Tree removal permit rules in Reading, PA — sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances — list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Tree removal in the City of Reading is governed by a combination of Reading Shade Tree Commission authority (over street trees and trees in the public right-of-way) and the City's land development/subdivision ordinance for development sites. Removal of a street tree without Commission approval is prohibited. Removal of healthy trees on development sites typically requires inclusion in the approved land-development plan, with replacement planting required by the Commission's policies.
Tree removal in Reading is regulated at two main levels. Street trees in the public right-of-way are under the jurisdiction of the Reading Shade Tree Commission (Bill No. 42, Sept. 12, 1973), implementing its authority through the City Arborist (610-655-6035). Removal of a street tree requires Commission approval, an arborist's hazard assessment for declining specimens, and replacement planting at the City's adopted ratio. On private property, removal of mature trees in connection with a land-development or subdivision project triggers review under Reading's land development ordinance (codified in the Reading City Code at https://ecode360.com/RE1294) and may require approval from the Reading Planning Commission. Reading lies within the Schuylkill River watershed; major-development projects must also comply with PA DEP NPDES Construction General Permit requirements (25 Pa. Code Chapter 102) including erosion-and-sediment control plans coordinated with the Berks County Conservation District. Routine removal of a single residential tree that is dead, diseased, or a documented safety hazard on private property is generally exempt from City permitting. Heritage and specimen-tree designations (where formally recorded as conditions of land-development approval) require additional review before removal.
Removing a street tree without Shade Tree Commission authorization is a violation of the Reading City Code, prosecutable as a summary offense before a Magisterial District Judge with fines and restitution for the appraised value of the tree (often several thousand dollars per mature specimen using ISA appraisal methodology). Unpermitted clearing on a land-development site can trigger stop-work orders, PA DEP NPDES enforcement under 25 Pa. Code Chapter 102, and required replacement planting. Damage to county or state park trees is enforced separately.
Reading, PA
Every swimming pool in Reading must be enclosed by a permanent barrier or fence at least four feet in height with no opening larger than four inches, and the...
Reading, PA
Reading Zoning Code § 600-1304 bans barbed-wire fences in residential settings, electrically-charged fences (except invisible pet fences), broken glass affix...
Reading, PA
Reading's zoning code does not require neighbor consent for a boundary fence under § 600-1301, but Pennsylvania's partition-fence statute (53 P.S. § 46202) a...
Reading, PA
Reading Zoning Code § 600-1301 requires a permit from the Zoning Administrator for any fence, wall, or similar structure greater than three feet in height. F...
Reading, PA
Reading Code Section 141-220 effectively caps a household at six dogs and/or cats combined. Owning more than six requires a permit from the Reading Animal Co...
Reading, PA
Propane (LP-gas) storage in Reading is regulated through the 2018 International Fire Code Chapter 61 (Liquefied Petroleum Gases), adopted by Reading Chapter ...
See how Reading's tree removal & heritage trees rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.