Columbus, OH · Franklin County
Tree removal in Columbus, Ohio
In Columbus, any work on a public tree, or within its critical root zone, needs a Forestry permit. That includes street trees between the sidewalk and curb, whatever their condition, and the permit is applied for by an ISA Certified Arborist from the tree company. Trees on your own lot don't need a city permit. Most private removals in Columbus are dead ash, split Callery pears, and storm-damaged maples.
The June 2012 derecho swept across central Ohio with hurricane-force gusts, knocking out power for days and bringing down trees across the city. Summer thunderstorms are still the most common reason Columbus homeowners need urgent tree help, often on ground softened by heavy rain.
Older neighborhoods like Clintonville, German Village and the near east side have big, aging maples and oaks over narrow lots, while newer suburbs are full of Callery pears planted in the 1990s and 2000s that are now splitting apart. Ohio banned new sales and plantings of Callery pear in 2023.
Reviewed and updated
Permits, windstorms and dying ash in Columbus
Forestry permits for public trees
Removal, pruning, stump grinding, or any work in the critical root zone of a public tree needs a Forestry permit, with no fee to apply, though replanting or a mitigation fee may be required.
Summer derechos and downbursts
The 2012 derecho is the benchmark; strong summer storms regularly topple trees in central Ohio.
Dead and dying ash
Emerald ash borer moved through Franklin County years ago; backyard ash left untreated are now brittle.
Callery pears in subdivisions
Mature pears split at their narrow forks, often in spring wind or ice.
Callery pears: taking them out and what to plant instead
Columbus subdivisions from the 1990s and 2000s are full of Callery pears that are now splitting apart. Ohio stopped their sale and planting in 2023, so the question is what to do with the ones already standing.
A pear that has lost a major limb or has a cracked fork rarely recovers; removal is usually the better choice. When replacing one, pick a tree that suits the space at full size. Under overhead lines that means a small species; in an open front yard, a long-lived shade tree.
Maples, ash, pears and oaks in Columbus yards
- Silver and Norway maple
- Large older yard trees; storm breakage and surface roots
- Ash
- Dead or declining unless treated
- Callery pear
- Invasive in Ohio; frequent removal
- Pin and red oak
- Big shade trees in older neighborhoods
- Honeylocust
- Common street tree in newer plantings
Treat or remove an ash in Franklin County
Emerald ash borer has been through central Ohio for years. Whether a remaining ash is worth treating depends on its condition:
Full canopy, no dieback
- Usual choice
- Treatment can protect it
- Why
- Regular trunk injections keep healthy ash alive; the tree keeps its shade value
Some thinning, under about a third
- Usual choice
- Treatment may still work
- Why
- Ask an arborist; results depend on how far the beetles have gotten
Heavy dieback, bark splits, woodpecker damage
- Usual choice
- Removal
- Why
- The tree is past saving and becomes brittle quickly
Already dead
- Usual choice
- Remove soon
- Why
- Dead ash is hard to remove safely once it dries out
Small central lots and suburban outer-ring yards
Older central neighborhoods have small lots, alleys and overhead service drops, so removals are often rigged in sections. Suburban lots in the outer ring have more room for a lift but frequent fences, pools and play sets under the canopy.
Because street trees here need a Forestry permit before any work, make sure the company knows which tree is which. Clearance pruning on your own tree that reaches over the street tree's root zone can still involve the city.
Columbus services, from ash to pears
Split pears and storm-damaged maples.
Dead ash left from the borer outbreak.
Derecho and downburst cleanup.
Forestry permit needed for street trees; private trees don't need one.
Street-tree stumps also need a permit.
Columbus questions: street trees, ash and pears
Can I trim the street tree in front of my Columbus house?
Not without a Forestry permit. Any pruning, removal or stump grinding of a street tree needs one, and the application comes from an ISA Certified Arborist at the tree company you hire. You can also request city service through 311.
Do I need a permit to remove a dead ash in my Columbus backyard?
No city permit is needed for a tree entirely on private property. Because dead ash gets brittle, ask the company how they'll take it down; a lift is often safer than climbing.
Should I remove my Bradford pear before it splits?
If it already has a cracked fork or has lost a big limb, removal is usually the better choice. Pears don't recover well from splits, and Ohio now classes them as invasive.
Columbus's forestry permits for public trees
- Columbus requires a Forestry permit for any project that removes, prunes, grinds the stump of, or works within the critical root zone of a public tree. Street trees always need a permit, regardless of condition.
- The tree company's ISA Certified Arborist submits the application. There's no application fee, but replanting or a mitigation fee may be required.
- Trees entirely on your private lot don't need a city permit.
Sources (checked 2026-10-01)
Rules change and details depend on your exact property. Confirm with the city or county before work starts. This isn't legal advice.
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