Tree Removal Permits in Gresham, OR

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

Do you need a permit?

It depends on the tree

Gresham has no do-nothing path for a tree of 8 inches or more. Below 8 inches diameter at 4.5 feet, and outside an overlay, you can remove a private tree with no city involvement. At 8 inches and up you must at minimum file a free tree removal exemption form with the city before cutting, and that exemption covers only three such trees per 12 months on a lot of 35,000 square feet or less, or six on a larger lot. Beyond those counts, or for a Significant Tree, you need a full permit with fees and mailed public notice. Street trees of any size need a free Type I permit plus replacement.

Size threshold

Gresham Community Development Code 9.1014(B): "Regulated Trees. A tree that has a Diameter of Breast Height (DBH) of 8 inches or greater, including trees located in the Floodplain Overlay District or the Gresham Butte Scenic View Overlay District. Regulated Trees are not Required or Significant Trees." DBH is defined at GCDC 3.0150: "The diameter measurement of the trunk or stem of a tree at a height 4.5 feet above the ground level at the base of the tree. Trees growing on slopes are measured at the mid-point between the up-slope and down-slope sides. For multi-stemmed trees, the size is determined by measuring all the trunks at 4.5 feet and then adding the total diameter of the largest trunk to one-half the diameter of each additional trunk." Inside the Hillside and Geologic Risk Overlay and the Natural Resource Overlay the trigger drops to 6 inches DBH.

What's protected in Gresham

Regulated Trees — 8 inches DBH or greater.
Required Trees, which are regulated at ANY size. GCDC 3.0103: "A protected tree subject to specific standards for removal and replacement that include Street Trees, Buffer Trees, Perimeter Trees, Landscape Trees and Parking Lot Trees of any size and other trees required to be planted by the Development Code."
Street trees — "A tree located in the public right-of-way between the curb, or edge of roadway, and the property line and trees located in a median."
Significant Trees and Significant Groves — "A tree or group of trees that have been designated by the City as having unique importance." Designation requires the owner's consent, so no one is designated involuntarily.
Trees in the Hillside and Geologic Risk Overlay (HGRO) and the Natural Resource Overlay (NRO), where the overlay supersedes Section 9.1000 and the trigger is 6 inches DBH with far narrower grounds for approval.
Trees in the Floodplain Overlay District and the Gresham Butte Scenic View Overlay District, which are knocked out of the 9.1013 exemption entirely.

How to apply in Gresham

1
Call the Planner on Duty at 503-618-2780 or email POD@GreshamOregon.gov with your property address to find out what is required and whether you are in an overlay. Check overlays yourself on the Gresham Map by typing your address.
2
Create an account in the city's online permit system, linked from the Trees page. The city notes that Safari does not work with the Gresham Online Services platform.
3
In the portal, search "Tree Removal" in the Application Assistant box and select the type of tree removal you need.
4
Add the location by address or 9-digit R number, provide a description, and confirm contacts.
5
Submit a site plan, PDF preferred, showing which trees are proposed for removal. You can also add photographs or an arborist report.
6
Sign and submit. If you do not have access to a computer, contact the Planner on Duty.
7
A Type II application additionally requires the current fee, a completed development permit application, a narrative statement form, a tree removal and protection plan, a deed or preliminary title report for each lot, and notarized signatures or a letter of authorization. Type II carries mailed notice to owners within 300 feet, a posted site notice, and a published timeline of up to about three months.

Fees, penalties, and the ordinance

Fee: Type I tree removal permit: no fee. Type III hearings procedure: no fee. Significant Trees: "No Fee," including appeal of designation, major pruning, removal and adjustments to save trees. The Master Fee Schedule, effective July 1, 2026, lists under "Trees": "Removal Permit — Base Fee $1,582.00; Deposit for Consultant $8,400.00." Appeal of a Type I or Type II Decision $306.00; appeal of a Type III Decision waived. Payment in lieu of replanting street trees on existing development, all uses except single detached dwellings and middle housing: $2,100.00 per tree.
Penalties: GCDC 9.1060(C): "any person determined to be responsible for violation of any of the provision of Section 9.1000 may be required to pay a penalty in the amount of up to three times the arboricultural value of the lost tree or trees, as determined by an independent consulting arborist and pay for the cost of the arborist review and report. The person determined to be responsible ... shall also replace the removed trees with like trees as specified by the City or pay into the City's designated tree fund the equal replacement value of removed trees." Under 9.1060(B), "Each day a violation continues to exist shall constitute a separate violation for which a separate civil penalty may be assessed."
Ordinance: Gresham Community Development Code, Article 9, Section 9.1000 — Tree Regulations, with definitions at 3.0103 and 3.0150 and overlay rules at Sections 5.0200 and 5.0700. The tree rules are NOT in the Gresham Revised Code. The Development Code was revised and reformatted by Ordinance 1670, effective May 7, 2009. Section 9.1000 was adopted wholesale by Ordinance 1753, effective June 4, 2015 (case CPA 14-346); 9.1000 amended by Ord. 1813, effective November 5, 2020; 9.1013 and 9.1014 amended by Ord. 1816, effective January 15, 2021; several subsections amended by Ord. 1830, effective June 16, 2022. The Section 9.1000 PDF carries a June 2026 footer.

