Is there a tree permit?
None for a homeowner that this site could find. The City of Monroe and Union County pages read for this guide show no permit for taking down a tree on your own residential lot. The tree material in Monroe's code is a set of planting standards for new development, listing approved trees by size. Union County's urban forester works on the development side too, reviewing new developments to save trees during construction and overseeing replanting afterward. For other properties, the county's page simply tells owners to contact a professional tree removal service.
Rules can change, and some cases aren't simple, so call before a big tree comes down if:
- the tree is near the street, or you aren't sure where your lot line runs;
- the lot is part of a site plan, a new subdivision or a commercial property;
- your home is in another town in the county.
| Where the home is | Who to ask | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| City of Monroe | Planning | (704) 282-4520 |
| Indian Trail | Planning | (704) 821-5401 |
| Wingate | Planning | (704) 233-4411 |
| Marshville | Planning | (704) 624-2515 |
| Unionville | Planning | (704) 226-1989 |
| Outside any town | Union County Planning | (704) 283-3565 |
The town numbers come from Union County's list of municipal planning departments. If you live in a neighborhood with an owners' association, read its rules as well.
Trees by the street
A tree growing between the sidewalk and the curb, or right at the edge of the pavement, may stand on public right-of-way rather than your lot. In Monroe, the Code Enforcement Division is responsible for right-of-way maintenance, and its Community Maintenance crew's work includes chipping limbs and brush, removing stumps and clearing trash from the right-of-way and city-owned property. Before you pay to cut or grind something at the street edge, call Community Maintenance at (704) 282-5770 or the city's main line at (704) 282-4500 and ask whose it is.
If you plant a replacement near the street, look up first. Monroe's planting standards for development say canopy trees shall not be planted beneath or next to above-ground or overhead utility facilities, and that landscaping shall not block drivers' view of the street or a driveway.
Burning inside Monroe
The Monroe Fire Department's "Open Burning Rules" brochure starts with the rule itself: the City of Monroe prohibits open burning under city ordinance O-2003-35. Permits are considered only for limited uses, such as campfires, outdoor barbecues, festive bonfires, firefighter training and warmth, and those have to meet the state fire code's distance rules.
- Yard waste is out. Leaves, brush, dead wood, tree cuttings and weeds can't be burned where public pickup is available.
- So are scraps. Pallets, building and demolition material, treated or painted wood, tires, plastics, paper, cardboard and garbage are on the brochure's list of materials not permitted.
- Land clearing may be permitted under conditions, at least 1,000 feet from structures and 250 feet from roadways.
- Weather and air. Burning is allowed only when winds are minimal, no permits are issued on high ozone action days, and a permit can be revoked at any time for danger or nuisance.
- Cost and fines. A commercial burn permit is $40. Deliberately set fires draw citations of $50 for the first, $100 for the second and $500 for the third.
Monroe Fire Department, 117 North Church Street: (704) 282-4726. The practical result for tree work inside the city is simple: the wood gets hauled, not burned.
Burning outside town limits
Outside the city, two sets of rules apply on top of any town's own.
N.C. Forest Service permit. Between midnight and 4 p.m., anyone starting a fire in woodland or within 500 feet of woodland needs a burning permit. The Forest Service says burn permits don't cost anything. Get one online at ncforestservice.gov/burnpermits, at a Forest Service county office, or from a local burn permitting agent, and burn only natural vegetation such as leaves, branches and yard debris. When the state issues a burn ban, open burning is prohibited whether or not you hold a permit. The Union County office is at 3230 Presson Road, Suite C, in Monroe: (704) 233-1437.
State air quality rule. North Carolina's open burning rule, 15A NCAC 02D .1903, allows burning leaves, branches and yard trimmings at a residence only where no public pickup service is available. The fire can't be started before 8 a.m., nothing can be added between 6 p.m. and 8 a.m., and no burning can start on a day the state forecasts as Code Orange or worse for air quality. Land-clearing piles must be at least 500 feet from any dwelling or other occupied building that isn't on the same property. The Department of Environmental Quality says violators can be fined up to $25,000 or more.
Yard waste pickup in Monroe
Inside the city, the brush from a homeowner's own trimming goes to the curb. The city's yard-waste page sets the terms:
| Rule | What the city says |
|---|---|
| When | Once a week, on the same day as your garbage |
| Limb size | No longer than 4 feet and no more than 6 inches across |
| Not taken | Root balls, and trunks or branches over 6 inches in diameter |
| Contractor-cut wood | Trees, limbs and brush cut by commercial tree trimmers or lawn services aren't collected; they're the contractor's responsibility |
| How to pile | At the curb with no other debris mixed in, and thorny trimmings in their own pile |
| Loose material | Grass clippings, leaves, pinecones and vines go in bags, no more than 10 to 12 at a time; bagged leaves go out on your normal trash collection day |
| Loose leaves | From November to February, loose (unbagged) leaves are collected when piled behind the curb, not in the street |
| Also not taken | Straw, mulch and dirt |
| Vacant lots | No pickup from vacant lots or abandoned structures |
Questions go to Solid Waste at (704) 282-4565. The contractor rule is the one that matters most when you hire tree work: make sure the price includes hauling everything away.
Trees near power lines
Union County lists four electric providers: Duke Energy, Union Power Cooperative, the City of Monroe and Pee Dee Electric. Call yours before any work near a line.
- City of Monroe Energy Services: (704) 282-4600. The city trims trees along its lines to prevent outages and safety hazards.
- Union Power Cooperative vegetation management: (704) 289-3145.
- Duke Energy: asks customers to contact it before pruning or removing trees near power lines. The county lists its number as (800) 777-9898.
- Pee Dee Electric: (800) 992-1626, as listed by the county.
The 811 call
Stump grinding and replanting both dig into the ground. North Carolina law requires waiting three full working days after notifying NC 811 before digging, according to the state's electric cooperatives. Dial 811 or 1-800-632-4949. See stump grinding.
Questions homeowners ask
Do I need a permit to cut down a tree in my yard in Monroe?
No such permit turned up in the city or county pages read for this site. If the tree is near the street or the property is part of a development plan, call Planning at (704) 282-4520 to be sure.
Can the tree company burn the brush on my lot?
Not inside Monroe. The city bans open burning and doesn't permit burning yard waste where pickup exists. Outside town, a Forest Service permit and the state's air rules apply, and the state rule allows home yard-waste burning only where there's no public pickup.
Will Monroe pick up the logs from a removal?
Not if a contractor cut them, and not if they're thicker than 6 inches. Plan for the crew to haul them away, or keep them as firewood.
Is a burn permit needed for a campfire?
Inside Monroe, campfires are among the uses the fire department will consider for a permit. Call (704) 282-4726. Outside town, the Forest Service rule depends on the hour and how close you are to woods.
This site sends your request to one independent local contractor. It doesn't apply for permits or do any tree work.
- City of Monroe, Planning and Development; Community Maintenance; Yard Waste (Garbage and Recycling); Energy Services FAQ; code of ordinances, approved plan list standards. Monroe Fire Department, Open Burning Rules (ordinance O-2003-35). Read November 2026.
- Union County, Urban Forestry; Municipal Planning Departments; Numbers to Know.
- N.C. Forest Service, Open Burning Permits in North Carolina and Burn Permits: What You Need to Know; Union County office contacts.
- 15A NCAC 02D .1903 (readopted September 1, 2019). N.C. Department of Environmental Quality, open burning regulations page.
- Duke Energy, Trees and Safety. North Carolina's Electric Cooperatives, Call Before You Dig (August 9, 2023).