Tree Removal in Union City, NJ

Tree removal in Union City takes place in one of the most densely populated cities in the country. The city held 68,589 people in 2020 on 1.29 square miles, a density that ranks second among New Jersey's 565 municipalities. Union City formed in 1925 when West Hoboken and Union Hill merged, and its housing is largely brownstones and two-family homes, so a tree may stand in a small front yard, a narrow side strip or a shared backyard.

Front yard or backyard? It matters here

Union City's tree rules sit in Chapter 87, Article III, "Preservation of Trees," adopted in 2016. Section 87-12 says no one may remove or destroy a living tree without first obtaining a permit, but the exceptions listed in that same section include trees under 6 inches DBH and private trees in a rear or backyard. A tree in a front yard or beside the sidewalk is a different case. Applications go to the city's Department of Public Works, and the code lists a $10 fee per application, waived for diseased trees and emergency removals. Read the current code and check with DPW before you schedule anything.

Replacement is part of the math

Under Section 87-16, as amended in 2024, a permitted removal is followed by replanting on the same parcel with a tree of 2 to 2.5 inches caliper and at least 12 feet tall. Miss that 60-day window after the permit and Section 87-16 requires a $1,750 payment into the city's Tree Escrow Fund. When you compare options, that rule can make pruning or a crown reduction worth weighing before full removal.

Shared yards, shared decisions

In a three-family house the backyard may serve every unit, and a tree near a property line can hang over two or three neighbors at once. Before work starts we:

• Walk the yard with the building owner and note which limbs cross the line
• Plan drop zones around clotheslines, sheds, air conditioners and parked cars
• Schedule around tenants' use of the yard and the street
• Keep the sidewalk clear and swept while wood is loaded

When the city calls a tree dangerous

Section 87-17 covers private trees along a street that become hazardous. After written notice from the city, the owner must remove the tree or its hazardous part at the owner's expense; if nothing happens within 10 days, the city can do the work and the cost becomes a lien collected with the next taxes. If you have a notice like that, call us early so the estimate and scheduling fit inside the deadline.

Included with every job

You get a free on-site estimate, a written quote, and full cleanup with haul-away of wood and debris when the work is done. Reach us at (201) 957-7596.