Tree Removal Permits in Sterling Heights, MI

Verified against Sterling Heights city sources · last checked 2026-08-06

Do you need a permit?

No permit required for most private trees

Sterling Heights has a serious tree preservation ordinance and then switches it off for houses, twice. Section 51-38 says the article applies to all property in the city "with the exception of (a) those developed lots within existing developed platted subdivisions, or (b) those units developed with residences within developed site condominium developments currently used for single-family residential purposes within one of the city's one family residential zoning districts." Section 51-40(A) exempts, separately, "The removal or trimming of any trees by or on behalf of a resident owner of a one-family dwelling unit in an area under the owner's exclusive control and where the tree is not a designated preserved tree." So on a developed single-family lot there is no permit at any trunk size, and there is no standalone homeowner permit to apply for: Section 51-39 only issues one "in conjunction with an application for preliminary site plan approval." Three things still bite. The tree in the lawn extension out front is the City Manager's. A tree flagged as a designated preserved tree on an approved plan is off limits even to a resident owner. And a builder clearing an undeveloped or infill lot needs the permit.

Size threshold

None on a developed single-family lot. Where the article does apply, Section 51-37 defines a Regulated Tree as "Any self-supported, woody plant of a species which normally grows to an overall height of 13 feet or more, including coniferous and deciduous tree species, which currently has a d.b.h. of six inches or more," with d.b.h. being "A tree's diameter in inches measured 4.5 feet above the ground." Grubbing is defined as removal of "trees of less than three inches d.b.h."

What's protected in Sterling Heights

Landmark Tree — "All trees, regardless of species or condition (unless dead or diseased) 32 inches d.b.h. and greater" plus a species table: American Basswood 24 inches; Locust 24; Black and White Walnut 20; American Beech, Buckeye, Ginkgo, Hickory, Horse Chestnut, Kentucky Coffeetree, London Planetree and Sycamore, Maple, Pine, Spruce, Tuliptree, Wild Cherry and Birch 18; Oak 16; Sassafras 15; Black Alder, Cedar (red), Crabapple (cultivar), Eastern Hemlock and Larch or Tamarack 12; American Chestnut and Flowering Dogwood 8. Section 51-39(D): "All landmark trees shall be replaced in compliance with this article."
Designated Preserved Tree — "A regulated tree or landmark tree which is designated by the property owner or developer to be preserved as required by this article in conjunction with development of a site." This is the one exception written into the resident-owner exemption itself.
Trees in the right-of-way and lawn extension. Section 51-37 defines Right-of-way as "The lawn extension and sidewalk adjacent to a property within the street right-of-way as well as the street, curb to curb," and Lawn extension as "The portion of any street right-of-way that is not paved or intended for traffic."
Critical Root Zone — "a circle around the tree with a radius of 1.5 feet for each inch of diameter at breast height."
Trees in common areas, which the resident-owner exemption expressly does not cover: "This exception does not apply to removal of trees from common areas."

How to apply in Sterling Heights

1
These steps are for a developer, a builder, or anyone whose parcel is not a developed single-family lot. A resident owner of a one-family dwelling needs none of it.
2
Get the Tree Removal Application from the city's Planning Applications page. Submit through BS and A Online or by email to shplanning@sterlingheights.gov.
3
Note the sequencing. Section 51-39(A) issues the permit only "in conjunction with an application for preliminary site plan approval," so there is no standalone track.
4
Section 51-41 requires the completed form, the fee, owner authorization if you are not the owner, and an electronic PDF tree survey "prepared and sealed or signed by a qualified professional and sealed and signed by an arborist or forester," identifying and metal-tagging all trees of 6 inches d.b.h. or more, plus a tree inventory list, a replacement and landscape plan, tree-protection fence locations, a general grading plan by a registered engineer or land surveyor, and a site plan.
5
If there is nothing to survey, Section 51-41(B) provides a shortcut: "Where the request for a tree removal permit relates to any site which contains no regulated trees (six inches or greater d.b.h.), the applicant shall so indicate in his or her application and submit a 'no regulated tree' affidavit."
6
Pick a compliance path. Section 51-42(A) lets the applicant preserve at least 50 percent of regulated trees and all landmark trees; preserve or replace on the Section 51-44(B)(1) schedule; preserve or replace per an arborist's assessment; or pay into the Tree Preservation Fund.
7
Display the permit on site. Failing to do so is grounds for a stop work order under Section 51-48(B).
8
The permit expires one year from issuance or when the site plan expires, whichever is later. Variances go to the Board of Ordinance Appeals under Section 51-49.

