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Tree Service in Woburn, MA
In Woburn, a tree taken down near a wetland has to be flush cut, with the stump left in the ground, under the Conservation Commission's tree removal procedure (Tree Removal). 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
- Horn Pond to the Burlington line
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Tree work in Woburn
Tree jobs on Woburn's streets and wetland edges
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) 698-4783Tell us roughly how far the tree is from any wetland. Woburn's buffer reaches 150 feet, and near a wetland the stump has to stay.
Rules and permits
Who decides about trees in Woburn
Woburn maintains the public shade trees in the city right-of-way and holds a public hearing before removing one (Tree Planting and Hearings). On private land, the Conservation Commission steps in when a tree is near a wetland, and its local reach is wider than most: 150 feet. We found no city tree ordinance or scenic road list, so a private tree away from wetlands has no city permit that we could find.
- Street trees
- Requests through Report a Concern; removals go to a public hearing
- Trees near wetlands
- Letter and photos to Conservation; flush cut, stump left in place
- Wetland buffer
- 150 ft local (state 100 ft); no disturbance within 25 ft by policy
- Conservation office
- City Hall Annex, 6 Common Street, 781-897-5933
- Curbside branches
- 2 in. diameter and 3 ft max, bundled; set yard waste weeks
Street-tree hearings. Requests to remove a public shade tree, and requests for the city to plant one in the right-of-way near your home, replacements included, go in through the Report a Concern form. A removal request leads to a public hearing in the Engineering Conference Room on the lower level of City Hall, where abutters can raise concerns or objections, and the city may decline to remove healthy trees that pose no danger to the public (Tree Planting and Hearings). That follows the state rule that a public shade tree comes down only after a tree warden's hearing (M.G.L. c.87 §3). City Hall's number is 781-897-5800; the Department of Public Works, at 50 North Warren Street, is at 781-897-5980 (Public Works).
The tree removal procedure. The Conservation Commission adopted a procedure on April 8, 2010 for trees near wetlands. The owner sends a letter stating how many trees, where they are and why they should come down, with clear photos of each tree, tagged with bright ribbon if that helps tell them apart. The letter names who will do the work and the method, a crane for example, and says whether other vegetation must be disturbed to reach the tree. If you don't own the land, the owner's written authorization goes with it, and for a public shade tree you also contact the tree warden's office. Then the key condition: trees removed near wetlands are flush cut, and the stump is left where it is (Tree Removal). Appointments with the Conservation office, at the City Hall Annex, 6 Common Street, are made at 781-897-5933.
A 150-foot buffer, rewritten in 2026. Woburn's local wetland buffer is 150 feet, against the state's 100, and the riverfront area is 200 feet (Conservation). The Wetlands ordinance in Municipal Code Title 7 counts "cutting and moving of trees" as altering a wetland (Title 7). The City Council replaced Title 7 in its entirety on May 5, 2026, signed by the Mayor May 7; the new version keeps the 150-foot reach and adds carbon storage, sequestration and climate resilience to the interests the Commission protects (2026 Title 7).
Commission policies and the November 2026 update. Under the Commission's posted policies, no land alteration or disturbance happens closer than 25 feet to a wetland boundary without special justification, and groundwork within 50 feet of a resource area needs a Notice of Intent rather than a Request for Determination. The Commission voted on October 22, 2026 to amend its Rules and Regulations, and the update took effect November 1, 2026 (wetland laws and policies). The 2019 rules required site plans to show existing trees of 3-inch caliper or larger (the 2019 rules); for current filing requirements and fees, ask the Conservation office.
The Baldwin Homestead districts. Woburn's Historic District Commission reviews the Baldwin Homestead and Expanded Baldwin Homestead districts, but landscaping with plants, trees or shrubs is excluded from its review (Title 19).
Grinding elsewhere on the lot. Away from wetlands, grinding a stump is excavation under state law, which covers digging, augering and grading and requires Dig Safe notice at least 72 hours ahead, not counting weekends and legal holidays (M.G.L. c.82 §40A, definition of excavation, c.82 §40). Dig Safe suggests the hired contractor place the call (Dig Safe FAQs).
Last verified November 2026. Fees, restrictions and deadlines on this page are due for re-checking by December 2026. New England Tree Service is a referral service. We don't cut trees, request hearings or file with the conservation commission.
Wires
Eversource lines and Woburn trees
The state's 2021 electric franchise list shows Eversource (NSTAR Electric) serving Woburn (electric franchise list), and the city's Public Works page sends outages and downed wires to Eversource at 1-800-592-2000 (Public Works). Eversource's tree-trimming FAQ, a general page that doesn't name a state, describes maintenance trimming circuit by circuit on a four- to seven-year cycle, with clearances of 8 feet to the sides, 10 feet below and 15 feet above the wires. It says branches pressing on pole-to-house service wires are removed, and that Eversource may temporarily take down a pole-to-house line so a contractor can work safely, if you call ahead. The same page notes that work on public property generally needs permission from the highway official or the municipal tree warden (Eversource tree-trimming FAQs). Eversource's eastern Massachusetts service guide leaves tree trimming on private property to the customer when service work is done (Eversource service requirements).
Brush, burning and city woods
Where the brush goes in Woburn
Curbside yard waste. Woburn collects yard waste on the regular trash day during set weeks; the 2026 weeks left are November 16–20 and December 7–11. Branches have to be cut to 3 feet or shorter, no more than 2 inches in diameter, and bundled and tied; leaves go in paper bags or lidless barrels, never plastic, at the curb by 7 a.m. Christmas trees are picked up January 4–8 and January 18–22, 2027. The city's page lists no drop-off site and says nothing about stumps or storm debris; the Board of Health answers questions at 781-897-5920 (Trash and Recycling). A 2-inch limit means nearly everything from a removal, and much of a heavy pruning, has to be chipped or hauled by the crew.
Burning. Woburn isn't on the state's list of communities where open burning is banned (310 CMR 7.07). Burning is allowed from January 15 to May 1 with a Woburn Fire Department permit, and only on days the department judges safe; call Non-Emergency Dispatch at 781-932-4560 to request a permit and to ask whether burning is allowed that day (Woburn Fire Department). Statewide, stumps and leaves can't be burned (open burning rules).
Wooded reservations. The city's history page counts Horn Pond Reservation and Forest Park among Woburn's wooded conservation areas (Historic Woburn), and the Conservation Commission's programs include tree planting (Conservation Commission).
Ash trees. Emerald ash borer has been confirmed in 280 Massachusetts communities; the state advises chipping ash wood or leaving it on site rather than moving it (state emerald ash borer guide).
FAQ
Woburn tree questions
Can I grind the stump of a tree removed near a wetland?
Not under the Conservation Commission's tree removal procedure. Trees removed near wetlands must be flush cut, and the stump stays in place. Ask the Conservation office at 781-897-5933 before booking stump grinding.
What does Conservation want before a tree near a wetland comes down?
A letter saying how many trees, where and why, with clear photos of each tree (tag them with bright ribbon if needed), who will do the work and how, for example with a crane, and whether other plants will be disturbed to reach the tree. Include the owner's written permission if the land isn't yours.
How do I ask the city to remove or plant a street tree?
Use the city's Report a Concern form. A removal request is followed by a public hearing at City Hall where abutters can speak, and the city may decline to remove a healthy tree that poses no danger. The same form is used to ask for a new street tree near your home.
How big can branches be for curbside pickup?
No more than 2 inches in diameter and 3 feet long, bundled and tied, on your trash day in a yard waste week. The remaining 2026 weeks are November 16–20 and December 7–11.
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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