Do you need a permit?
No permit required for most private trees
Concord's tree ordinance is titled "Regulation of Trees on Public Property" and that is exactly what it does. The Urban Forestry Division states it plainly: "We do not perform tree care on private property trees," and "our Tree Ordinance protects trees on public property and has landscape restriction for public utilities." No permit is required to remove a tree from a Concord yard. The city arborist will give a resident general advice on tree care, and commercial and industrial properties have separate landscape requirements in the Development Ordinance.
Size threshold
No diameter threshold applies to a private-property tree, because the ordinance does not reach one. For its own purposes the ordinance defines a tree as a woody plant at least 15 feet in height at maturity with a trunk of at least 2 inches DBH, and anything smaller as vegetation.
What's protected in Concord
- Any tree on public property, defined as all real estate owned by the city including grounds, parks, greenways and facilities
- Street trees, meaning trees growing or planted within the planting strip of a street right-of-way
- Trees in public utility easements owned by the city for water, sewer, stormwater, electric, communication or greenway purposes
- Boundary trees, defined as a tree with any portion of its trunk on a property line - worth confirming with the city before cutting one
Fees, penalties, and the ordinance
- Ordinance
- City of Concord Code of Ordinances Chapter 50, Article IX - Regulation of Trees on Public Property, Sections 50-300 through 50-306 (Ord. No. 19-25, Sec. 1, adopted April 11, 2019). Landscape requirements for commercial and industrial property are in Article 11 of the Concord Development Ordinance, particularly Sections 11.3 and 11.8.4.
Worth knowing
- It is unlawful to damage or remove a tree on public property, to attach any cable, wire, sign or other object to one, or to top one - with a narrow exception where a tree is severely damaged by storm and best pruning practices are impractical, at the city arborist's determination.
- Anyone doing construction, digging, trenching or land disturbance within the drip line or critical root zone of a public property tree must contact the city arborist before starting.
- Concord defines the critical root zone as a radius of 1.25 feet per inch of DBH measured at 4.5 feet above grade.
- Only trees listed as ornamental on the city tree species list may be planted under or within 15 lateral feet of an overhead utility line, and nothing may be planted or left to grow unmaintained inside an underground public utility easement.
- The city arborist is also responsible for making sure the landscaping requirements of the Development Ordinance are met on development and redevelopment throughout the city limits, so a construction project is a different conversation from cutting a yard tree.
- Developers can discuss tree and landscape requirements free of charge at the Development Review Committee meeting held each Thursday.
- Named staff: Robert Stroud, Urban Forester, 704-920-5393. Joel White, Buildings and Grounds Director, 704-920-5381. Troy Savage, Deputy Director, 704-920-5380.
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.
- — Any permit process or fee for removing a tree from public property. Article IX prohibits it rather than establishing a permit, so if a public tree needs to come out the route is to contact the city arborist.
- — Penalties for damaging or removing a public tree. Article IX makes the conduct unlawful but does not state a penalty amount in the sections read.
- — What Article 11 of the Concord Development Ordinance requires on a residential lot that is being newly developed or redeveloped. The city directs businesses and developers there, and it was not read for this entry.
- — How Concord handles a boundary tree whose trunk straddles a property line with a neighbour.