Tree removal permit rules in Henrico County, VA — sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances — list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
A homeowner removing trees from an individual single-family or duplex lot is exempt from Henrico's tree-protection rules. Tree-removal regulation targets new development, subdivisions, and protected trees near streets, buffers, and Chesapeake Bay areas.
Section 24-5302.B.1(a) exempts development of a single-family detached or duplex dwelling on an individual lot from all landscaping-division standards, so an ordinary homeowner generally does not need a permit to remove a yard tree. The rules do apply to subdivisions and projects reviewed as a plan of development or site plan. A 'protected tree' includes any healthy tree six inches or greater in diameter within a required yard abutting a public street, transitional buffer, wetland, or Chesapeake Bay Resource Protection Area. Within an RPA buffer, clear-cutting trees and establishing new lawn areas are prohibited.
Removing a protected tree on regulated land without approval is a misdemeanor; a court may order replacement per Sec. 24-5313.F. Homeowner removals on exempt lots carry no county penalty.
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See how Henrico County's tree removal & heritage trees rules stack up against other locations.
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