Tree Removal in Jersey City, NJ

Tree removal in Jersey City looks different from one neighborhood to the next. Downtown and in the brownstone districts, trees fill small yards enclosed by attached houses. Elsewhere, in neighborhoods like The Heights, Greenville and the West Side, housing types and yard sizes vary from block to block. Along the waterfront, trees deal with salt, wind and flooding. A plan that works on Hamilton Park would not work on the West Side, which is why every job here starts with a visit.

A city of renters and landlords

Only about 27.9% of Jersey City homes are owner-occupied, according to the Census. That means many tree decisions involve landlords, property managers and condo associations, sometimes with tenants living under the tree. We provide written quotes that are easy to forward to an owner or a board, and we coordinate access with tenants on the day.

The City's tree rules

Jersey City amended its tree chapter, Chapter 321, in 2021. Trees in the public right-of-way, City parks and City property are City trees, and a permit from the Division of Parks and Forestry is needed for each one removed or pruned, and for construction or sidewalk work within 15 feet of one. Cutting more than 20% of a City tree's canopy is prohibited, and removing two or more trees requires 10 days' notice to owners within 200 feet, except in emergencies. Private trees have not required a City permit, though the City has discussed adding private-tree rules, so we confirm the current requirement at the estimate.

Waterfront exposure

Superstorm Sandy pushed surge flooding into Downtown, Country Village, the West Side and Liberty State Park in 2012. Trees that sat in salt water or saturated soil can decline for years afterward, and waterfront trees take more wind than those inland. If a tree near the water has thinned out or started to lean, consider having it evaluated by a licensed tree expert or removed.

Pests with a Jersey City history

The Asian longhorned beetle was found in Jersey City in October 2002, and the state declared New Jersey free of it in March 2013 after nearly 22,000 trees were removed in Union, Middlesex and Hudson counties. Today the concern is the emerald ash borer, which has put ash trees across the state at risk, and the spotted lanternfly, whose quarantine covers all of New Jersey.

Parks and big trees

With Liberty State Park at 1,212 acres and Lincoln Park at about 273 acres, Jersey City has more open space than its density suggests. Big trees near houses often need crane work or careful rigging rather than simple felling.