Do you need a permit?
No permit required for most private trees
Lorain appears to have no tree ordinance at all, and it does not even claim the tree lawn. Asked "Who is responsible for tree trimming or removal on my tree lawn?", the city answers: "Trees located on the tree lawn are the responsibility of the home owner." We found no Trees chapter anywhere in the Codified Ordinances of Lorain and no city tree permit. The Street Department will handle a potentially hazardous tree in the roadway.
Worth knowing
- The Division of Streets lists "Removal of Potentially Hazardous Trees" and "Emergency storm damage in roadway or right-of-way clean up" among its responsibilities, along with removal of roadway obstructions.
- The city's answer on tree lawn trees comes with one caveat: "If trees are touching power lines, contact Ohio Edison at 1-888-544-4877." Do that before you or a contractor go anywhere near the wires.
- Lorain's Planning and Zoning Code has a Landscaping and Buffering chapter (Chapter 1147). That is a development standard, not a removal permit, but it is the place a tree obligation would attach if you are building.
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.
- — Whether any tree permit exists that we could not find. We read the chapter lists of Part One (Administrative), Part Five (General Offenses), Part Nine (Streets, Utilities and Public Services) and Part Eleven (Planning and Zoning) of the Codified Ordinances of Lorain. In every other city on this list the tree chapter sits in Part Nine; Lorain's Part Nine has none. We did not read Parts Three, Seven, Thirteen, Fifteen or Seventeen.
- — Whether tree service contractors need a city license or registration to work in Lorain. Several nearby Ohio cities require one.
- — Any diameter threshold, protected species list or heritage tree designation, and any penalty for tree removal. Lorain publishes none that we found.
- — The text of Chapter 1147, Landscaping and Buffering, and whether it retains trees on a developed single-family lot.