Durham requires a tree survey and protection plan for land disturbance near buffers and protected trees. 'Major specimen trees' get special protection, and a land-disturbance tree survey is required within 30 feet of a buffer.
Through the joint City-County Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) 8.3, Durham reviews tree removal and protection as part of development approval rather than issuing per-tree yard permits. A land-disturbance tree survey is required wherever the limits of disturbance come within 30 feet of a riparian buffer, required landscape buffer, or other protected area. 'Major specimen trees' are defined by trunk diameter (dbh) and must generally be preserved or mitigated. Tree protection fencing must go up with erosion-control measures and stay until construction is complete. Because Durham and unincorporated Durham County share the UDO, the same standards apply countywide. Removing regulated or specimen trees without an approved plan is a UDO violation.
Removing protected or specimen trees, or clearing within a buffer, without an approved plan violates the UDO and can require replanting, mitigation payments, and civil penalties.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
durham-county-nc
Backyard composting is legal in Durham and the city offers a curbside food-waste program. Compost piles must be maintained so they do not harbor rodents or p...
durham-county-nc
Durham has no ordinance banning artificial turf in residential yards. It counts toward impervious-surface and lot-coverage limits under the UDO, and cannot b...
durham-county-nc
Durham lies in the Neuse River and Falls Lake watersheds, where state and UDO riparian buffer rules require a 50-foot protected buffer of native vegetation a...
durham-county-nc
Rain barrels and cisterns are legal and encouraged in Durham; no county ordinance bans collecting rooftop rainwater. Durham has historically offered subsidiz...
durham-county-nc
Durham enforces a year-round odd/even irrigation ordinance and can impose tighter water-shortage stages. As of June 2026 Durham is in Stage 2, which bans spr...
durham-county-nc
Durham declares dense weeds, vines, briars and undergrowth a public nuisance when they harbor pests or sit near buildings. Overgrowth over 12 inches high mus...
See how Durham County'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 If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.