Charlotte, NC Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)

Section 20.14.B.1 sets the baseline rule: a heritage tree may be removed only when a City-issued tree work permit is requested and approved, and no removal activity can begin until that permit is issued, any required mitigation payment is received, and a planting plan is approved. A City-approved development plan can itself serve as the tree work permit, so many removals tied to a site plan are cleared through that approval rather than a separate application.

Permits are granted on three specific grounds, each carrying different mitigation consequences. First, where the tree or its critical root zone sits in an area needed for a structure or required street and creates a documented conflict, mitigation is required. Second, where preserving the tree would unreasonably restrict use of the property, such as blocking utility service, property access, or repair of existing structural damage, mitigation is again required. Third, where the tree is diseased, injured, dead, in danger of falling, or creates an undue hazard that routine maintenance cannot fix, or conflicts with other UDO or code provisions, no mitigation is required.

A separate, faster path applies to imminent hazard or extreme poor health. A tree actively failing or expected to fail within two weeks may be removed on ISA-certified arborist certification or documented evidence, with no mitigation and, where possible, certification completed before removal. A tree in extreme poor health, defined as a high/extreme risk rating expected to fail within two years or 25% or less live canopy, still needs a City-issued tree work permit, but that permit carries no cost to the applicant and no mitigation requirement. Removing a tree or disturbing its critical root zone outside these paths is what triggers the civil penalties in the Charlotte Tree Manual.