Tree removal permit rules in Brookline, MA — sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances — list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Brookline's Tree Preservation Bylaw (effective March 27, 2025) requires a Tree Impact and Removal Permit for removing protected trees (6+ inches DBH within 20 ft of property line) and for construction/demolition near such trees. Mitigation costs $500 per inch of diameter removed.
Under Brookline's Tree Preservation Bylaw (2025), removal of any tree 6+ inches DBH within 20 feet of a property line requires a Tree Impact and Removal Permit from the Engineering Division. Mitigation is required: either replanting equivalent canopy or payment into the Tree Preservation Fund at $500 per inch of DBH removed (e.g., a 15-inch tree = $7,500). Low-income single/two/three-family homeowners qualifying for the Residential Exemption and at or below 80% AMI are exempt from mitigation fees. Invasive species (e.g., Norway maple) 6+ inches DBH also require permits and mitigation. Public shade tree removal requires a public hearing with the Tree Planting Committee.
Unauthorized tree removal can result in stop-work orders and mandatory mitigation payments. Permit review: engineering@brooklinema.gov.
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