Tree Removal in Ridgefield Park, NJ

Tree removal in Ridgefield Park changed in September 2025, when the village adopted Chapter 329, its Tree Removal-Replacement chapter (Ord. No. 2025-12). If a tree on your lot has a trunk 6 inches across or wider at breast height, or a street tree measures 2.5 inches or more, the chapter calls for an application before it comes down. We plan each job with that step in mind, so the paperwork and the crew date line up instead of colliding.

What Chapter 329 asks of a property owner

• An application fee of $50 for one tree, plus $25 for each additional tree taken down at the same time (§ 329-3A(3))
• A tree survey if you want to take four or more trees off one property (§ 329-3A(2))
• Replacement planting within 12 months, scaled to the size of the tree removed, followed by two years of monitoring
• A payment of $450 per tree into the village tree fund when replacements cannot fit on the lot (§ 329-3C(1)(b))

This is our reading of the posted code, not legal advice, and the village may interpret it differently. Confirm the current requirements with the village before any removal.

Dead and dangerous trees

Chapter 329 lets hazard trees come down without a fee or replacement, but only with advance approval from the village's Tree Enforcement Officer (§ 329-4F). The code also states that a tree proposed for removal solely to make room for development is not a hazard tree. Whether a tree qualifies is the village's decision, not ours, so ask the Tree Enforcement Officer what documentation is needed before you schedule. Once you have the approval, our free estimate and written quote cover the removal itself: how the tree comes down, what equipment it needs, and the cleanup.

Curbside trees belong to the Shade Tree Commission

The trees along the curb are a separate matter. Since 1979 the village's Shade Tree Commission has overseen trees on streets, in parks and on parkways, and Chapter 23 states that nothing authorizes interfering with or injuring a highway shade tree without the Commission's consent (§ 23-19). If a curbside tree is the problem, start with the Commission. It meets at 7:30 pm on the fourth Thursday of each month on the third floor of the Municipal Building at 234 Main Street, and it reimburses homeowners for pre-approved sidewalk repairs when a village tree caused the damage. For trees inside your property line, § 23-20A notes that owners and occupants remain responsible for keeping trees on their property in a safe condition. Ask the village if you are unsure which side of the line a tree stands on.

Working on a compact lot

Ridgefield Park fits about 7,756 people into each square mile of land. Houses stand close together, driveways are narrow, and a big maple behind a house may have a garage, a fence and a neighbor's roof under it. On lots like that we take the tree down in sections, lower heavy pieces by rope rather than dropping them, and bring in a crane when there is no safe landing zone at all. Every quote includes cleanup and haul-away of the wood and brush.

Near the river and the park

The village sits along the Hackensack River, crossed here by the Route 46 Winant Avenue Bridge, and its section of Overpeck County Park covers 22 acres. Trees beside open water and open fields stand with less shelter from the wind. If a storm brings down a tree or a large limb on your property, call (201) 957-7596 about emergency service and tell us what came down and where it landed, so we can plan the equipment for the job.