Worth knowing

The exemption is a filing, not a free pass. GCDC 9.1013(A): "Removal of Regulated Trees will require either a Type 1 or Type II Tree Removal Permit, or a tree removal exemption form," and "A tree removal exemption form is required to be filed with the Manager."
The count limits, verbatim from 9.1013(A)(5): "For commonly owned, contiguous parcels less that 35,000 square feet: up to three Regulated Trees; or ... For commonly owned, contiguous parcels equal to or greater than 35,000 square feet: up to six Regulated Trees." The exemption also requires that the trees not be subject to conditions of a previous development permit, not be in the Floodplain or Gresham Butte Scenic View Overlay Districts, and not be designated Significant Trees.
Topping counts as removal. 9.1021(B) covers "Removal of Regulated Trees, which includes topping," and 3.0150 defines topping to include reduction of the dominant or most ascending stem to a diameter exceeding 15 percent of the tree's DBH.
Hazard trees still need a Type I permit with documentation, but they do not count against your annual allowance. 9.1021(D)(3): "A Hazardous or Imminent Hazard Tree removal shall not count toward the number of Regulated Trees removed in a 12-month period per Section 9.1013." An Imminent Hazard Tree "may be removed immediately. The Tree Removal Application must be submitted within 10 business days after the tree is removed."
The city adds: "If your tree is fully collapsed or uprooted in a storm or other hazard event, a tree permit is not required. Hazard trees, such as those that are leaning, will still require a permit for removal."
Street trees: "Because street trees are located in the right-of-way, they are regulated by the City and can't be cut down or planted without a free type I tree removal. Additionally, the trees must be replaced using the approved tree list." Overhanging branches must clear at least eight feet above the sidewalk and 12 feet above the street.
Pruning a private tree needs no permit unless it is a designated Significant Tree.
The Hillside and Geologic Risk Overlay is the one to watch. GCDC 5.0208(A) allows removal of a tree over 6 inches DBH outside an approved permanent disturbance area only if it is an invasive species, meets the definition of a dangerous tree per a qualified arborist, or is in an approved temporary disturbance area and under 24 inches DBH. A healthy 20-inch native fir in an HGRO back yard has no listed removal path.
The Natural Resource Overlay supersedes the general tree rules inside a Resource Area (5.0702(B)) and allows Type I approval only for invasive species or arborist-recommended dangerous trees.
Significant Trees may not be pruned more than 20 percent of their limb structure, nor may the root system be disturbed by more than 10 percent, in any 12-month period without a development permit (9.1055(A)).

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.

— The ordinance number adopting the current, June 2026 text of Section 9.1000. The city's published Development Code amendment reference list stops at June 16, 2022.
— Whether the $1,582.00 "Removal Permit / Base Fee" is the Type II tree removal fee. The fee schedule labels it only "Removal Permit."
— Whether the $8,400.00 "Deposit for Consultant" is ever charged on a residential tree removal, or only when the city retains an outside consultant.
— Whether removal of a Significant Tree is a Type II or a Type III procedure. GCDC 9.1056(A)(2) says "no person may remove a Significant Tree without obtaining a development permit through a Type II procedure," while the city's own Trees page says "Removal of a significant tree: Type III hearings official decision." Both are reported; ask the Planner on Duty.
— Whether the "6 inch" figures on the city's Trees page have any basis in Section 9.1000 for non-overlay lots. The 6-inch trigger was found only in the HGRO and NRO; Section 9.1000's own threshold is 8 inches DBH with no 6-inch tier.
— A conflict in the definition of a Perimeter Tree. GCDC 9.1014(A) defines it with no size floor and no single-family exclusion; GCDC 3.0103 adds an 8-inch DBH floor and excludes "trees on developed single detached dwelling or middle housing lots." This changes whether a fence-line tree on an ordinary house lot is a Required Tree regulated at any size.
— The governing procedure for removing a Perimeter Tree on a developed lot. Section 9.1021(A) expressly excludes Required Perimeter Trees from the Type I procedure and then sets no standard for them.
— The Pleasant Valley, Springwater and Gresham Butte plan districts, and the full text of the Floodplain and Gresham Butte Scenic View Overlays, which may contain additional tree duties.
— The city's Invasive Plant List and Native Plant List, and the Gresham Environmental Technical Guidance Manual, all referenced in the code but not retrieved.
— The city's own Trees page states the regulated-tree threshold twice on the same page, once as "8 inches or larger in diameter at four feet high" and once as "measured at 4.5 feet." The code at 3.0150 is unambiguous that DBH means 4.5 feet.

