Porter County, IN Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Porter County, IN, sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances, list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Key Facts
- Applies when
- Natural-area-protection option chosen
- Removal threshold
- 6-inch DBH / 8-foot evergreen
- Retention area size
- 35 ft wide, 10,000 sq ft minimum
- Violation remedy
- Inch-for-inch replanting required
- Effective date
- June 15, 2007 (UDO)
Summary
When a developer opts into Porter County's UDO tree-conservation credit, no tree with a trunk over six inches DBH or evergreen over eight feet may be cut from the designated conservation area without meeting a listed exception. The limit only applies to sites that elect this optional protection method, not every property countywide.
B. Tree Conservation: If preserving the natural landscape is chosen, prior to construction on or removal of trees from a wooded area, the following standards apply. 1. Provide a Tree Conservation Plan outlining strategies for retaining, protecting and replanting trees on a site. DNR can provide guidance. Prepare a Tree Conservation Map that outlines existing tree cover, priority protection areas, proposed grading, and proposed protective devices. 2. Within the designated conservation areas, no trees with a DBH in excess of six (6) inches or evergreens eight (8) feet or more in height shall be removed from any lot unless trees are: a. Within the building site pad; b. Within fifteen (15) feet of the perimeter of the primary structure or accessory structures; c. Between the front of the primary structure and the interior roadway of the subdivision; and/or d. Required to be removed in order to comply with safety requirements of any governmental agency.
Full Breakdown
27 LA-06(A)), but developers who choose that natural-area-protection option must follow real removal limits. 27 LA-06(B), 'prior to construction on or removal of trees from a wooded area,' the applicant must submit a Tree Conservation Plan and accompanying Tree Conservation Map showing existing tree cover, priority protection areas, grading, and protective devices, with the Indiana DNR available to advise. 27 LA-06(B)(2)). 27 LA-06(B)(3)). 27 LA-06(B)(4)). This is an optional credit-based program tied to a specific development choice, not a blanket permit requirement for cutting any tree anywhere in unincorporated Porter County; a property owner outside a designated conservation area is not subject to these removal limits.
Violations & Fines
Removing a protected tree from a designated conservation area outside the listed exceptions, or clearing beyond an approved Tree Conservation Plan, is a Unified Development Ordinance violation enforceable under Chapter 11. The Plan Commission can require inch-for-inch replacement planting under §5.27 LA-06(B)(4), and a court-imposed fine under §11.09 runs $50 to $2,500 per day the violation continues.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Porter County require a permit to remove any tree from my property?
How large does a tree have to be before conservation limits apply?
What must a builder do if a protected tree is cut down by mistake?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Porter County
Compare Porter County to another location·View the Indiana landscaping rules overview
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