Tree removal permit rules in Williamson County, TN — sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances — list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
In unincorporated Williamson County, removing trees from your own residential lot needs no permit. The county's tree-canopy rules apply only to subdivisions and land-disturbing development, which must inventory and retain a share of existing canopy.
Williamson County protects trees through development standards, not homeowner permits. Article 13 of the zoning ordinance defines 'existing tree canopy' and, before land-disturbing work, requires an applicant to inventory canopy and retain a set percentage under Table 13.07-1. Conservation subdivisions in the rural TCA-1 district must preserve large deciduous trees in open space. Individual homeowners on existing lots may clear their own trees without county approval. Trees in the public right-of-way belong to the county or a utility and cannot be removed by residents. Franklin and Brentwood run their own tree-removal permit programs inside city limits.
Removing protected canopy during development without authorization triggers replanting: 80 trees per disturbed acre or inch-for-inch caliper replacement, with three-inch minimum trees and a three-year establishment period.
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See how Williamson County's tree removal & heritage trees rules stack up against other locations.
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