Tree Removal in Omaha, NE

Permits & rules in Omaha

No city permit is needed to remove a tree on your own private property in Omaha, but anyone doing tree work for hire must hold a City of Omaha arborist's license issued by the City Forester (Omaha Municipal Code Ch. 37, Art. II: second-class covers trimming and removal, first-class adds chemical treatment; licenses run three years). Trees in the street right-of-way/parking strip belong to the city: Sec. 37-8 makes it unlawful to plant or remove them without a permit from the City Forester, and Sec. 37-10 lets the forester assess up to triple the appraised value of a right-of-way tree removed without a permit. Abutting owners are still responsible for keeping right-of-way trees pruned (Sec. 37-9), dead or hazardous trees on any property must be removed (Sec. 37-11), and limbs must clear 14-16 ft over major streets, 12-14 ft over other streets and 8-10 ft over sidewalks (Secs. 37-91 to 37-93).

Storm debris: Omaha has no standing curbside brush program; limbs go out with the city's seasonal yard-waste collection or to a private drop-off, and after major wind storms the city has opened temporary free tree-debris drop-off sites.

Trees we see most in Omaha

• Green ash Was Omaha's dominant street tree; emerald ash borer (found 2016) has killed or forced removal of most, with ~15,000 public ash slated for removal
• Hackberry Tough native that handles Omaha's clay and wind; cosmetic nipple galls and witches' broom are common complaints
• Silver maple Fast-growing shade tree in older neighborhoods; weak, included-bark unions split in summer wind storms
• Siberian elm Planted everywhere mid-century for shade and windbreaks; brittle wood sheds large limbs in storms and ice
• Bur oak Long-lived native of the Missouri River bluffs; slow to establish and now showing bur oak blight in eastern Nebraska
• Eastern cottonwood Nebraska's state tree, huge along the river bottoms; constant limb drop and root heave near structures

Weather & timing

• Tornado season April-June peak; the April 2024 Elkhorn/Omaha EF-4 tornado leveled thousands of trees in northwest Omaha
• Derechos and straight-line winds Summer thunderstorms with 80-90+ mph gusts (July 2021 derecho) snap silver maples, elms and cottonwoods
• Ice storms and heavy wet snow Early-fall and spring snows on leafed-out trees and winter ice load break limbs citywide
• Drought and heat Recurring droughts (2012, 2022-23) stress trees and invite borers and cankers

Best time: The dormant season (November-March) is best for removals and structural pruning in Omaha, and oaks should only be pruned then because the Nebraska Forest Service advises against pruning oaks April through July when oak wilt beetles are active.