Vienna, VA Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)

The Town of Vienna has a long-standing commitment to urban forest preservation, reflected in its Tree City USA status (held continuously for decades), its Tree Action Plan, and Chapter 18 of the Vienna Town Code governing trees. Trees on public property, in street rights-of-way, or on town park land may not be removed, topped, or substantially pruned without authorization from the town arborist or Department of Parks and Recreation. For private property, regulation focuses primarily on land disturbance. Any construction, redevelopment, teardown, addition, or grading that requires a site plan, subdivision plat, or land-disturbance permit triggers the town's tree preservation and replacement standards. These require identification of existing significant trees (typically those with a diameter at breast height of six inches or more), preservation of a minimum canopy percentage on the lot post-development, protection of root zones during construction with fencing, and replacement of removed trees at a prescribed ratio using native or approved species. New single-family home construction commonly requires 20 to 25 percent canopy coverage within 10 to 20 years. Heritage or specimen trees may warrant special preservation. For existing homes where no construction is occurring, a homeowner may generally remove a yard tree on their own property without a town permit, though they should avoid damage to neighbors trees (Virginia law limits pruning to the property line). Dead, dying, or hazardous trees should be removed promptly to prevent liability. HOAs in Vienna and adjacent communities frequently regulate tree removal independently and may require architectural review committee approval. Trees along state-maintained roads (Maple Avenue, Park Street) fall under VDOT jurisdiction. Violating tree preservation conditions during development can trigger fines, stop-work orders, and replacement requirements at the full nursery value of the removed tree.