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Tree Service in Derry, NH
Since January 1, 2015, contractors and landscapers have been barred from dumping brush at the Derry Transfer Station, so the wood from a hired tree job has to leave some other way (Derry brush recycling notice). 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
- From the Londonderry line to the Windham line
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Tree work in Derry
Tree jobs in Derry, from wetland edges to the road
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 which job it is?
(978) 698-4783Tell us how much wood you expect and where it can go. In Derry, the hired crew can't take it to the Transfer Station.
Rules and permits
Who decides about trees in Derry
Derry's town site has no tree warden or tree page that we could find (site map). Tree work near prime wetlands goes to the Conservation Commission and the Planning Board under the zoning ordinance, burning goes through the Fire Department, and road problems go to the Highway Department.
- Road problems
- Highway Department, Municipal Center, (603) 432-6100
- Prime wetlands
- 150-ft buffer; forestry needs Conservation Commission review and Planning Board approval
- Near water
- Keep yard waste out of 150 ft from ponds, lakes, streams and rivers
- Transfer Station brush
- Residents free with a sticker; contractors and landscapers barred
- Burning
- Permit online or at any of four fire stations; brush piles 5 p.m. to 9 a.m.
Prime wetlands. Article X of the zoning ordinance sets a Prime Wetlands Buffer Zone of 150 feet. "Forestry and tree farming within the buffer zone, using best management practices" is a conditional use: "any forestry and/or tree farming activities shall first be reviewed and approved by the Conservation Commission," and the Planning Board gives final approval. Dredging and filling in prime wetlands aren't allowed, and special exceptions are possible only in the outermost 75 feet of the buffer (prime wetlands, buffer zone uses). The ordinance also has sections on a Conservation Corridor Buffer Zone (§165-17) and wetland setbacks (§165-20) (Zoning Ordinance, September 2026); ask the Planning office how they apply before cutting near any wetland.
Branches near the water. Derry's stormwater ordinance requires owners within 150 feet of any pond, lake, stream or river bank to keep trash, debris, grass clippings, leaves and yard waste out of that strip (Chapter 131). Piling cut brush by a brook isn't an option here.
The roads and the byway. The Highway Department works out of the Municipal Center, 14 Manning Street, (603) 432-6100, and takes requests through an online Highway Service Request (Highway Department). Derry sits on the Robert Frost / Old Stagecoach Scenic Byway, a 44-mile route the state recognized in May 2014 (scenic byway). That's a state byway, not a local scenic road; we found no roads designated by Derry under the state scenic road law, which would require planning board consent after a hearing before road or utility crews cut trees 15 inches or more around (RSA 231:158).
Three utilities. The state's 2020 community profile lists Eversource, the New Hampshire Electric Cooperative and Granite State Electric, now Liberty, for Derry (NHES Derry profile), and Liberty includes Derry in its service list (Liberty electric service area). Eversource will temporarily take down the pole-to-house wires so your own contractor can work (Eversource NH tree FAQ). Liberty says removal near its lines requires disconnecting service (Liberty vegetation maintenance). The co-op clears 15 feet either side of its pole lines, leaves the wood and stumps with the owner, and can de-energize a service line for a fee (NHEC vegetation management). Your bill tells you which one to call.
Stumps and roots. New Hampshire's Dig Safe law counts "tree and root removal" as excavation; work within 100 feet of an underground facility needs notice at least 72 hours ahead, weekends and legal holidays excluded (RSA 374:48 and 374:51). Call 811 or file online for free (Dig Safe).
Last verified November 2026. Fees, restrictions and deadlines on this page are due for re-checking by January 2027. New England Tree Service is a referral service. We don't cut trees, issue burn permits or file with the Conservation Commission.
Brush, burning and town forests
Getting rid of tree debris in Derry
The Transfer Station. The station at 43 Transfer Lane is open Tuesday to Saturday, 6 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (arrive by 3:15), and needs a residency permit sticker. Since January 1, 2023 it hasn't taken leaves or grass from contractors or landscapers either, though residents may bring their own (Transfer Station). For brush the rule is older: "Effective January 1, 2015, contractors and landscapers are prohibited from dumping brush at the Derry Transfer Station," with an exception for contractors bringing brush from their own home on a residential permit, and "Residents with a valid permit/sticker will still be allowed to bring their brush at no charge" (brush recycling change). The town doesn't post size limits, and we found no curbside yard waste pickup. When you hire out a removal, ask whether the price includes chipping or hauling everything away.
Burn permits. Derry issues permits online through the state Division of Forests and Lands system, with the fee going to the state rather than the town, or in person at any of the four Derry fire stations. Brush and wood can be no more than 5 inches in diameter and must be clean and untreated. Category II and III fires, which take in brush piles, may burn only from 5 p.m. to 9 a.m. unless it's raining or the ground is snow-covered, and must be 50 feet from structures. A permit is needed even in the rain, though not when the ground is covered with snow, and seasonal permit holders call 603-432-6121, option 5, for daily authorization (Burning Permit Information). Check that line or the Fire Department before lighting anything; we don't report day-to-day burn status here.
Nutfield's woods. Derry was settled in 1719 as "Nutfield," likely for its many nut trees (History of Derry). The Town Forest off Ballard Road and Olsen Road covers about 30 acres of mixed hardwoods where the town says to "look for the many occurrences of two or more oak trunks growing from one base," and stone walls line an old woods road through it (Town Forest). The master plan's existing-conditions summary puts the Town Forest and Weber Memorial Forest together at over 300 acres, and says downtown streets will need improvements including tree planting (Summary of Existing Conditions).
Pests. Derry's site doesn't flag a local pest. Statewide, the 2024 forest health update found beech leaf disease in nearly every town in southern New Hampshire and emerald ash borer in five new towns that year (2024 NH forest health update); suspected pests go to NHBugs.org.
FAQ
Derry tree questions
Can my tree company leave the brush at the Transfer Station?
No. Contractors and landscapers have been barred from dumping brush there since January 1, 2015, unless they hold a residential permit and the brush comes from their own home. Residents with a valid sticker can still bring their own brush at no charge.
When can I burn a brush pile in Derry?
With a permit, brush piles may burn only from 5 p.m. to 9 a.m. unless it is raining or the ground is snow-covered, at least 50 feet from buildings, using clean wood and brush up to 5 inches thick. Seasonal permit holders call 603-432-6121, option 5, for the day's authorization.
My land borders a prime wetland. Can I thin the trees?
Derry's prime wetland buffer runs 150 feet, and forestry or tree farming inside it, using best management practices, is a conditional use. The Conservation Commission reviews and approves it first, and the Planning Board gives final approval.
Does the Robert Frost scenic byway limit cutting along my road?
The Robert Frost / Old Stagecoach Scenic Byway is a state-recognized route, not a local scenic road designated by town meeting, and we found no list of local scenic roads in Derry. Under state law, a local designation limits cutting by road and utility crews, not owners on their own land.
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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