Do You Need a Permit to Remove a Tree in Nashville?

Start With Who Owns the Tree

Most trees in Nashville stand on private ground, since about 94 percent of Davidson County land is privately owned. A tulip poplar or silver maple in your own back yard in Sylvan Park or Crieve Hall is generally yours to remove without a Metro permit. The trees between the sidewalk and the street are different. Those sit in the public right-of-way and belong to Metro, so call Metro before anyone touches one, even if it looks dead.

Property lines matter too. A trunk that sits on a shared boundary has two owners, and a neighbor's consent is the safer route before removal.

Development and Lot-Clearing Sites

Teardowns, new builds and lot splits in places like Inglewood, Donelson and Berry Hill often trigger a landscaping and tree-protection review. Existing trees may be counted, protected or tied to a replanting plan. We check the rules before we start, and a call to Metro planning staff about your parcel settles it.

Street Trees and Trimming Near the Curb

Pruning can come with strings attached when a limb hangs over the public right-of-way. Our tree trimming crew looks at who owns the trunk before any cut, and we do not climb into a street tree without the owner's say-so.

Williamson County and Franklin

South of Davidson County the rules tighten. In unincorporated Williamson County the protections are aimed at development sites, covering contiguous canopy of 10,000 square feet or more and trees 3 inches or larger in diameter at breast height.

• Dead or fallen trees on those sites are exempt from the canopy protections
• Franklin requires a permit to remove a specimen tree
• Franklin replacement runs 2 caliper inches for every inch removed, planted within 12 months
• Owners can pay into the city tree bank instead of replanting

Those figures are the headline numbers only. Exemptions and exceptions exist, so Franklin planning staff are the ones to confirm your particular tree.

Brentwood, Nolensville, Spring Hill and Other Towns

Each of these towns writes its own tree ordinance, and none of them match Metro. Wilson, Rutherford and Sumner county towns also set their own terms. Please confirm with the town hall for your address, and we will pull the local code before we quote tree removal for you.

When the Tree Is Dead or Dangerous

A dead or clearly failing tree is treated more kindly than a healthy one in most codes, but not every rule says so, and a hazard claim holds up better on paper. Ash trees killed by emerald ash borer are a common Nashville example, since the beetle has been in Davidson County since 2014 and dead ash turn brittle quickly.

Get It in Writing

An ISA Certified Arborist can inspect the tree and record the decay, dieback or lean in a dated report with photos. That paper helps with a town office, a neighbor and an insurer alike.

Our arborist reports are written for exactly that use.

Whoever Pulls the Chain Takes the Risk

Cutting a protected tree without checking can bring a stop-work order, fines or a replanting demand, and one complaint from a neighbor is enough to start it. Photograph the tree and keep any arborist report before work begins. If a storm already dropped the tree, document it before storm cleanup starts.

Clearing a whole lot is another matter entirely. Grading and clearing usually tie into site plans, so those jobs begin with a call to the planning office, not a chainsaw.

Permits and Your Budget

Any fees, review time or replanting come on top of the cutting itself. Our tree removal cost guide shows typical Nashville prices so you can plan for the whole job.

Send Us the Address

Send the address and a photo or two. We will tell you which rules likely apply, whether a permit or paperwork is needed, and give you a free written estimate for the work.