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Do You Need a Permit to Remove a Tree Near Knoxville?
A plain-language summary of the tree rules in Knoxville, Knox County, Farragut, Maryville and Oak Ridge, with links to the official sources.
Check with your city; rules change. This page is a general summary written for homeowners, not legal advice, and it may be out of date. Always confirm with the city or county office (and your HOA) before any tree work starts. Last reviewed October 2026.
Quick summary
| Where the tree is | Typical home lot | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| City of Knoxville | Single- and two-family home lots are exempt from Ch. 14's private-land rules (§14-29) | Trees on city property / right-of-way need written Urban Forester approval |
| Unincorporated Knox County | Check with Knox County Codes Administration before removing trees | Land Disturbance / Grading Permit for larger site work |
| Town of Farragut | Owner activities on their lot of residence are exempt from Ch. 113 (§113-4) | Clearing over 1 acre of tree cover; Town trees |
| City of Maryville | Check with Maryville Planning before removing trees | Street and park trees; right-of-way trees; Historic District review |
| City of Oak Ridge | Check with Oak Ridge Planning & Development before removing trees | Greenbelt, park, right-of-way and city trees need City Manager permission |
Two things apply everywhere: trees on public land are not yours to cut, even if they shade your yard, and HOA covenants can add rules of their own.
City of Knoxville
- Home lots are exempt from the private-land rules. Chapter 14 of the City Code says its tree-protection provisions for private property don't apply to parcels used for single-family or two-family homes (§14-29).
- City trees need written approval. Removing a tree on city property or in the public right-of-way requires written approval from the City's Urban Forester (§14-60), and topping trees on city property or the right-of-way is prohibited. The City has an application for work on trees on public property.
- Other parcels. On parcels the ordinance does cover, removing more than 25% of trees needs approval (§14-34), and designated champion or landmark trees need a permit (§14-35).
- Emergencies. The ordinance lets the Urban Forester waive requirements during windstorms, ice storms and other emergencies (§14-30, §14-63).
Source: Knoxville City Code, Chapter 14 (Trees), City-hosted copy
Source: City of Knoxville, Urban Forestry
Source: City of Knoxville, Application for Trees on Public Property (PDF)
Unincorporated Knox County
- Check with Knox County Codes Administration before removing trees.
- Knox County Stormwater requires a Land Disturbance / Grading Permit for disturbing more than one acre (which also needs a state Notice of Coverage), and for some smaller sites, such as those with 5 feet or more of cut or fill or more than 10,000 square feet of new impervious surface.
Source: Knox County Stormwater, Permits
Source: Knox County Codes Administration
Town of Farragut
- Chapter 113 (Tree Protection), §113-4, exempts "activities conducted by an owner on his lot of residence." The exemption does not include the removal of more than one acre of tree cover within a consecutive three-year period.
- §113-4 also exempts removal of hazardous trees, but that exemption requires coordination with the Town.
- Under §113-27, a grading or land disturbance permit is issued only after the tree preservation/removal plan has been approved.
- Trees on public property fall under the Public Tree Care Ordinance (Ordinance 22-02); the Tree Board assists Town staff.
- Questions about the Tree Protection Ordinance: Farragut Planning & Zoning.
Source: Town of Farragut, Tree Board
Source: Town of Farragut, Permitting Information
Source: Farragut Code of Ordinances, Chapter 113 (Tree Protection), Municode
Source: Town of Farragut, Planning Codes (links to the Code of Ordinances)
City of Maryville
- Maryville's Tree Board covers street trees (on land between property lines on either side of streets) and park trees.
- City code §14-236(16) bars damaging, trimming, destroying or removing trees in a public street right-of-way to increase sign visibility without the City's express written authorization.
- Historic District: all alterations and additions to property in the Historic District must be reviewed by the Historic Zoning Commission, except in-kind repairs, and the College Hill Historic Overlay summary lists landscaping among the items the Commission regulates. Ask Planning before tree work there.
- For a tree on your own lot, check with City of Maryville Planning before removing it.
Source: City of Maryville, Boards & Commissions
Source: Maryville Municipal Code, Title 14 (city-hosted PDF), §14-236
Source: Maryville Municipal Code (MTAS-hosted copy)
Source: City of Maryville, College Hill Historic Overlay District summary (PDF)
Source: City of Maryville, Planning
City of Oak Ridge
- It's unlawful to cut, top, prune, trim or remove any tree on a city greenbelt, right-of-way, park or other city property without the City Manager's written permission (§13-401).
- The City can require owners to remove, at their own expense, dead or diseased private trees that harbor insects or disease threatening other trees, within 60 days of written notice (§13-405).
- The City's 48 greenbelt districts (about 1,566 acres) are city-owned and protected by Title 13.
- For a tree on your own lot, check with Oak Ridge Planning & Development before removing it.
Source: Oak Ridge Municipal Code, Title 13 (Property Maintenance), Chapter 4
Power lines and buried utilities
- KUB serves Knox County and parts of seven surrounding counties. KUB says trees threatening the service line from the transformer to your home are the homeowner's responsibility, and asks you to contact KUB Vegetation Management if you plan to hire a tree service to prune near its lines. KUB clears at least 10 feet around distribution lines and 25 feet around transmission lines.
- Maryville Electric trims on a four-year cycle and describes a 20-foot tree trimming zone.
- Oak Ridge Electric trims to at least nine feet from primary conductors; the owner is responsible for limbs on the service drop, and on request the utility will remove the service drop so a tree next to it can be trimmed or removed, at no charge during business hours.
- Not sure who your utility is? Check your power bill and contact that utility before any work near lines.
- Before stump grinding or digging: Tennessee law requires notifying utilities at least three business days before digging. Customer-owned lines are not marked.
Source: KUB, Electric System (service area)
Source: KUB, Tree Pruning FAQ
Source: Maryville Electric, Tree Trimming
Source: Oak Ridge Electric, Tree Trimming & Conservation Tips
Source: KUB, Call 811
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