Fees, penalties, and the ordinance

Fee: Not published. Section 51-41(A)(2) requires "A tree removal permit application fee in the amount established by the annual appropriations ordinance," and Section 51-44(B)(3) keys the Tree Preservation Fund payment to "the cost of the planting of a tree in the city right-of-way as set forth in the annual appropriations ordinance." Neither figure appears in the city's published Planning Fee Schedule for July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, which carries no tree, tree removal, tree preservation or landscape line item at all. An absent fee is not proof of a free permit.
Penalties: Section 51-48(A): "In addition to the penalties provided in Section 1-9 of this code, any person who violates any provision of this chapter shall forfeit and pay to the city a civil penalty equal to the total value of those trees illegally removed or damaged, as computed from the International Society of Arboriculture shade tree value formula... Replacement of illegally removed trees may be required as restoration in lieu of money. This replacement will be computed on an inch-for-inch ratio, based on the total diameter measured at d.b.h. in inches of the illegally removed trees." Subsection (E) declares any violation "a nuisance under Chapter 33 of the City Code and a nuisance per se." Enforcement costs, administrative and attorney fees, consulting fees and court costs may be assessed as a lien. Two provisions are unusual and worth knowing: subsection (H) protects an innocent buyer — "A lien shall not be imposed against the property from which one or more trees were illegally removed if ownership of the property has transferred to a good faith purchaser for value which was not in any way responsible for the illegal removal" — and subsection (I) gives the city a six-year tail against the developer "from the date such illegal removal occurred, or from the date such removal was discovered, whichever is later."
Ordinance: Sterling Heights Code of Ordinances Chapter 51 — Vegetation. Article I (In General), Sections 51-1 through 51-16, tracing to Ordinance No. 277, Section 1, September 5, 1989 and Ordinance No. 359, January 2, 2002. Article III — Tree Preservation, Sections 51-36 through 51-49; Article II is reserved. Article III originated as Ordinance No. 292, Section 1, April 16, 1991, and was amended by Ordinance No. 292-A (August 20, 1991), Ordinance No. 328 (November 5, 1997), Ordinance No. 292-B (January 5, 1999), Ordinance No. 292-C (May 17, 2005), Ordinance No. 475, Section 1 (March 2, 2021) and Ordinance No. 487, Section 1 (September 6, 2022), the most recent. Tree removal is not in the zoning ordinance: Zoning Article 24 (Environmental Provisions, Sections 24.00 through 24.06) covers screening, site and parking-lot landscaping, rooftop and trash screening, and exterior lighting only. Code current through Ordinance No. 509, passed May 19, 2026 (Supp. 2026 S-46). Sterling Heights is codified by American Legal Publishing, not Municode.

