Avondale, AZ Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)

For a typical single-family homeowner removing a tree from their own yard, Avondale's code does not impose a citywide tree-removal permit. The key restriction applies to required landscaping, meaning trees and plants installed as part of a development's approved landscape plan. Under zoning code section 28-298, permanent modification or removal of existing landscaping (other than what is necessary for utility, infrastructure or repairs from unforeseen damage) requires prior approval from the zoning administrator or authorized designee. Removing approved landscaping without that approval can be reported to code enforcement and result in a notice of violation, and removed material must be replaced in kind. Section 28-293 separately requires that diseased, dying or dead trees and shrubs be removed and replaced promptly. State law adds a layer for protected native plants: Arizona Revised Statutes section 3-904 requires landowners to notify the Arizona Department of Agriculture before destroying protected native plants, though it exempts individually owned residential property of ten acres or less where initial construction has already occurred.