Do you need a permit?
It depends on the tree
Woodbridge regulates any tree of 4 inches DBH or greater, but single-family lots are exempt unless you are building a new home or a substantial addition, or you are taking out more than 25 percent of the existing tree cover. Trees in the public right-of-way are a separate matter and always need a permit from the Department of Public Works, and the township expects you to replace a right-of-way tree removed at your request or pay $150 instead.
Size threshold
"TREE: Any deciduous or coniferous species which reaches a typical mature height of 10 feet or more. An individual tree for the purpose of this chapter has a D.B.H. of four inches or greater." Right-of-way rules bite at five inches D.B.H.
What's protected in Woodbridge
- Trees in the public right-of-way, street, road or highway, regulated separately under Chapter 25 of the Township Code
- Specimen trees, meaning any tree with a D.B.H. of 16 inches or greater
- Trees in a designated buffer or tree save area, or trees a prior approved landscape plan required for screening
How to apply in Woodbridge
- 1
Determine whether your tree is in the public right-of-way. If it is, a permit is required and you apply through the Department of Public Works.
- 2
If the tree is on a single-family lot, check the exemption. It does not apply to removal tied to construction of a new single-family home or an addition that increases the home by more than 50 percent, and it never allows removal of more than 25 percent of existing tree cover.
- 3
If a zoning permit is needed and no board approval is involved, submit the application in duplicate to the administrative officer with the street address, block and lot, owner and occupant names, tract size, and a list of trees by species with a D.B.H. greater than four inches to be removed.
- 4
Include the name of the company doing the removal, the reason for removal, a plot plan showing all trees and the trees to be removed, and a replacement plan showing where replacements go.
- 5
Pay the $25 single-family residential fee, or $200 for other property.
- 6
Download the township's Tree Application form from the Tree Removal page.
Fees, penalties, and the ordinance
- Fee
- $25 for an application for tree removal from a single-family residential lot. $200 where the applicant is seeking a zoning permit and replacement plan approval for any other property, in addition to all other land use fees.
- Ordinance
- Code of the Township of Woodbridge, Chapter 150, Land Use and Development Ordinance, § 150-20.2, Replacement of Trees, read together with Chapter 25, Streets and Sidewalks, § 25-8 (Ordinance 25-8.5)
Worth knowing
- The single-family lot exemption at § 150-20.2F(1)(e) reads: "Any tree on a single-family lot as previously defined, provided, however, that this exemption shall not apply to any tree removal in conjunction with the construction of a new single home or a substantial addition (more than 50 percent increase in size) to an existing single-family home; it being understood, however, that under no circumstances may more than 25 percent of the existing tree cover be removed without compliance with the terms of this chapter."
- Woodbridge grants right-of-way tree removal permits only in limited circumstances: the tree is a visual barrier at a street intersection, is of a non-conforming species such as maple or elm, constitutes a hazard, prohibits efficient operation of a solar heating or wind generating system, has roots blocking sewer pipes, or the owner has had an insurance denial.
- The Environmental Commission page states: "any tree that is removed at the homeowner's request must be replaced by the homeowner and replaced on homeowner's property with an approved tree species within one year of removal. A fee of $150 will be assessed if you choose not to replace the tree." That guidance is written in the context of trees in the public right-of-way.
- Other exemptions from the replacement element include commercial nurseries and orchards, garden centers and Christmas tree plantations in operation; silviculture under a NJ Bureau of Forestry plan on file; utility right-of-way work; dead, dying, diseased or severely damaged trees and trees whose angle of growth makes them a hazard; approved game management practices; and NJDEP or EPA approved cleanups.
- There is no clear-cutting on slopes of 10 percent or greater, and no clear-cutting within major or minor subdivisions.
- Other useful numbers: Planning and Development 732-602-6004, Division of Engineering 732-602-6047, Town Hall 732-634-4500.
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 penalty amount. Section 150-20.2O points to "the penalty stated in the land use and development regulations," which we did not read. Each tree cut, damaged or destroyed is a separate and distinct violation.
- — Whether Woodbridge has separately adopted an NJDEP model tree removal and replacement ordinance under its MS4 stormwater permit.