Landscaping Rules in New Rochelle, NY (2026)
4 verified landscaping rules for New Rochelle, New York, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Tree Trimming
New Rochelle owners must trim any tree, bush, or vegetation overhanging a public highway or public place so the lowest branches clear seven feet and hedges or vegetation stay under three feet, under City Code § 301-12. The Department of Public Works Commissioner enforces the standard and can order self-help trimming billed to the owner after a week's written notice.
New Rochelle Tree Trimming Over Streets
Some RestrictionsNew Rochelle City Code § 301-12
Trees, bushes, or vegetation standing in or upon any public highway or public place and on any lot adjacent to any public highway or public place and having branches and/or vegetation projecting into the public highway or place shall, under the supervision of the Commissioner of the Department of Public Works, be kept trimmed by the owner so that the lowest branches of trees and vegetation shal...
Tree Removal & Heritage Trees
Removing any tree from a New Rochelle lot of one acre or more, or cutting more than three trees a year (or any specimen tree with a trunk 24 inches or wider) from a smaller unimproved lot, requires a Tree Removal Permit from the City's Bureau of Buildings under Code § 301-21. Fees are set in Chapter 133.
New Rochelle Tree Removal Permit Rules
Some RestrictionsNew Rochelle City Code §§ 301-21, 301-32
No person shall remove or cause the tree removal of any tree on a lot comprised of one acre or more without first obtaining a Tree Removal Permit from the City of New Rochelle. ... No person shall remove or cause the Tree Removal from any Unimproved Lot comprised of less than one acre of more than three Trees in any given twelve-month period or any specimen tree without first obtaining a Tree R...
Weed Ordinances
New Rochelle bans letting weeds, grass or other rank vegetation grow past six inches on any lot, occupied or not, from the property line all the way to the curb. Owners must also keep poison ivy, ragweed and other harmful plants from spreading seed or overhanging any public space.
New Rochelle Weed and Grass Height Limit
Some RestrictionsNew Rochelle City Code § 250-5A
It shall be unlawful for any owner, lessee, occupant or any agent, servant, representative or employee of any such owner, lessee or occupant having control of any occupied or unoccupied lot or land or any part thereof in the City of New Rochelle to permit or maintain on any such lot or land or on or along the sidewalk, street or alley adjacent to the same between the property line and the curb ...
Composting
New Rochelle does not license or regulate home compost bins. Instead, § 163-8.5C of the Recycling Ordinance exempts residents who store or recycle fall leaves for composting or mulching on their own property from the City's mandatory leaf-bagging requirement that otherwise runs every October 15 through December 31.
New Rochelle On-Site Leaf Composting Exemption
Few RestrictionsNew Rochelle City Code § 163-8.5C
All persons within the municipality shall, for the period from October 15 through December 31 of each year, separate leaves from other solid waste generated at their premises and, unless the leaves are stored or recycled for composting or mulching on the premises, place the leaves in biodegradable thirty- to forty-gallon paper bags or loose in thirty-two-gallon containers. Leaves collected, bag...
Looking for Westchester County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement New Rochelle city rules.
Landscaping Rules in Westchester County →