Do You Need a Permit to Remove a Tree in Southeast Michigan? City by City

Every ordinance below uses DBH, diameter at breast height — the trunk diameter measured 4.5 feet above the ground. Wrap a tape measure around the trunk at that height and divide by 3.14. A trunk that is 50 inches around is about 16 inches DBH.

Most cities set their threshold between 6 and 8 inches. 'Landmark' or 'heritage' trees, usually 24 inches and up or a species-specific size, get extra protection almost everywhere that regulates trees at all.

Dead, dying, diseased and hazardous trees are exempt nearly everywhere, but several cities want proof — photos, an arborist's letter, or a city inspection — before the tree comes down, not after. Keep the pictures.

Livonia. The city's tree ordinance covers public property only. A tree in your yard is yours to remove. The city's Forestry division does regulate the right-of-way strip, and its stated policy is not to remove healthy public trees, so a request to take out a healthy one in front of your house can be denied. The right-of-way permit is free for residents and $30 when a contractor pulls it. Forestry: (734) 466-2655.

Birmingham. The city's own FAQ says it plainly: trees on private property are the property owner's responsibility, and removal is at the owner's discretion. Public trees are a different story — all work on them has to be done or approved by the city, and illegally removing one carries a fine of three times the tree's appraised value.

Royal Oak. No permit for private trees. Removing a city tree without permission from Public Works is a misdemeanor, and if the city approves a private removal of one it requires a deposit equal to the replacement value.

Farmington (the city). Permits apply only to trees in a park or public right-of-way. Landmark tree rules kick in during site-plan review for development, not for a homeowner.

Plymouth (the city). No permit on private lots. Street trees can only be removed if an arborist, paid for by you, finds the tree dead, diseased or dying — in which case the city removes it at its own cost. Topping any tree is prohibited. Fines start at $500 per violation.

Westland. Lots of 2.5 acres or less that are not going through site-plan review are exempt from the tree-preservation ordinance entirely. That is nearly every house in the city.

Ann Arbor. There is no standalone permit for a homeowner removing a yard tree. Landmark tree rules — 24 inches DBH, or a species-specific size like 16 inches for oak and maple — apply during development review. Street trees, however, are strictly regulated. The permit is free, but the city charges a canopy-loss fee of $252 per inch of DBH removed, less the size of the replacement. On a 24-inch street tree that is $4,536.

Several communities let you remove a couple of trees a year without asking and require a permit past that.

Farmington Hills. A homeowner may remove two protected trees — 6 inches DBH or larger — per calendar year without a permit. Landmark trees, generally 24 inches and up in good condition, always need one. Dead trees are exempt. Planning: (248) 871-2540.

Bloomfield Hills. Under the 2021 ordinance, a lot under 1.5 acres may remove two regulated trees (6 inches DBH and up) in a two-year period without a permit; larger lots get three. Beyond that you need a permit, and replacements must total at least half the DBH removed. Dead trees with less than half their canopy in leaf, and trees with confirmed Dutch elm disease or oak wilt, are exempt, but the city expects you to keep proof. Ash, box elder, buckthorn, tree-of-heaven, weeping willow and a few others are on a 'removable' list and never need a permit. Violations are misdemeanors carrying up to $500 in fines plus the appraised value of the tree.

Canton Township. On a developed lot of half an acre or less you may remove up to four protected or landmark trees per calendar year with no permit and no notice. On larger lots, the same four trees require written notice and approval from the planning office. Past four, or on a site plan, you need a permit and a mitigation plan. Ash, Norway maple, silver maple, Callery pear and several other species are unprotected. Note that Canton's website FAQ still describes an older version of the ordinance; the November 2025 permit packet is current.

Southfield. A permit is required for any tree 6 inches DBH or larger, on private property included. The city must approve up to three per year on a lot under an acre, and no replacement is required for those. The permit is issued at no charge by the Planning Department. Ash trees, dead trees and orchard fruit trees are exempt. Landmark trees — 24 inches, or species sizes like 18 inches for maple and spruce — are handled separately. Planning: (248) 796-4150.

