Orem, UT Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Orem, UT, sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances, list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Key Facts
- Must remove
- hazard, dead, decayed, or diseased trees
- Also required
- pruning, mowing, weeding, watering
- Governing section
- Orem City Code 22-14-13
- Applies to
- any required landscaped area
- Penalty
- Class C misdemeanor, up to $500
Summary
Orem's landscaping maintenance rule, City Code 22-14-13, requires every required landscaped area to be kept neat and orderly, and specifically obligates owners to remove trees that pose a safety hazard or that are dead, decayed, or diseased, along with weeds and debris that endanger the public or neighboring property.
All required landscaped areas shall be maintained in a neat, clean, and orderly condition and in accordance with good landscape maintenance practices. This includes proper pruning, lawn mowing, weeding, removing of litter, fertilizing, replacing of dead plants and the regular watering of all living material within landscaped areas. Required landscape maintenance also includes the removal of trees that pose a safety hazard; trees that are dead, decayed, or diseased; and weeds or debris that constitute unsightly appearance, present a danger to public safety and welfare, or prove detrimental to neighboring properties.
Full Breakdown
The maintenance duty attaches to any area a property was required to landscape in the first place under Chapter 22, whether that is a front-yard buffer, a parking-lot screen, or a street-side strip, and it runs continuously rather than only at the time of installation. Owners must keep the area in a neat, clean, and orderly condition under good landscape maintenance practice, which the code spells out as proper pruning, lawn mowing, weeding, litter removal, fertilizing, replacing dead plants, and regularly watering everything living in the bed.
On top of that general upkeep list, the section calls out tree removal specifically: a landscaped area's maintenance obligation 'also includes the removal of trees that pose a safety hazard' and trees that are 'dead, decayed, or diseased,' as well as clearing weeds or debris that create an unsightly appearance, endanger public safety, or harm neighboring properties. Because this sits in the landscaping chapter of the zoning code rather than the health and sanitation nuisance chapter, it reaches any qualifying tree in a required landscaped area citywide, not just trees the City separately flags as an obstruction or nuisance, and it is the Development Services Director, not the Health Department, who administers it as a zoning-maintenance standard.
Violations & Fines
Letting a hazard tree, dead landscaping, or accumulated debris sit in a required landscaped area is a Chapter 22 zoning violation: a Class C misdemeanor under City Code 22-1-6, punishable by up to a $500 fine for an individual or $1,000 for a corporation, with each day of noncompliance a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Orem require me to remove a dead tree in my yard?
What other upkeep does Orem's landscaping code require?
Who enforces Orem's tree and landscape maintenance rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Orem
Compare Orem to another location·View the Utah landscaping rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Tree Removal & Heritage Trees in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Utah County handle tree removal & heritage trees.