Worth knowing

The street tree is not yours, and this is the likeliest way a Sterling Heights homeowner gets in trouble. Section 51-38 closes with a sentence that survives every exemption above it: "No person, without written authorization of the City Manager, shall plant, remove, or take any action which will injure or destroy any tree or shrub, the base of which is located in a public right-of-way owned by the city or on city land." Section 51-8(A) says the same for any public highway or public place, and Section 51-9 makes anyone removing a live tree from a public place for their own benefit "pay into the city tree fund monies equal to the value of the tree or trees removed," on the ISA formula.
You cannot plant whatever you like out front either. Section 51-7 bars planting or keeping "a poplar, box elder, silver maple, elm, willow, horse chestnut, tree of heaven or catalpa tree within any public highway," and the DPW page warns that "Unauthorized trees are not allowed to be planted on City right-of-ways. Residents who do so will be instructed to remove these trees."
The city removes street trees for free in defined cases. DPW takes out a right-of-way tree at no charge when it is dead, dying or diseased, deemed hazardous, or of a prohibited species, and where a sidewalk-conflicting tree sits in a right-of-way less than five feet wide. Stumps are ground "to a depth of 6 inches below grade." A replacement runs 310 dollars, for which "the City will purchase a replacement tree of your choice from the approved tree list and will plant it," guaranteed a year.
You have an affirmative duty to remove your own hazard tree. Section 51-16: "The owner or occupant of any premises on which is located any tree or other growth, if infected by disease or by injurious insects or in a dangerous condition, shall destroy same when such destruction is necessary for the protection of other trees and growth and for the public safety, health and welfare." Section 51-12 adds eight feet of clearance over public highways, removal of "all dead, decayed, unsightly, broken or dangerous limbs," and "when any such tree, shrub, plant or vine is dead, the owner shall remove the same." Section 51-4 lets the city do the work and lien the premises if you do not comply within 30 days of notice.
Storms are covered. Section 51-40(G) exempts "Actions taken in response to unavoidable natural events, such as tornadoes, storms, floods, freezes, dangerous and/or infectious insect infestation or disease, or other natural occurrences in order to prevent or respond to injury or damage to persons or property, or to restore order." Section 51-40(F) separately exempts "Trees determined by the city to be dead, diseased, or damaged."
Sterling Heights does not license tree services. A section-by-section sweep of Chapter 12 (Business Registration and Regulations) and Chapter 29 (Licensing of Businesses) found no tree service, arborist or landscape-contractor category, and nothing making it unlawful to hire an unregistered firm. Only the generic registration in Section 12-4(A) applies, and it binds the business rather than you.
Replacement trees cannot do double duty. Section 51-44(A): "Replacement trees may not be used to satisfy the landscaping requirements of the zoning ordinance or tree planting requirements under any other regulation of the City Code."
The Tree Preservation Fund survives the F.P. Development decision, restructured. Section 51-44(B)(3) requires payment only "If the permit holder cannot preserve the required number of trees onsite as provided in this section and does not intend to replace trees onsite," and Section 51-42(A) frames it as one of four paths the applicant may take. Section 51-41(A)(4)(f) uses the word: the plan may carry "a statement that the developer elects to pay the required amount into the Tree Preservation Fund in lieu of preserving trees on site." No homeowner reaches it, because developed single-family lots are outside the article.

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 tree removal permit application fee, and the per-tree Tree Preservation Fund payment. Both are set by the annual appropriations ordinance and neither is published in any online city fee schedule.
— Whether Ordinance No. 487, adopted September 6, 2022, was a response to F.P. Development v. Charter Township of Canton, decided October 13, 2021. The sequence fits and the fee-in-lieu was restructured rather than repealed, but no council minutes, staff report or ordinance preamble stating the reason could be retrieved. Reported as dates only; no causation asserted.
— What Ordinance No. 475 of March 2, 2021 changed as against Ordinance No. 487 of September 6, 2022. The code carries combined history notes and no redline.
— The contents of the Tree Removal Application PDF. The file is image-based and its text could not be extracted, so its stated instructions, fee and checklist are unconfirmed.
— Whether a given lot carries an approved tree preservation plan with designated preserved trees. That is the one thing that can pull a resident owner back inside the ordinance, it cannot be answered generically, and newer subdivisions and site condominiums are the likeliest place to find one. Call Planning at 586-446-2360 before removing a large tree if your home is recent.
— How the city treats an undeveloped or infill single-family lot with no house on it. The Section 51-38 exemption turns on the lot being developed, and Section 51-45(B) expressly contemplates a builder permit for "removal of trees by a builder in connection with construction of a residence upon a lot or parcel."
— The city publishes two different Planning email addresses on the same Planning Applications page, shplanning@sterlingheights.gov and shplanning@sterling-heights.net. The .gov address is the one on the department page and is used here; the .net address appears to be legacy.
— A cross-reference mismatch that is the city's, not ours: the DPW City Tree Policies page attributes its street-tree policy to Sections 51-5, 51-6 and 51-7, but Section 51-5 in the current code is "Interference with city personnel," not an authorization provision.

