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Tree Service in Portsmouth, NH
No tree in a Portsmouth street or public place may be removed without a Tree Warden permit, and that permit can't be granted until the Trees & Public Greenery Committee has held a hearing (Trees & Public Greenery Committee). 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
- Old city lots to tidal frontage
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Tree work in Portsmouth
Tree jobs in an old port city with 15,000 public trees
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) 698-4783About 38% of Portsmouth's homes were built in 1939 or earlier (2014 housing study), so tell us how close the tree stands to the house, the fence line and the neighbors.
Rules and permits
Who decides about trees in Portsmouth
Portsmouth's public trees belong to the city: the Tree Warden permits any removal from a right-of-way or public place, but only after the Trees & Public Greenery Committee holds a hearing, under the Urban Forestry Ordinance (Chapter 8, Article III, §§8.300 to 8.310). On private land the main limit is the wetland buffer, which sets how many trees can be cut and how close to the water.
- Public trees
- Tree Warden permit after a Trees & Public Greenery Committee hearing
- City tree requests
- Parks and Greenery, (603) 427-1530, or the Click N' Fix app
- Wetland buffer
- No cutting 0–25 ft; up to 50% of trees over 6 in. from 25–50 ft
- Curbside brush
- 4 ft long, 5 in. thick, 1-ft and 50-lb bundles; none December–March
- