· by Michael Blair, Nashville's Tree Service
Most of the calls we get from Franklin about a tree start with the same worry: will the city fine me for taking it down? The answer is in Chapter 17 of the Franklin Zoning Ordinance, the version effective January 13, 2026, and for most houses it is shorter than people expect. It turns on three things: how big the lot is, whether the plat marks it as a critical lot, and the condition of the tree. This post covers Franklin city limits only. If your address is in Brentwood, or out in the county with a Franklin mailing address, those offices write their own rules and the ordinance below does not decide your case.
Do you need a permit to remove a tree in Franklin?
Usually not, if the tree is on a single-family lot of one acre or less that is not a critical lot. The first exemption in Franklin’s tree protection section, 17.2.1, covers a tree located “on a single-family residential lot of one acre or less that is not noted as a critical lot.” A typical subdivision lot around Franklin falls inside that, so long as the plat does not flag it.
Above an acre, the default flips. Section 17.2.2 says existing trees on a lot “shall not be removed or disturbed” unless they come down under an approved development plan, site plan, plat, building permit or grading permit, or under an approved tree removal permit. For a homeowner with no construction under way, that means a tree removal permit, or one of the other exemptions in 17.2.1.
The lot size and the critical-lot note are both on paper you already have, or can get: the deed, the survey and the recorded final plat. Check those before you call anyone, and if the lot is close to an acre, measure from the survey rather than the listing.
What is a critical lot, and how do you know if you live on one?
A critical lot is a single-family lot with a specimen tree on it, and it is marked on the final plat. Section 17.2.5 of the ordinance says lots with specimen trees “shall be identified on the site plan as critical lots,” and that the plat note goes on each individual lot with a specimen tree, “which shall be preserved and cannot be removed.” The same section says specimen trees “shall not be cut, removed, pushed over, killed, or otherwise harmed,” except as exempted in 17.2.1.
The protection reaches below ground too. The critical root zone around a specimen tree, which the ordinance calls the tree protection zone, is not to be disturbed unless an ISA certified arborist reports that the work will cause the tree no harm and the Department of Planning and Sustainability approves it. That matters for a patio, a pool or a driveway as much as for a removal.
If your subdivision was platted with a critical lot note on your lot, the one-acre exemption does not apply to you, whatever the lot size. The recorded plat is the document to read; it is recorded with the Williamson County Register of Deeds.
Can you remove a dead, dangerous or invasive tree without a permit?
Often yes, through the other exemptions in 17.2.1, which apply on any size of lot. The ones homeowners use most are listed at the end of this section.
For a tree we think is failing, the arborist route is the practical one. We look at the trunk, the root flare and the crown and put what we find in writing, the same assessment we do for tree health and cabling work. If the tree is sound, we will say so, and pruning or cabling may be the better answer. A root problem under the slab or in the sewer line is covered in more depth in tree roots, foundations and sewer lines.
One more point from the violations list: under 17.2.9, damage to trees from excessive pruning or topping is itself a violation that brings replacement or mitigation. That is one more reason topping a tree is the wrong fix in Franklin.
- A tree the Department of Planning and Sustainability finds unhealthy, or one a certified arborist verifies in writing as dead, dying or structurally unsound
- A tree the department finds is a nuisance or a threat to an existing structure, an underground utility or public safety
- A tree whose roots will damage utilities or structures, or one encroaching into an established utility easement
- A species listed in the current Invasive Exotic Pest Plants list from the Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant Council, now the Tennessee Invasive Plant Council, which keeps its Invasive Plants of Tennessee list online
- An exception from Building and Neighborhood Services in extraordinary circumstances, such as weather-related emergencies
Permits, violations and the rest of Williamson County
Where a permit is needed, the application goes to the Department of Building and Neighborhood Services. Under 17.2.9 of the ordinance, Planning and Sustainability or the City arborist reviews it and makes a recommendation, and Building and Neighborhood Services approves it, approves it with conditions or disapproves it. A permit may be approved only when the tree is not in an open space lot or conservation easement, not part of required landscaping or screening, not the subject of a condition of approval requiring it be kept, and not a specimen tree. The opening of 17.2.9 also says no permit is needed for trees removed under an approved building permit, grading permit, site plan, plat or stormwater permit, or otherwise exempted by 17.2.1.
Taking a tree down without a required permit is a violation, and the ordinance sets the mitigation: a specimen tree is replaced at two caliper inches for each caliper inch removed, replacements are planted within 12 months, and a surety and maintenance agreement is required for them. On a large oak that adds up to a lot of new trees, so it is worth asking the city first.
Outside Franklin, none of this applies. Brentwood has its own rules, and so does unincorporated Williamson County; check with that office before a removal, the same way you would here. In Nashville, the rules for removing a tree in Davidson County are a different system again. Our crews work across Franklin and Brentwood, and when we walk the yard for a tree removal we will tell you which of these questions your lot raises. Ask us for a free estimate and send the address with it.
Sources
- City of Franklin, Franklin Zoning Ordinance, 17.2.1 Exemptions and 17.2.2 Tree Removal (p. 276) — One-acre single-family exemption unless a critical lot; arborist, nuisance, roots, easement, invasive and emergency exemptions; trees not removed except under an approved plan or permit.
- City of Franklin, Franklin Zoning Ordinance, 17.2.5 Protection of Specimen Trees (p. 278) — Specimen trees protected except as exempted; tree protection zone; critical lots noted on the final plat, the tree preserved.
- City of Franklin, Franklin Zoning Ordinance, 17.2.9.A Tree Removal Permit exemptions (p. 280) — No permit for trees removed under an approved building, grading, site plan, plat or stormwater permit, or otherwise exempted.
- City of Franklin, Franklin Zoning Ordinance, 17.2.9 Tree Removal Permits (p. 281) — Review and final action, approval criteria, violations and mitigation, topping as a violation.
- Tennessee Invasive Plant Council, Invasive Plants of Tennessee — The council’s current invasive plant lists (Natural Areas and Disturbed Habitats), the list the 17.2.1 invasive-species exemption points to; the council was founded as the Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant Council.
FAQ
Removing a Tree in Franklin: When You Need a Permit — questions
Do I need a permit to cut down a tree in Franklin, TN?
Not on a single-family lot of one acre or less, unless the final plat marks it as a critical lot. Above an acre, Franklin’s zoning ordinance requires a tree removal permit from Building and Neighborhood Services unless another exemption applies, such as an arborist’s written finding that the tree is dead, dying or structurally unsound.
What is a critical lot in Franklin, and how do I find out if mine is one?
It is a single-family lot with a specimen tree, identified on the site plan and noted on the recorded final plat. The ordinance says that tree is to be preserved and cannot be removed. Read your recorded final plat at the Williamson County Register of Deeds, and look for the critical lot note on your lot number.
Can I remove a dead or dying tree in Franklin without a permit?
Yes, under the exemptions in 17.2.1, if a certified arborist verifies in writing that the tree is dead, dying or structurally unsound, or if the Department of Planning and Sustainability finds it unhealthy. The exemption applies whatever the lot size. Keep the arborist’s letter with your property records after the tree is down.
What happens if I remove a tree in Franklin without a permit?
It is a violation of 17.2.9, and the ordinance requires mitigation. A specimen tree has to be replaced at two caliper inches for every caliper inch removed, the replacement trees go in within 12 months, and a surety and maintenance agreement is set up for them. Asking the city first costs far less.
Does Franklin’s tree ordinance apply in Brentwood or the rest of Williamson County?
No. The Franklin Zoning Ordinance covers property inside Franklin city limits. Brentwood has its own rules, and unincorporated Williamson County has its own as well, so check with the office that governs your address before any removal. A Franklin mailing address does not always mean the lot is inside the city.