential, $286.24 each; Tree Removal / New Street Tree $292.39 each; In Lieu of Required Replacement Tree(s) $614.40 per required replacement tree. The schedule adds: "Section 2, Community Development, Planning, Signs and Engineering fees and charges are subject to a City of Bend surcharge of four percent (4%) to fund the City's Long Range Planning (LRP) program." No fee applies in the ordinary case, because no approval applies.

Penalties

Bend Development Code 1.3.300, Table 1.3.1 sets the civil penalty for unauthorized removal of a regulated tree by size: 6 to 9.9 inches DBH, $1,500; 10 to 16 inches DBH, $3,000; greater than 16 inches DBH, $5,000. Violation is a Class A civil infraction and "If a violation is ongoing, each day that a violation remains is a separate violation." The city may also require replacement "in an amount that is at least equivalent to what was removed," and 1.3.300(D) provides that "the owner, lessee, and/or a business on the property at the time of the violation will be presumed to be responsible for the violation." Removing a right-of-way tree without a permit is a Class A civil infraction under BC 3.60.090. Downtown street trees carry a value reimbursement schedule under BC 3.60.070(E): under 6 inches DBH, $1,000; 6 to 10 inches, $1,500; greater than 10 inches, $2,000.

Ordinance

Bend Code Title 16, Chapter 16.40 — Tree Preservation and Removal (Ord. NS-2505, 2024; Ord. NS-2514, 2024), with the grading permit trigger at BC 16.10.020 and definitions at BC 16.05.030; Bend Code Chapter 3.60 — Trees on City Property and Public Rights-of-Way (Ord. NS-2182, 2012). Development-side standards are at Bend Development Code 3.2.200 (Ord. NS-2548, 2026; NS-2541, 2025; NS-2503, 2024; NS-2488, 2023; NS-2016, 2006), with the overlays at BDC 2.7.610, 2.7.620, 2.7.630 and 2.7.700. The modern tree regime was adopted by City Council in June 2024 on the recommendation of the Tree Regulation Update Advisory Committee. The Bend Code is current through Ordinance NS-2555, passed June 3, 2026; the Bend Development Code is current through Ordinance NS-2553, passed May 6, 2026.

Worth knowing

The Bend Park and Recreation District is NOT the tree authority. BC Chapter 3.60 places trees on City property and rights-of-way with the City, permits are issued through the City Permit Center, and appeals go to a "Tree Board" defined as the City Council or designee. The City's Urban Forestry program sits inside the Community Development Department.
The abutting owner must maintain the right-of-way tree they cannot remove without permission. BC 3.60.050: "The owners of adjacent property are responsible for maintaining the health of trees in rights-of-way between their property and the nearest travel lane. Responsibility includes watering, pruning, and protection against damage."
Bend does not regulate by species. A juniper or a ponderosa pine is treated exactly like any other tree; only DBH, lot size, overlay status and City ownership matter.
There are two codes and the split matters. Tree removal not tied to development is in the municipal code (BC 16.40); tree removal with development is in the Development Code (BDC 3.2.200).
The one-acre residential exemption does not rescue an overlay property. BC 16.10.020(A)(1) separately requires a grading permit for "Any clearing and grading activity located entirely or partially on sensitive areas or within a designated area of special interest or Waterway Overlay Zone."
A true emergency lets you cut first. BC 16.40.040(A): "Regulated trees may be immediately removed in the event of an emergency when the tree poses an immediate threat to life or safety. The Planning Manager retains authority to determine if particular circumstances constitute or constituted an emergency."
A dead tree left standing can itself be a violation. BC 13.30.015: "No owner or person in charge of property shall allow a dead or decaying tree to stand if it is a hazard to the public or to persons or property on or near the property." That is a Class B civil infraction.
Clearance duty, BC 3.60.060(C): "trees shall be pruned to maintain at a minimum a clearance height of eight feet over public sidewalks and local streets and 14 feet over arterial and collector streets."
BC 3.60.080 prohibits topping any tree on City property and attaching ropes, wires or chains, with seasonal holiday lights permitted up to 90 days.
Do not rely on the statewide wildfire hazard map. Oregon SB 83 (2025 Regular Session), Chapter 590 "Voids the State Forestry Department orders that had assigned property to a wildfire hazard zone." Bend's fire-related tree removal pathway runs through the local Fire Code Official instead.
Both BC 16.40.020(A)(5) and BC 16.10.020 exempt "Removal of trees within an area approved by Deschutes County for a sanitary septic system" — a county-triggered exemption written into city code.
In a development context, BDC 3.2.200(E)(1)(a) sets mitigation ratios: a tree of 6 to 9.9 inches DBH removed requires one replacement, 10 to 19.9 inches requires two, and 20 inches or more requires four. Preserved and replacement trees must survive three years, with the obligation running with the land.

What we could not confirm

We would rather tell you what we don't know than guess. Call the office below to confirm these before you cut.

— A drafting tension inside BC 16.40 that we are recording rather than resolving. Section 16.40.010(A) states "Sites must preserve all regulated trees," while 16.40.020(A)(1) exempts "Removal of trees on a site one acre or smaller that includes one or more existing dwelling units." The city's own flowchart and the parallel grading-permit exemption both resolve it in favour of the exemption, but the code text reads in tension on its face.
— The city's flowchart omits the Upland Areas of Special Interest overlay entirely. It asks only about the Waterway Overlay Zone, yet BDC 2.7.700 prohibits tree and vegetation removal in an Upland ASI with no size threshold, and the city's own fee schedule has a line item for "Tree Removal to Mitigate Fire Hazard (WOZ and Upland ASI)." A homeowner in an Upland ASI who follows the flowchart would be told no approval is required and would be wrong.
— The flowchart's two footnote citations appear transposed relative to the boxes they mark. Footnote 2 sits on the dead/diseased/hazardous box but cites the fire-safety provision, and footnote 3 sits on the fire box but cites the dead/diseased/hazardous provision. Both routes lead to the same application, so the effect is harmless.
— Whether the Bend Park and Recreation District controls trees within its own parks. We could establish that BPRD is not the permitting authority for private or right-of-way trees, but found no BPRD primary source describing what it does control.
— Bend-specific defensible space and wildland urban interface requirements. Bend adopts the Oregon Fire Code by reference; the specific provisions and any local amendments were not verified, and the city routes these questions to the Deputy Fire Marshal.
— Whether the 4 percent Long Range Planning surcharge applies to each specific tree fee line.
— Whether a fee for the BC 3.60 street tree permit exists separately from the $292.39 "Tree Removal / New Street Tree" line, which was matched by name rather than by an explicit cross-reference.
— Whether Bend maintains a public parcel lookup showing Waterway Overlay Zone and Upland Area of Special Interest boundaries.
— The city's Tree Preservation Guide PDF is dated February 4, 2025 and therefore predates Ordinance NS-2548 (2026) amending BDC 3.2.200; two of its internal links are dead.