Sources

Who to contact in Sterling Heights

Office of Planning, City of Sterling Heights (the ordinance names the City Development Department as administrator). Right-of-way and street trees are handled by the Street Services Division, Department of Public Works (Michael Moore, Director).

586-446-2360 (Planning); 586-446-2440 option 8 (Public Works, Street Services); 586-469-5151 (after-hours emergency) shplanning@sterlingheights.gov Official page

40555 Utica Road, Sterling Heights, MI 48313 (Planning, Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.). Public Works is at 7200 18 Mile Road, Sterling Heights, MI 48314, Monday to Friday 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

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Size threshold

What's protected in Sterling Heights

Landmark Tree — "All trees, regardless of species or condition (unless dead or diseased) 32 inches d.b.h. and greater" plus a species table: American Basswood 24 inches; Locust 24; Black and White Walnut 20; American Beech, Buckeye, Ginkgo, Hickory, Horse Chestnut, Kentucky Coffeetree, London Planetree and Sycamore, Maple, Pine, Spruce, Tuliptree, Wild Cherry and Birch 18; Oak 16; Sassafras 15; Black Alder, Cedar (red), Crabapple (cultivar), Eastern Hemlock and Larch or Tamarack 12; American Chestnut and Flowering Dogwood 8. Section 51-39(D): "All landmark trees shall be replaced in compliance with this article."

Designated Preserved Tree — "A regulated tree or landmark tree which is designated by the property owner or developer to be preserved as required by this article in conjunction with development of a site." This is the one exception written into the resident-owner exemption itself.

Trees in the right-of-way and lawn extension. Section 51-37 defines Right-of-way as "The lawn extension and sidewalk adjacent to a property within the street right-of-way as well as the street, curb to curb," and Lawn extension as "The portion of any street right-of-way that is not paved or intended for traffic."

Critical Root Zone — "a circle around the tree with a radius of 1.5 feet for each inch of diameter at breast height."

Trees in common areas, which the resident-owner exemption expressly does not cover: "This exception does not apply to removal of trees from common areas."

How to apply in Sterling Heights

1
These steps are for a developer, a builder, or anyone whose parcel is not a developed single-family lot. A resident owner of a one-family dwelling needs none of it.
2
Get the Tree Removal Application from the city's Planning Applications page. Submit through BS and A Online or by email to shplanning@sterlingheights.gov.
3
Note the sequencing. Section 51-39(A) issues the permit only "in conjunction with an application for preliminary site plan approval," so there is no standalone track.
4
Section 51-41 requires the completed form, the fee, owner authorization if you are not the owner, and an electronic PDF tree survey "prepared and sealed or signed by a qualified professional and sealed and signed by an arborist or forester," identifying and metal-tagging all trees of 6 inches d.b.h. or more, plus a tree inventory list, a replacement and landscape plan, tree-protection fence locations, a general grading plan by a registered engineer or land surveyor, and a site plan.
5
If there is nothing to survey, Section 51-41(B) provides a shortcut: "Where the request for a tree removal permit relates to any site which contains no regulated trees (six inches or greater d.b.h.), the applicant shall so indicate in his or her application and submit a 'no regulated tree' affidavit."
6
Pick a compliance path. Section 51-42(A) lets the applicant preserve at least 50 percent of regulated trees and all landmark trees; preserve or replace on the Section 51-44(B)(1) schedule; preserve or replace per an arborist's assessment; or pay into the Tree Preservation Fund.
7
Display the permit on site. Failing to do so is grounds for a stop work order under Section 51-48(B).
8
The permit expires one year from issuance or when the site plan expires, whichever is later. Variances go to the Board of Ordinance Appeals under Section 51-49.

