Who's responsible for a tree down in the road?
Whoever owns the road clears a tree down in it: city or county public works for local streets, state DOT for state routes and highways. Call 911 if it blocks traffic or a line is involved; otherwise use the 311 line. The crew clears a private tree from the road, but the remains on your lot are yours.
A tree across the road is a public problem, which is good news: somebody with a truck and a chainsaw is paid to fix it, and it is not you. The confusion is over which somebody, and what happens to the tree after the road is open. The road's owner clears the road; the tree's owner deals with what is left. The strip between sidewalk and curb is where those two rules meet.
| Where the tree is | Who clears it | Who to call | What you pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| City street, tree from the public strip or a park | City public works or forestry | 911 if blocking traffic; otherwise 311 or public works | Nothing |
| County road outside city limits | County road department | 911 or county road department | Nothing |
| State route, US highway, interstate | State DOT | 911 or the state DOT or highway patrol line | Nothing |
| Your private tree, fallen into a public road | Road crew opens the road; cuts at the curb | 911 or public works | Cleanup of the remains on your lot: $200–$500 for a medium tree |
| Tree in the road with power lines in it | Utility first, then road crew | 911 | Nothing for the line; remains on your lot are yours |
| Tree on the sidewalk only | City, or adjacent owner by ordinance | 311 or public works | Depends on local ordinance |
Who do I call for a tree blocking the road?
Call 911 when the tree blocks traffic, sits on a curve or hill where drivers will not see it in time, or has any wires in it. The dispatcher routes it to police, the road crew, and the utility at once. For a tree on the shoulder or on a dead-end street with no traffic, use the non-emergency line: 311 where it exists, otherwise the public works number on the city or county website. Give the nearest address or cross streets, say whether lines are involved and whether it is fully blocking, and take a photo. If there is a wire anywhere in the tree, stay at least 10 ft back and read who removes a tree on power lines? before doing anything else.
Whose job is it: city, county, or state?
It follows road ownership, not where the tree grew. City streets are the city's. Roads outside city limits are usually the county's. Numbered state routes, US highways, and interstates belong to the state department of transportation, which clears them even where they run through a city as a main street. After a major storm all three triage: emergency routes first, then bus routes, then residential streets, so a tree across a cul-de-sac can sit for a day or more. Calling the wrong agency costs nothing; they will redirect you. Calling none of them means it sits until someone else does.
My tree fell into the street. Do I have to clear it?
Not the part in the road. The road crew opens the road the fast way: cut the trunk at the curb, cut the crown into pieces they can drag, and pile it on the shoulder or the edge of your lawn. They do not haul it, grind the stump, or tidy up. The standing stub, the root plate, and the pile are yours, and cleanup of a fallen medium tree runs $200–$500 once things calm down. You are not liable for the road closure or for damage to a passing car if the tree was healthy and the storm brought it down; that is the same act-of-God rule that governs a neighbor's tree, explained on who's responsible when a tree falls? You can be liable if the tree was visibly dead or you had been told it was a hazard, so if a city notice about it is sitting in a drawer, call your insurer.
Who is responsible for the tree between the sidewalk and the street?
Usually the city. That strip, called the parkway, tree lawn, or planting strip depending on where you live, is public right-of-way in most US cities, and the trees in it are city trees even though you mow the grass. The city plants, prunes, and removes them, and you need a permit to touch them. Some cities flip this by ordinance and make the adjacent owner responsible for maintenance, so check your city's forestry or public works page. Either way, when a strip tree falls, report it in writing and keep the confirmation. If it damaged your property, the city is liable only if it had notice the tree was hazardous, and claim deadlines are short, often 30 to 180 days. Details are on whose insurance pays when a neighbor's tree falls on my property? Before you cut a standing strip tree yourself, read do I need a permit to remove a tree?
Can I move a small tree out of the road myself?
A limb you can lift alone, on a quiet street, with no wires in the tree or overhead, yes. Drag it to the shoulder and report it anyway. Anything bigger, no. A trunk across a road is heavier than it looks, it can roll when the crown is cut free, and a car coming around a corner cannot see you behind it. Do not run a chainsaw in a road without traffic control. If there is any wire in the tree or down nearby, stay at least 10 ft away and let the utility go first. The road crew is coming; nobody bills you for waiting.
No independently confirmed professional review is on file yet.
Not yet independently reviewed. This page is general information about common US practice, not legal advice. Local ordinances vary; check with your city or county.