Clarksville, TN Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Clarksville, TN, sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances, list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Key Facts
- Homeowner replacement rule
- None
- City tree removal
- Caliper for caliper replacement
- Waiver authority
- Mayor may waive
- Landscaping replacement
- One year or next planting
- Preservation credits
- Voluntary, six-inch trees surveyed
Summary
When a city department or utility removes a city public tree it must replant caliper for caliper. A homeowner who removes a private tree owes no replacement, and development tree preservation credits are voluntary.
Whenever a city department or utility determines that removal of a city public tree from a public area is necessary, the city department or utility causing the removal shall replant such trees, or replace them on a caliper for caliper inch basis.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 110 Update 2 | Zoning Ordinance: Supplement 6).
Full Breakdown
Section 1-1706(e) requires the city department or utility causing removal of a city public tree to replant or replace it on a caliper for caliper inch basis, or to plant an equivalent number of approved trees at a site the city forester specifies. The mayor may waive or modify that duty. Section 1-1706(f) requires replacement of any city tree topped without the forester's approval, and Section 1-1707(b) requires stumps ground to at least twelve inches. On the development side, Zoning Section 7.8 requires unhealthy or dead required landscaping replaced within one year or by the next planting period, whichever comes first, and Section 7.2 exempts one- and two-family dwellings on individual lots. Section 7.10 preservation credits are optional.
Violations & Fines
Failing to replace required landscaping lets the building official refuse an occupancy permit, order replacement, or start legal proceedings under Zoning Ordinance Section 7.8.
Frequently Asked Questions
Must I plant a new tree after removing one from my yard?
Who replaces a dead street tree in Clarksville?
What are tree preservation credits?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Clarksville
Compare Clarksville to another location·View the Tennessee landscaping rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.