Plainfield, NJ Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)

Section 17:9-49D of the Plainfield Municipal Code, added 4-8-2024 by Ord. No. MC 2024-17 and amended 7-8-2024 by Ord. No. MC 2024-38, governs tree removal in the City of Plainfield, Union County. A person planning to remove a non-street tree with a DBH of six inches or more on their property files a Tree Removal Application with the Zoning Officer, and no such tree comes down until municipal officials have reviewed and approved the removal. The application carries a tree survey showing the number, sizes and exemptions of trees so fees can be assessed. A street tree follows a stricter track: municipal officials and the Shade Tree Commission both have to approve before it is removed.

The ordinance defines removal broadly. Tree removal means killing a tree or causing irreparable damage that leads to its decline or death, including excessive pruning, toxic substances, over-mulching, and improper grading or soil compaction inside the critical root radius, which is the tree's DBH multiplied by 1.5 feet. Responsible pruning and maintenance is not removal.

Replacement is tied to trunk size. The Tree Replacement Requirements Table sets four categories: 6 inches (non-street trees) to 12.99 inches DBH requires one replacement tree and a $75 application fee; 13 to 22.99 inches requires two trees and $100; 23 to 32.99 inches requires three trees and $150; and 33 inches or more requires four trees and $175. Each replacement has a minimum caliper of 1.5 inches, goes in within 12 months of the removal, is monitored by the applicant for two years and replaced as needed, and cannot be a tree in a temporary container or pot. If some or all replacements cannot fit on the property, the applicant plants them in a separate area the municipality approves.

Hazard trees come out with no fee or replacement requirement, but a tree cut solely for development is not a hazard tree. Other exemptions cover tree farms, nurseries, orchards, garden centers, approved silviculture plans and street trees removed by official Shade Tree Commission action. Anyone claiming an exemption gives written justification with at least one statement from a New Jersey licensed tree expert or arborist.