Boston, Massachusetts
Tree Removal and Tree Service in Boston
Boston protects its public trees closely and leaves private yard trees largely to their owners. In practice the hard part of a Boston removal is physical: getting equipment to a tree behind a triple-decker on a one-way street.
- County
- Suffolk
- Tree rules
- Boston Parks and Recreation, Urban Forestry Division and the Tree Warden
- Key local rule
- City-owned trees are protected by a 2024 ordinance. Private trees are not covered by it.
- Electric utility
- Eversource
- Main hazards
- Nor'easters, heavy wet snow, summer microbursts
Is a permit needed to remove a tree in Boston?
Not for a tree wholly on your own lot, unless wetlands or a historic district are involved. Any tree on city property or in the sidewalk is a public tree and cannot be touched without the Tree Warden's approval.
- Street trees
- Removing a healthy one requires a posted public hearing under state law.
- City property
- An ordinance in effect since March 2024 protects trees over three inches in diameter on land the city owns.
- Private lots
- Not regulated by that ordinance. The city has said it may extend rules to private trees in future.
Boston's public tree rules
Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 87 makes every tree in a public way a public shade tree. In Boston the Tree Warden sits in the Parks and Recreation Department. A request to remove a healthy street tree is posted on the tree and heard in public, and an objection sends the decision to the Parks Commissioner.
The city's tree ordinance, signed in late 2023, added protections and replacement requirements for trees on city-owned property and set standards for construction near them.
For private trees, check two things. Land near the Neponset, Charles and Muddy rivers and other wetlands is under the Boston Conservation Commission, which reviews cutting in the buffer. In local historic districts such as Beacon Hill and the South End, landscape changes visible from the street may need commission approval.
Working in Dorchester, Jamaica Plain and Roslindale
Most of Boston's large private trees stand in the outer neighborhoods: Jamaica Plain, Roslindale, West Roxbury, Hyde Park and Dorchester. The typical lot holds a two- or three-family house with a few feet of side yard and a small rear yard shared, in effect, with the neighbors' fences and garages.
A big Norway maple or red oak in that rear yard is taken down by a climber, with each piece lowered on ropes, or by a crane reaching over the house from the street. Setting up a crane or chipper in the roadway requires a street occupancy permit from the city, and often posted no-parking signs two days ahead.
Overhead wires run on most streets and into most rear yards. Expect the company to arrange a temporary service drop disconnect with the utility for trees tangled in the house line.
Boston trees and their usual problems
| Tree | Where | Usual problem |
|---|---|---|
| Norway maple | Yards and older streets citywide | Brittle limbs, decay at old wounds, girdling roots |
| Red and pin oak | Parkways and the Emerald Necklace edges | Large dead limbs. Defoliation in moth years. |
| Honeylocust and London plane | Downtown and newer street plantings | Few. Good city trees. |
| Tree-of-heaven | Fence lines and alleys | Grows into foundations and wires. Brittle. |
| White pine | West Roxbury and Hyde Park | Snow and wind breakage of tops and long limbs |
What Boston storms do
Nor'easters
Hours of northeast wind with rain or wet snow. Trees uproot when the ground is soft, as in March 2018.
October snow
Rare but destructive, because leaves hold the weight.
Summer microbursts
A few blocks of snapped limbs and tops, with little warning.
Coastal flooding
Salt water over roots in East Boston, South Boston and Dorchester kills trees over the following season.
First call for a Boston tree problem
- Act now
A street tree is damaged or down
Report it to the city through 311.
- Act now
A private tree is on a house, car or wires
Call for help and keep clear. See a tree fell on the house.
- Plan it
A large yard tree needs to come down
Make sure the written scope covers the street permit and any crane.
- Plan it
The lot borders a river, pond or marsh
Ask the Conservation Commission before cutting.
Massachusetts and nearby city pages
Boston tree service questions
Can I cut down a tree in my Boston backyard?
In most cases yes, without a city tree permit. Check for wetlands and historic district rules, and make sure the tree is not on the property line.
How do I get a Boston street tree pruned or removed?
Request it through 311. The Urban Forestry Division inspects and schedules the work. Removal of a healthy street tree requires a public hearing.
Why does a Boston tree job need a street permit?
Trucks, chippers and cranes often have to occupy the roadway or parking lane. The city requires a street occupancy permit and advance signs for that.
Was the Asian longhorned beetle found in Boston?
Yes, in 2010 near a hospital in Jamaica Plain. The small infestation was removed and declared eradicated in 2014. The larger Worcester quarantine remains in place.
Reach a tree service in Boston
Call to be connected with an independent tree company that works in the Boston 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