Madison does not require a permit to remove a tree from an established residential lot. Tree protection applies to new development: the Zoning Ordinance preserves natural vegetation along property lines and gives credit for saving existing trees of at least four-inch caliper on landscaped sites.
No provision of the city code requires a homeowner to obtain a permit before removing a tree on their own established lot. The Zoning Ordinance's tree provisions operate through the site-plan and landscaping process. Section 4-13-1 requires natural vegetation, especially trees and shrubs, to be preserved along property lines, fence rows, and drainage ways and shown on the landscape plan. Section 7-5-1(G) offers a credit: each existing tree with a minimum caliper of four inches, a healthy live crown of at least 30 percent of tree height, protected by a barrier during construction and marked 'to be saved,' counts as one and one-half of the required trees. Grading needs a land-disturbance permit.
No penalty for private residential removal. On development sites, clearing without an approved site plan/land-disturbance permit or failing landscaping requirements is enforced by Planning and can block a certificate of occupancy.
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Madison, AL
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Madison, AL
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Madison, AL
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Madison, AL
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Madison, AL
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Madison, AL
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See how Madison's tree removal permits rules stack up against other locations.
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