Dearborn. Any tree 16 inches DBH or larger on private property needs a Tree Removal Permit, and the application requires a report from an ISA Certified Arborist. The contractor must be registered with the City Clerk. Processing takes five business days; an emergency removal can be permitted retroactively within seven days with photos. The ordinance lists a $125 fee, though the city's current application form says there is none — confirm at (313) 943-2150. Replanting is a condition of the permit. Removing a tree without one can bring fines up to $500 per tree.

Northville (the city). Trees under 8 inches DBH need nothing. At 8 inches and up you file the city's permit application, and a homeowner may remove up to two such trees per calendar year, landmark trees included. Single-family lots are exempt from replacement requirements. Dead and hazardous trees are exempt once the community development department agrees. Violations run up to $500 per tree. Northville Township has its own separate ordinance.

Novi. This one surprises people. Any tree 36 inches DBH or larger, anywhere in the city, requires a woodland use permit before it comes down. Inside a mapped regulated woodland, the threshold drops to 8 inches. Replacement runs from one tree for an 8-to-11-inch removal up to four trees for anything over 30 inches, using 2.5-inch-caliper native species, or a payment into the city's tree fund. If the Forestry Asset Manager agrees a tree is hazardous, the city issues a letter and waives replacement. The penalty for cutting without a permit is the full appraised value of the tree. Check the city's regulated woodland map before assuming you are outside one.

West Bloomfield Township. Outside a designated woodland, delineated wetland, or the 25-foot environmental setback, the township does not regulate trees. Inside one, any cutting requires contact with Planning and Development Services first and, unless the tree is dead or diseased, a permit through the Woodland Review Board. Wetland work also triggers a state EGLE application. (248) 451-4818.

In almost every community above, the tree in the strip between your sidewalk and the curb belongs to the city, the township, or Wayne County, even though you mow around it. Pruning it, removing it, or grinding its stump without permission ranges from a fee to a misdemeanor.

Livonia requires a permit for any work on a right-of-way tree, free to residents. Birmingham requires the city arborist's approval and a registered tree service. Dearborn prohibits residents and contractors from trimming city trees at all and removes easement trees at no charge. Westland treats every right-of-way tree as a city tree. Plymouth will remove a street tree only after an arborist finds it dead or dying. In Canton, the strip along most streets is Wayne County's, with the township handling certain major roads.

If the tree you are worried about is in that strip, the first call is to the city's public works or forestry office, not to us. We are glad to do the work once the permit is in hand.

Oaks have a calendar. The Michigan DNR asks that no oak be pruned, wounded, or removed between April 15 and July 15, when the beetles that spread oak wilt are active. Winter is the safest season — here is why. A permit from your city does not override this — it is not a law, but it is the difference between a healthy street and a dead one.

Power lines have an owner. DTE trims around its pole-to-pole lines but not the service drop from the pole to your house. That wire is your responsibility to keep clear, it is energized, and DTE's own advice is to hire a professional for anything near it. Federal safety rules keep unqualified people at least 10 feet from overhead lines. If a tree is in the lines, call DTE first.

When you request an estimate, we ask which city you are in and how big the tree is, and we tell you whether a permit is likely. In Dearborn, Southfield, Novi, Northville, Bloomfield Hills and Farmington Hills we can walk you through the application and provide the measurements and photos it needs. For a right-of-way tree we will tell you who to call.

Ordinances change — several of these were rewritten in the last three years — so treat this as a starting point and confirm with your city before cutting. The fines for getting it wrong are real, and in the communities that use the ISA appraisal formula, a mature oak can be appraised at many thousands of dollars.

Questions about a specific tree? Call (734) 788-8822. Free estimates across Southeast Michigan.