Tree Removal in Buffalo, NY

Permits & rules in Buffalo

No City permit is needed to remove a tree standing entirely on private property; the Bureau of Forestry FAQ states no permit is required even to plant on private land, and we found no size-based or protected-tree ordinance for private trees. Any pruning, planting or removal of a tree in the city right-of-way (usually the strip between sidewalk and curb) requires a free DPW Tree Work Permit from the Bureau of Forestry, requested at least 30 days ahead, and the work must be done by a contractor holding a City of Buffalo landscape license. The City removes street trees only if they are dead or dying, structurally unsound, terminally diseased, or unavoidably in the way of approved construction. Residents may hand-prune low branches on the street tree in front of their house without a permit as long as no power tools or ladders are used.

Storm debris: DPW picks up brush with regular curbside collection (branches tied with twine in bundles no longer than 4 feet; leaves and small brush in clear or paper bags), with larger piles handled through bulk-trash days or a 311 'Pick and Pay' request, and special storm-debris collections announced after major events.

Trees we see most in Buffalo

• Silver maple The city's most common large tree; its weak crotches made it the biggest casualty of the October 2006 storm
• Norway maple Ubiquitous street tree; invasive, tar-spot leaves, and surface roots that heave sidewalks
• Honeylocust Widely planted post-EAB replacement on city streets; tolerant of salt and compacted soil
• Littleleaf linden Olmsted parkway and street tree; aphid honeydew drip and weak limb unions on older specimens
• London planetree Big tolerant street tree on wider avenues; sheds bark and large limbs with age
• Northern red oak / pin oak Parkway and yard oaks; pin oak chlorosis in alkaline fill and oak wilt pruning cautions

Weather & timing

• Lake-effect snow The November 2022 storm dropped 6+ feet on South Buffalo; wet lake snow loads break limbs and whole crowns
• Early-season snow on leafed trees The October 2006 'Arborgeddon' storm damaged tens of thousands of trees still in leaf
• Lake Erie windstorms 60-70+ mph gusts off the lake (December 2022 blizzard, spring wind events) topple shallow-rooted and weak trees
• Ice storms and freeze-thaw Freezing rain and repeated thaws crack trunks and bring down ice-coated limbs

Best time: Late fall (November) and late winter to early spring (March-April) are best in Buffalo: trees are dormant, crews work before and after peak lake-effect snow, and dormant pruning satisfies oak wilt and elm guidance.