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Tree Service in Lawrence, MA
Lawrence is on the state's list of communities where open burning is prohibited at all times, so every branch from a tree job leaves by truck or at the curb (open burning safety). Call (978) 698-4783 or use the form. A person reads every request and replies with what happens next.
- Free for homeowners
- Insurance checked first
- Prospect Hill to South Lawrence
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Tree work in Lawrence
Tree jobs on Lawrence's close-set city lots
Tree Removal
Dead, dying, leaning or simply unwanted trees, including the tight ones that have to come down in sections over a roof.
Pruning & Trimming
Deadwood out, limbs lifted off the roof and the service wire, and crowns thinned so the tree stands up to wind and snow.
Stump Grinding
Grinding the stump below grade so the spot can be seeded, planted or paved, with the chips hauled off or left as mulch.
Storm Damage & Emergency Work
Trees and big limbs on the house, the car or the driveway after wind, ice or a nor'easter, once the utility has made any wires safe.
Not sure what the tree needs?
(978) 698-4783More than half of Lawrence's homes were built before 1940 and 40% are in two- to four-unit buildings (housing production plan), so tell us what the tree hangs over.
Rules and permits
Who decides about trees in Lawrence
The city's website has no tree warden or forestry page; for a tree at the street, the Department of Public Works is the place to ask, at 978-620-3090, or 978-620-3911 for its after-hours on-call supervisor (Public Works). Near the rivers and wetlands, the Conservation Commission decides. We found no city permit for removing a tree on private land outside the wetland rules, and no scenic roads on the city's site (city sitemap).
- Street trees
- Ask DPW, 978-620-3090; City Hall 978-620-3000
- Open burning
- Prohibited at all times; no burning permits
- Wetlands
- Tree cutting is an alteration; 25-ft no-disturbance zone, 100-ft buffer
- Curbside branches
- Branches up to 4 in. thick and 4 ft long, in bundles up to 18 in. across
- Replanting
- Free yard trees in eligible areas through the state's Greening the Gateway Cities Program
Trees at the street. The DPW's online concern form has no tree category (Report a Concern), and its permit list, handled through Citizenserve, shows barrel and sidewalk permits but nothing for trees (DPW applications and permits), so a phone call to the DPW is the quickest way to find out whether a tree by the sidewalk is the city's. Statewide, a public shade tree can't be removed without the public hearing M.G.L. c.87 §3 requires.
Wetlands along three rivers. The Merrimack runs through the middle of the city, with the Spicket to the north and the Shawsheen to the south (state historical survey report). Lawrence's Wetlands Protection Ordinance defines altering a resource area to include destroying plant life, cutting trees among it, and applying pesticides or herbicides. It reaches 100 feet into the buffer, sets a 25-foot No Disturbance zone that is recorded on the deed once an Order of Conditions issues, plus a further 25-foot No Build zone, and it doesn't carry over most of the exemptions in the state Wetlands Protection Act. Permits are recorded at the Registry of Deeds before work begins (Wetlands Protection Ordinance). City filing fees are $125 for a Request for Determination and $40 per activity for a Group A Notice of Intent, which covers work on a single-family lot and vegetation control; vernal pools get no disturbance within 100 feet (wetland fee form). The Conservation Commission meets on the third Tuesday of each month (Conservation Commission).
Prospect Hill. In the Prospect Hill Historic District, alterations visible from a public way need a certificate; the commission's rules count fences and walls as structures but don't mention trees (district rules and regulations). If a removal means taking down a fence or wall section there, check with the commission first.
Digging out a stump. Under state law, digging, augering and grading count as excavation, and Dig Safe must be notified at least 72 hours ahead, excluding weekends and legal holidays (M.G.L. c.82 §40A, definition of excavation, c.82 §40). Dig Safe advises that the hired contractor make the call (Dig Safe FAQs).
Last verified November 2026. Fees, restrictions and deadlines on this page are due for re-checking by November 2027. New England Tree Service is a referral service. We don't cut trees, request hearings or file with the conservation commission.
Wires
Trees, wires and multi-family houses
The state's 2021 electric franchise list shows National Grid serving Lawrence (electric franchise list). National Grid trims around its high-voltage lines on a regular cycle, but branches near the service drop, the wire from the pole to the building, are the property owner's to handle. On Lawrence's tight lots that wire often runs right through a tree. Call National Grid customer service at 1-800-322-3223 at least five days before work near it: a forestry representative will look at the job, and the company may work with the contractor, cover the wires with rubber sleeves or disconnect the service for a while, and it may charge if the contractor lacks line-hazard training (National Grid trees FAQ). In a two- or three-family house, the other units lose power too during a disconnect, so give them notice.
Brush, the burning ban and new trees
Where the wood goes in Lawrence
No burning, any time of year. Lawrence is one of 22 Massachusetts communities where open burning is prohibited at all times (open burning safety). The Fire Department's permit list covers hot work, dumpsters and similar items, with no burning permit (Fire Department permits). Whatever the tree company doesn't chip or haul has to fit the city's curbside rules.
Curbside yard waste. The city collects yard waste during the spring, summer and fall on trash and recycling day, in paper bags or containers marked "Yard Waste." Brush, branches, sticks and shrubs are taken; loose branches go out only in bundles tied with biodegradable twine, never plastic rope, no more than 18 inches across, with each branch 4 inches in diameter or less and 4 feet long or shorter. The DPW sells yard waste container stickers (978-620-3090), and live Christmas trees are picked up the first two weeks of January (Yard Waste); season dates are on the collection schedule. The page lists no drop-off site, so trunk sections and anything thicker than 4 inches leave with the crew.
A free tree for the yard. Lawrence is one of the cities in the state's Greening the Gateway Cities Program. In eligible areas, DCR crews hired locally plant trees on residents' property at no cost, after a DCR urban forester meets with the owner to choose species and spots; the program targets neighborhoods with less tree canopy, older housing, higher wind speeds and more renters, and it runs year-round. The local office is at (978) 974-0770, ext. 7016 (Greening the Gateway Cities Program). After a removal, that can be the way to put shade back.
Ash trees. Emerald ash borer is confirmed in 280 Massachusetts communities; the state suggests chipping ash or leaving it on site rather than moving it (state emerald ash borer guide).
FAQ
Lawrence tree questions
Can I get a burning permit for brush in Lawrence?
No. Lawrence is one of the Massachusetts communities where open burning is prohibited at all times, and the Fire Department doesn't issue burning permits. Brush goes out at the curb in bundles or leaves with the tree company.
How do I put branches out for pickup?
Tie them with biodegradable twine, not plastic rope, in bundles no more than 18 inches across, with each branch 4 inches thick or less and no longer than 4 feet. They go out on your trash and recycling day during the spring, summer and fall collection season.
A tree is near the Spicket River behind my house. Does that matter?
Yes. Lawrence's Wetlands Protection Ordinance counts cutting trees as altering a wetland area, sets a 25-foot no-disturbance zone and a 100-foot buffer, and doesn't carry over most of the state's exemptions. Ask the Conservation Commission before the work is scheduled.
Can I get a new tree after one comes down?
Possibly for free. Lawrence takes part in the state's Greening the Gateway Cities Program, which plants trees on residents' property in eligible neighborhoods at no cost. Call the local office at (978) 974-0770, ext. 7016.
What does it cost me to use New England Tree Service?
Nothing. The request and the referral are free; the tree company prices the work.
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