Salt Lake City, UT Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Salt Lake City, 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
- Governing section
- SLC Code § 21A.48.090
- Replacement ratio
- 2 caliper inches per dbh inch removed
- Discretion modifier
- Setbacks/height flexed up to 20%
- Protection fencing
- Chainlink, 4 ft min, before grading
- Applies to
- New development applications only
Summary
New development in Salt Lake City must preserve city forester-designated specimen trees or pay into the tree fund and replant at a 2-caliper-inch-per-dbh-inch ratio before removing one.
Specimen trees, required to be preserved, shall not be cut, removed, pushed over, killed, or otherwise damaged.
3. Paving, Fill, Excavation, or Soil Compaction Prohibited: The tree protection zone of any protected specimen tree shall not be subjected to paving, filling, excavation, or soil compaction.
4. Mitigation: Where the city determines it is not practicable to preserve a specimen tree on the development site, the following mitigation provisions shall apply.
a. Replacement Tree Required: 2 caliper inches of replacement trees shall be provided for each dbh of specimen tree removed (for example, if a 24 inch dbh specimen tree is removed, it must be replaced with at least 24 trees of a minimum 2 inch caliper or 8 trees with a 6 inch caliper). Each replacement tree shall be a minimum of 2 inches in caliper, and shall either be replanted prior to certificate of occupancy or within a conditional time frame as approved by the city forester. Consult the "Salt Lake City Plant List and Hydrozone Schedule" for recommendations on tree selection. Replacement trees shall be planted on the lot or site where the specimen tree was removed except where the city forester, in consultation with the zoning administrator, finds the following:
(1) The site does not provide for adequate landscape surface area to accommodate the total number of replacement trees; or
(2) That due to unique soil types, topography, or unusual
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-21: Code current through: Ord. 40-26, passed June 16, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Salt Lake City Code § 21A.48.090 requires new development to preserve specimen trees the city forester lists unless preservation is impracticable. The zoning administrator can shift setbacks or height limits up to 20% to save a specimen tree. If removal is unavoidable, the applicant must replant 2 caliper inches of replacement trees for every inch of diameter-at-breast-height removed, or pay cash in lieu into the city's tree fund. Exemptions cover dead/hazard trees, single- and two-family home construction outside new subdivisions, and a handful of other listed cases. During construction, protected trees need chainlink protection fencing approved by the city forester before any grading begins.
Violations & Fines
Violations are enforced under the city's zoning and development enforcement codes; unauthorized removal, damage, or fencing violations can hold up permits and trigger the mitigation/replacement requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this apply to any tree in my yard?
Can I remove a dead or hazardous tree without going through this?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Salt Lake City
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Tree Removal & Heritage Trees in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Salt Lake County handle tree removal & heritage trees.