Salt Lake County, UT Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Salt Lake County, 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
- Applies in
- Foothills and Canyons Overlay Zone only
- Replacement ratio
- 1 tree removed = 2 planted
- Min. size
- 1-inch caliper / 4-ft conifer
- Establishment period
- At least 2 years
- Bond
- 10% of replacement tree value
Summary
In the foothills and canyons overlay zone, a significant tree removed from inside the approved limits of disturbance must be replaced with two new trees on the same lot.
When a significant tree is removed from inside the established limits of disturbance, which removal is not required by wildland-urban interface standards... the applicant or developer shall replace such tree(s) on the lot... A significant tree that is removed shall be replaced by two trees with a minimum size of one inch caliper for deciduous trees and a minimum height of four feet for coniferous trees...
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 49).
Full Breakdown
Salt Lake County Code §19.72.110(D) applies only within the mapped Foothills and Canyons Overlay Zone (FCOZ): the canyon and hillside unincorporated areas east of the valley cities, not the whole county. A removed significant tree (six-inch caliper or greater, per §19.72.110's definitions) must be replaced by two trees meeting minimum size standards, maintained through a two-year establishment period, with a bond covering ten percent of the replacement trees' value for the first year.
Violations & Fines
Applicant/developer must replace each removed significant tree with two trees and post an establishment bond; the director can waive replacement for heavily wooded remainder lots or Class 1 ignition-resistant sites.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this apply to my whole property in unincorporated Salt Lake County?
What counts as a 'significant tree' that must be replaced?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Salt Lake County
Compare Salt Lake County to another location·View the Utah landscaping rules overview
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