Do you need a permit?
It depends on the tree
Hampton answers this one directly: you would not normally need a permit to cut down trees or remove bushes, grasses and other vegetation unless you are disturbing more than 10,000 square feet of land — but you do need one if your land falls inside a Chesapeake Bay protection zone. So the real question is whether your lot is in one of those zones, and the city will tell you if you call.
What's protected in Hampton
- Any tree or vegetation on land inside a Chesapeake Bay protection zone
Worth knowing
- Verbatim from the city: "You would not normally need a permit to add a driveway or patio; cut down trees; or remove bushes, grasses and other vegetation unless you are disturbing more than 10,000 square feet of land. However, you do on land that falls into these zones."
- Hampton lists "Development and alterations in the Chesapeake Bay Zone (including vegetation removal)" among activities requiring a permit.
- To find out whether your property is affected, call 311 or Community Development at 757-727-8311.
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 fee and application steps for vegetation removal inside a Chesapeake Bay zone.
- — Any diameter or species threshold, and the penalty for removing a tree without the required permit.
- — Whether Hampton separately protects heritage or right-of-way trees under a different chapter.