Sources

Who to contact in Gresham

Planner on Duty, Urban Design & Planning, City of Gresham

503-618-2780. Permit Center / Permit Services, for right-of-way permits: 503-618-2845. Public Works Inspector, for sidewalk damage caused by a street tree: 503-618-2816. POD@GreshamOregon.gov Official page

Gresham City Hall, 1333 NW Eastman Parkway, Gresham, OR 97030. Planner on-duty service Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Cost Calculators

Find Tree Services

Browse tree trimming and removal companies in Gresham.

View tree services

Related Permits

Get weekly cost & permit updates

Join homeowners who get free insights on project costs, permit changes, and money-saving tips. No spam — unsubscribe anytime.

Free forever. No credit card. Unsubscribe in one click.

Size threshold

What's protected in Gresham

Regulated Trees — 8 inches DBH or greater.

Required Trees, which are regulated at ANY size. GCDC 3.0103: "A protected tree subject to specific standards for removal and replacement that include Street Trees, Buffer Trees, Perimeter Trees, Landscape Trees and Parking Lot Trees of any size and other trees required to be planted by the Development Code."

Street trees — "A tree located in the public right-of-way between the curb, or edge of roadway, and the property line and trees located in a median."

Significant Trees and Significant Groves — "A tree or group of trees that have been designated by the City as having unique importance." Designation requires the owner's consent, so no one is designated involuntarily.

Trees in the Hillside and Geologic Risk Overlay (HGRO) and the Natural Resource Overlay (NRO), where the overlay supersedes Section 9.1000 and the trigger is 6 inches DBH with far narrower grounds for approval.

Trees in the Floodplain Overlay District and the Gresham Butte Scenic View Overlay District, which are knocked out of the 9.1013 exemption entirely.

How to apply in Gresham

1
Call the Planner on Duty at 503-618-2780 or email POD@GreshamOregon.gov with your property address to find out what is required and whether you are in an overlay. Check overlays yourself on the Gresham Map by typing your address.
2
Create an account in the city's online permit system, linked from the Trees page. The city notes that Safari does not work with the Gresham Online Services platform.
3
In the portal, search "Tree Removal" in the Application Assistant box and select the type of tree removal you need.
4
Add the location by address or 9-digit R number, provide a description, and confirm contacts.
5
Submit a site plan, PDF preferred, showing which trees are proposed for removal. You can also add photographs or an arborist report.
6
Sign and submit. If you do not have access to a computer, contact the Planner on Duty.
7
A Type II application additionally requires the current fee, a completed development permit application, a narrative statement form, a tree removal and protection plan, a deed or preliminary title report for each lot, and notarized signatures or a letter of authorization. Type II carries mailed notice to owners within 300 feet, a posted site notice, and a published timeline of up to about three months.

Fees, penalties, and the ordinance

Fee

Type I tree removal permit: no fee. Type III hearings procedure: no fee. Significant Trees: "No Fee," including appeal of designation, major pruning, removal and adjustments to save trees. The Master Fee Schedule, effective July 1, 2026, lists under "Trees": "Removal Permit — Base Fee $1,582.00; Deposit for Consultant $8,400.00." Appeal of a Type I or Type II Decision $306.00; appeal of a Type III Decision waived. Payment in lieu of replanting street trees on existing development, all uses except single detached dwellings and middle housing: $2,100.00 per tree.

Penalties

GCDC 9.1060(C): "any person determined to be responsible for violation of any of the provision of Section 9.1000 may be required to pay a penalty in the amount of up to three times the arboricultural value of the lost tree or trees, as determined by an independent consulting arborist and pay for the cost of the arborist review and report. The person determined to be responsible ... shall also replace the removed trees with like trees as specified by the City or pay into the City's designated tree fund the equal replacement value of removed trees." Under 9.1060(B), "Each day a violation continues to exist shall constitute a separate violation for which a separate civil penalty may be assessed."

Ordinance

Gresham Community Development Code, Article 9, Section 9.1000 — Tree Regulations, with definitions at 3.0103 and 3.0150 and overlay rules at Sections 5.0200 and 5.0700. The tree rules are NOT in the Gresham Revised Code. The Development Code was revised and reformatted by Ordinance 1670, effective May 7, 2009. Section 9.1000 was adopted wholesale by Ordinance 1753, effective June 4, 2015 (case CPA 14-346); 9.1000 amended by Ord. 1813, effective November 5, 2020; 9.1013 and 9.1014 amended by Ord. 1816, effective January 15, 2021; several subsections amended by Ord. 1830, effective June 16, 2022. The Section 9.1000 PDF carries a June 2026 footer.

