Burlington Code Chapter 43 (Trees) prohibits the removal, pruning, or damage of any public shade tree without written permission from the City Arborist; private property trees are largely unregulated unless within heritage or historic overlays.
Chapter 43 vests authority over all street trees, park trees, and public-property trees in the Department of Parks, Recreation and Waterfront's Tree Warden / City Arborist. Removal requires arborist approval, justification (disease, hazard, conflict), and replacement under the city's two-for-one replanting policy. Pruning by abutters is also restricted β only the arborist or licensed contractors operating under permit may prune branches over public ways. Private trees outside historic districts may be removed without permit but encroachment rules still apply.
Ch. 43 Β§43-7: civil penalty up to $500 per tree plus replacement value (often thousands).
Burlington, VT
Burlington Code of Ordinances Β§21-13 sets citywide quiet hours from 10:00 PM to 7:00 AM, during which noise plainly audible between apartments or houses is d...
Burlington, VT
Burlington's Comprehensive Development Ordinance limits fences in the First Lot Layer (front yard) to 4 feet and fences in Second and Third Lot Layers (side ...
Burlington, VT
Burlington Comprehensive Development Ordinance (CDO) Article 5 treats storage sheds as accessory structures incidental to a residential use. Sheds may encroa...
Burlington, VT
Burlington's short-term rental ordinance (Chapter 18, adopted 2022) requires hosts to disclose at registration the number of vehicles used by residents and g...
Burlington, VT
Burlington short-term rental hosts must comply with citywide noise rules in Burlington Code of Ordinances Chapter 21, Section 21-13. Quiet hours run 10:00 p....
Burlington, VT
Residential swimming pool barriers in Burlington are governed by the Vermont Fire and Building Safety Code, adopted by the Vermont Division of Fire Safety un...
See how Burlington's tree removal permits rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.