Fees, penalties, and the ordinance

Fee

Not published. Section 51-41(A)(2) requires "A tree removal permit application fee in the amount established by the annual appropriations ordinance," and Section 51-44(B)(3) keys the Tree Preservation Fund payment to "the cost of the planting of a tree in the city right-of-way as set forth in the annual appropriations ordinance." Neither figure appears in the city's published Planning Fee Schedule for July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, which carries no tree, tree removal, tree preservation or landscape line item at all. An absent fee is not proof of a free permit.

Penalties

Section 51-48(A): "In addition to the penalties provided in Section 1-9 of this code, any person who violates any provision of this chapter shall forfeit and pay to the city a civil penalty equal to the total value of those trees illegally removed or damaged, as computed from the International Society of Arboriculture shade tree value formula... Replacement of illegally removed trees may be required as restoration in lieu of money. This replacement will be computed on an inch-for-inch ratio, based on the total diameter measured at d.b.h. in inches of the illegally removed trees." Subsection (E) declares any violation "a nuisance under Chapter 33 of the City Code and a nuisance per se." Enforcement costs, administrative and attorney fees, consulting fees and court costs may be assessed as a lien. Two provisions are unusual and worth knowing: subsection (H) protects an innocent buyer — "A lien shall not be imposed against the property from which one or more trees were illegally removed if ownership of the property has transferred to a good faith purchaser for value which was not in any way responsible for the illegal removal" — and subsection (I) gives the city a six-year tail against the developer "from the date such illegal removal occurred, or from the date such removal was discovered, whichever is later."

Ordinance

Sterling Heights Code of Ordinances Chapter 51 — Vegetation. Article I (In General), Sections 51-1 through 51-16, tracing to Ordinance No. 277, Section 1, September 5, 1989 and Ordinance No. 359, January 2, 2002. Article III — Tree Preservation, Sections 51-36 through 51-49; Article II is reserved. Article III originated as Ordinance No. 292, Section 1, April 16, 1991, and was amended by Ordinance No. 292-A (August 20, 1991), Ordinance No. 328 (November 5, 1997), Ordinance No. 292-B (January 5, 1999), Ordinance No. 292-C (May 17, 2005), Ordinance No. 475, Section 1 (March 2, 2021) and Ordinance No. 487, Section 1 (September 6, 2022), the most recent. Tree removal is not in the zoning ordinance: Zoning Article 24 (Environmental Provisions, Sections 24.00 through 24.06) covers screening, site and parking-lot landscaping, rooftop and trash screening, and exterior lighting only. Code current through Ordinance No. 509, passed May 19, 2026 (Supp. 2026 S-46). Sterling Heights is codified by American Legal Publishing, not Municode.