Worth knowing

The exemption is a filing, not a free pass. GCDC 9.1013(A): "Removal of Regulated Trees will require either a Type 1 or Type II Tree Removal Permit, or a tree removal exemption form," and "A tree removal exemption form is required to be filed with the Manager."
The count limits, verbatim from 9.1013(A)(5): "For commonly owned, contiguous parcels less that 35,000 square feet: up to three Regulated Trees; or ... For commonly owned, contiguous parcels equal to or greater than 35,000 square feet: up to six Regulated Trees." The exemption also requires that the trees not be subject to conditions of a previous development permit, not be in the Floodplain or Gresham Butte Scenic View Overlay Districts, and not be designated Significant Trees.
Topping counts as removal. 9.1021(B) covers "Removal of Regulated Trees, which includes topping," and 3.0150 defines topping to include reduction of the dominant or most ascending stem to a diameter exceeding 15 percent of the tree's DBH.
Hazard trees still need a Type I permit with documentation, but they do not count against your annual allowance. 9.1021(D)(3): "A Hazardous or Imminent Hazard Tree removal shall not count toward the number of Regulated Trees removed in a 12-month period per Section 9.1013." An Imminent Hazard Tree "may be removed immediately. The Tree Removal Application must be submitted within 10 business days after the tree is removed."
The city adds: "If your tree is fully collapsed or uprooted in a storm or other hazard event, a tree permit is not required. Hazard trees, such as those that are leaning, will still require a permit for removal."
Street trees: "Because street trees are located in the right-of-way, they are regulated by the City and can't be cut down or planted without a free type I tree removal. Additionally, the trees must be replaced using the approved tree list." Overhanging branches must clear at least eight feet above the sidewalk and 12 feet above the street.
Pruning a private tree needs no permit unless it is a designated Significant Tree.
The Hillside and Geologic Risk Overlay is the one to watch. GCDC 5.0208(A) allows removal of a tree over 6 inches DBH outside an approved permanent disturbance area only if it is an invasive species, meets the definition of a dangerous tree per a qualified arborist, or is in an approved temporary disturbance area and under 24 inches DBH. A healthy 20-inch native fir in an HGRO back yard has no listed removal path.
The Natural Resource Overlay supersedes the general tree rules inside a Resource Area (5.0702(B)) and allows Type I approval only for invasive species or arborist-recommended dangerous trees.
Significant Trees may not be pruned more than 20 percent of their limb structure, nor may the root system be disturbed by more than 10 percent, in any 12-month period without a development permit (9.1055(A)).

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.

— The ordinance number adopting the current, June 2026 text of Section 9.1000. The city's published Development Code amendment reference list stops at June 16, 2022.
— Whether the $1,582.00 "Removal Permit / Base Fee" is the Type II tree removal fee. The fee schedule labels it only "Removal Permit."
— Whether the $8,400.00 "Deposit for Consultant" is ever charged on a residential tree removal, or only when the city retains an outside consultant.
— Whether removal of a Significant Tree is a Type II or a Type III procedure. GCDC 9.1056(A)(2) says "no person may remove a Significant Tree without obtaining a development permit through a Type II procedure," while the city's own Trees page says "Removal of a significant tree: Type III hearings official decision." Both are reported; ask the Planner on Duty.
— Whether the "6 inch" figures on the city's Trees page have any basis in Section 9.1000 for non-overlay lots. The 6-inch trigger was found only in the HGRO and NRO; Section 9.1000's own threshold is 8 inches DBH with no 6-inch tier.
— A conflict in the definition of a Perimeter Tree. GCDC 9.1014(A) defines it with no size floor and no single-family exclusion; GCDC 3.0103 adds an 8-inch DBH floor and excludes "trees on developed single detached dwelling or middle housing lots." This changes whether a fence-line tree on an ordinary house lot is a Required Tree regulated at any size.
— The governing procedure for removing a Perimeter Tree on a developed lot. Section 9.1021(A) expressly excludes Required Perimeter Trees from the Type I procedure and then sets no standard for them.
— The Pleasant Valley, Springwater and Gresham Butte plan districts, and the full text of the Floodplain and Gresham Butte Scenic View Overlays, which may contain additional tree duties.
— The city's Invasive Plant List and Native Plant List, and the Gresham Environmental Technical Guidance Manual, all referenced in the code but not retrieved.
— The city's own Trees page states the regulated-tree threshold twice on the same page, once as "8 inches or larger in diameter at four feet high" and once as "measured at 4.5 feet." The code at 3.0150 is unambiguous that DBH means 4.5 feet.