Honolulu, Hawaii
Tree Removal and Tree Service in Honolulu
On Oahu a tree's condition depends heavily on which side of a ridge it grows. Wet valleys such as Manoa and Nuuanu produce enormous, fast trees. The dry leeward coast grows thorny kiawe. Each needs different handling.
- County
- City and County of Honolulu, the island of Oahu
- Tree rules
- Division of Urban Forestry, Department of Parks and Recreation
- Key local rule
- Street trees and registered exceptional trees may not be removed or altered without county approval
- Electric utility
- Hawaiian Electric
- Main hazards
- Kona storms, tropical cyclones, saturated valley slopes, falling coconuts
Wet valleys and dry coasts
Manoa receives well over 100 inches of rain a year at the back of the valley. Waikiki, four miles away, gets about 20. Trees respond accordingly. Monkeypod, banyan, mango and albizia in the valleys reach sizes that would take a century on the mainland.
Normal trade winds blow from the northeast and trees grow braced against them. The damaging storms come from the opposite direction. Kona lows bring strong south and west winds and days of rain, and trees fall toward the side they were never tested from.
A Kona low in December 2021 dropped record rain on Honolulu and toppled trees on saturated slopes. Strong wind events in February 2019 and during passing hurricanes have done the same along ridges and windward towns.
Street trees, exceptional trees and licensing
Street trees on Oahu are managed by the Division of Urban Forestry. Residents may not prune or remove them, and requests go to the city.
Under the state Exceptional Tree Act, the county keeps a register of exceptional trees chosen for age, size, rarity, location or cultural value. A registered tree is protected even on private land. Removal or major work needs county approval.
Other private trees need no removal permit. The contractor does need a state license, which you can verify with the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. The Hawaii guide explains the classification.
Oahu neighborhoods and their trees
| Area | Typical trees | Typical work |
|---|---|---|
| Manoa, Nuuanu, Palolo | Monkeypod, mango, banyan, albizia on slopes | Large removals on steep lots with poor access |
| Kahala, Diamond Head, Waikiki | Coconut and other palms, plumeria, banyan | Regular palm trimming, canopy shaping |
| Kailua and Kaneohe | Ironwood, monkeypod, hau, albizia in the back valleys | Wind damage, stream-bank trees |
| Ewa, Kapolei, Waianae | Kiawe, monkeypod in new subdivisions | Kiawe removal, storm-tipped shallow trees |
| Ridges such as Tantalus and St. Louis Heights | Tall non-native forest above houses | Crane or climbing work on very steep ground |
Honolulu's landmark trees and what they show
Some of the city's best-known trees are on the exceptional tree register. They show how large tropical trees are kept for generations with regular, skilled pruning.
- The Moana banyan, Waikiki
- Planted in the hotel courtyard in 1904. Its limbs are supported and thinned on a schedule so guests can sit beneath it.
- The Moanalua Gardens monkeypod
- A single tree with a crown wider than a city lot, maintained by careful end-weight reduction.
- Banyans at Iolani Palace and the courthouse
- Aerial roots are managed so they do not undermine paving and walls.
- Ironwoods of Kapiolani Park
- A century-old row along Kalakaua Avenue, replaced tree by tree as individuals decline.
- What it means for a yard tree
- A big monkeypod or banyan is rarely an all-or-nothing choice. Structural pruning every few years is the usual answer.
Planning a removal on a steep Oahu lot
Walk the access route
Many ridge and valley homes are reached by stairs or a shared lane too narrow for a chip truck.
Ask whether a crane can set up
Road width, overhead lines and the grade decide it. Where it cannot, the tree is climbed and every piece is carried out.
Check the stream or gulch below
Debris must not go into a stream, and trees on the bank may sit partly on public or neighboring land.
Plan for rain
Work on saturated slopes is postponed for safety. Build slack into the schedule in the wet season.
Sorting Honolulu tree problems
- This week
An albizia or other large tree leans over your house from a neighboring lot or stream bank
Notify the owner in writing and get an arborist's assessment.
- Act now
A tree fell in a Kona storm
Keep clear of lines and call. See fallen tree removal.
- Plan it
A very large, old tree stands on your lot
Ask the county whether it is on the exceptional tree register before major pruning.
- Plan it
The job needs a crane on a narrow ridge road
Allow time for traffic control and notice to neighbors.
Hawaii and Pacific pages
- Hawaii tree serviceAlbizia, Rapid Ohia Death and statewide rules.
- Los AngelesPalms, protected natives and street tree permits.
- TampaHurricane-tested palms and oaks on the mainland.
- AnchorageBeetle-killed spruce and Hillside windstorms.
- Tree trimming in HonoluluCoconut palm cycles and pruning in a year-round climate.
Honolulu tree service questions
Do I need a permit to remove a tree on my Oahu property?
Not for an ordinary private tree. Registered exceptional trees and street trees are protected and need county approval.
Who trims the street tree in front of my Honolulu home?
The city's Division of Urban Forestry. Contact the Department of Parks and Recreation with the location.
How do I find out if a tree is an exceptional tree?
The City and County of Honolulu maintains the register for Oahu. The Division of Urban Forestry can confirm whether a specific tree is listed.
Why do Honolulu tree jobs vary so much?
Access. The same tree is a far bigger job on a ridge lot reached by stairs than beside a driveway in a flat subdivision, because of the labor to carry wood out or the crane needed to lift it.
Reach a tree service in Honolulu
Call to be connected with an independent tree company that works in the Honolulu area, or leave your number and one will call you back.
(844) 955-1716Call availability varies by area and time of day
Limbwright is a referral service. Your call goes to an independent tree service company that sets its own schedule and terms. Ask for proof of insurance and a written scope before work starts. How this works
Call now
Talk to a tree service provider in your area. Have the tree's location and what it is near ready.
(844) 955-1716Call nowCall availability varies by area and time of day