Worth knowing

The street tree is not yours, and this is the likeliest way a Sterling Heights homeowner gets in trouble. Section 51-38 closes with a sentence that survives every exemption above it: "No person, without written authorization of the City Manager, shall plant, remove, or take any action which will injure or destroy any tree or shrub, the base of which is located in a public right-of-way owned by the city or on city land." Section 51-8(A) says the same for any public highway or public place, and Section 51-9 makes anyone removing a live tree from a public place for their own benefit "pay into the city tree fund monies equal to the value of the tree or trees removed," on the ISA formula.
You cannot plant whatever you like out front either. Section 51-7 bars planting or keeping "a poplar, box elder, silver maple, elm, willow, horse chestnut, tree of heaven or catalpa tree within any public highway," and the DPW page warns that "Unauthorized trees are not allowed to be planted on City right-of-ways. Residents who do so will be instructed to remove these trees."
The city removes street trees for free in defined cases. DPW takes out a right-of-way tree at no charge when it is dead, dying or diseased, deemed hazardous, or of a prohibited species, and where a sidewalk-conflicting tree sits in a right-of-way less than five feet wide. Stumps are ground "to a depth of 6 inches below grade." A replacement runs 310 dollars, for which "the City will purchase a replacement tree of your choice from the approved tree list and will plant it," guaranteed a year.
You have an affirmative duty to remove your own hazard tree. Section 51-16: "The owner or occupant of any premises on which is located any tree or other growth, if infected by disease or by injurious insects or in a dangerous condition, shall destroy same when such destruction is necessary for the protection of other trees and growth and for the public safety, health and welfare." Section 51-12 adds eight feet of clearance over public highways, removal of "all dead, decayed, unsightly, broken or dangerous limbs," and "when any such tree, shrub, plant or vine is dead, the owner shall remove the same." Section 51-4 lets the city do the work and lien the premises if you do not comply within 30 days of notice.
Storms are covered. Section 51-40(G) exempts "Actions taken in response to unavoidable natural events, such as tornadoes, storms, floods, freezes, dangerous and/or infectious insect infestation or disease, or other natural occurrences in order to prevent or respond to injury or damage to persons or property, or to restore order." Section 51-40(F) separately exempts "Trees determined by the city to be dead, diseased, or damaged."
Sterling Heights does not license tree services. A section-by-section sweep of Chapter 12 (Business Registration and Regulations) and Chapter 29 (Licensing of Businesses) found no tree service, arborist or landscape-contractor category, and nothing making it unlawful to hire an unregistered firm. Only the generic registration in Section 12-4(A) applies, and it binds the business rather than you.
Replacement trees cannot do double duty. Section 51-44(A): "Replacement trees may not be used to satisfy the landscaping requirements of the zoning ordinance or tree planting requirements under any other regulation of the City Code."
The Tree Preservation Fund survives the F.P. Development decision, restructured. Section 51-44(B)(3) requires payment only "If the permit holder cannot preserve the required number of trees onsite as provided in this section and does not intend to replace trees onsite," and Section 51-42(A) frames it as one of four paths the applicant may take. Section 51-41(A)(4)(f) uses the word: the plan may carry "a statement that the developer elects to pay the required amount into the Tree Preservation Fund in lieu of preserving trees on site." No homeowner reaches it, because developed single-family lots are outside the article.

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 tree removal permit application fee, and the per-tree Tree Preservation Fund payment. Both are set by the annual appropriations ordinance and neither is published in any online city fee schedule.
— Whether Ordinance No. 487, adopted September 6, 2022, was a response to F.P. Development v. Charter Township of Canton, decided October 13, 2021. The sequence fits and the fee-in-lieu was restructured rather than repealed, but no council minutes, staff report or ordinance preamble stating the reason could be retrieved. Reported as dates only; no causation asserted.
— What Ordinance No. 475 of March 2, 2021 changed as against Ordinance No. 487 of September 6, 2022. The code carries combined history notes and no redline.
— The contents of the Tree Removal Application PDF. The file is image-based and its text could not be extracted, so its stated instructions, fee and checklist are unconfirmed.
— Whether a given lot carries an approved tree preservation plan with designated preserved trees. That is the one thing that can pull a resident owner back inside the ordinance, it cannot be answered generically, and newer subdivisions and site condominiums are the likeliest place to find one. Call Planning at 586-446-2360 before removing a large tree if your home is recent.
— How the city treats an undeveloped or infill single-family lot with no house on it. The Section 51-38 exemption turns on the lot being developed, and Section 51-45(B) expressly contemplates a builder permit for "removal of trees by a builder in connection with construction of a residence upon a lot or parcel."
— The city publishes two different Planning email addresses on the same Planning Applications page, shplanning@sterlingheights.gov and shplanning@sterling-heights.net. The .gov address is the one on the department page and is used here; the .net address appears to be legacy.
— A cross-reference mismatch that is the city's, not ours: the DPW City Tree Policies page attributes its street-tree policy to Sections 51-5, 51-6 and 51-7, but Section 51-5 in the current code is "Interference with city personnel," not an authorization provision.