Apex, NC Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Apex, NC, sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances, list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Key Facts
- Issuing agency
- Town of Apex Planning Department
- Tree survey threshold
- 8-inch caliper and larger
- Permit validity
- 1 year, one 6-month extension
- SFR/duplex exemption
- Non-development removal on existing residential lots
- Late-permit penalty
- 3-5 year development freeze, N.C.G.S. § 160D-921
Summary
Apex requires a Tree Removal and/or Pond Drainage Permit from the Planning Department before cutting trees to facilitate development, under UDO Sec. 2.3.15.
No person shall engage in tree removal and/or pond drainage activities unless such person has applied for and has been issued a Tree Removal and/or Pond Drainage Permit, and all other applicable federal, state, and local permits have been issued. The Tree Removal and/or Pond Drainage Permit is issued by the Town of Apex Planning Department and authorizes tree removal and/or pond drainage activities consistent with this Ordinance. All tree removal and/or pond drainage activities shall be conducted in conformity with the approved Tree Removal and/or Pond Drainage Plan and Permit. Tree removal activities include cutting of trees. Pond drainage activities include drainage of water bodies. The Tree Removal Plan cannot be reviewed concurrently with any other development application (including Rezoning, conditional zoning, PUD-CZ, SDCZ, TND-CZ, MEC-CZ, Master Subdivision Plan, Site Plan, Administrative Approval, etc.) and must be approved or withdrawn prior to the submission of any other development application. The Pond Drainage Plan can be reviewed concurrently with any other development application (including but not limited to Rezoning, conditional zoning, PUD-CZ, SD-CZ, TND-CZ, Master Subdivision Plan, Site Plan, Administrative Approval, etc.). Minimal tree removal and grading necessary to facilitate draining the pond and establishing sedimentation and erosion control measures shall be permitted as part of the Pond Drainage Plan.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
Under the Apex Unified Development Ordinance, no one may engage in tree removal or pond drainage activities without first applying for and receiving a Tree Removal and/or Pond Drainage Permit from the Town of Apex Planning Department, plus any other required federal, state, or local permits. The Technical Review Committee reviews the required Tree Removal Plan, which must map every tree 8 inches in caliper or larger and identify areas that would be buffers or Resource Conservation Areas, against Sec. 2.3.15.E before a permit issues. Routine removal not tied to development, and removal on land already zoned or used single-family or duplex residential, is exempt, but skipping the permit where it's required can freeze future site or subdivision approvals under state law (N.C.G.S. § 160D-921). This is a UDO (July 2021 codification) rule, distinct from the Town's general code.
Violations & Fines
Removing trees to facilitate development without an approved Permit and Plan bars approval of any Master Subdivision Plan, Site Plan, or building permit for the tract for 3 years (5 years if the harvest was a willful violation), per N.C.G.S. § 160D-921.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Apex require a permit to remove trees on my property?
What happens if I remove protected trees without a permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Apex
Compare Apex to another location·View the North Carolina landscaping rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Tree Removal & Heritage Trees in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Wake County handle tree removal & heritage trees.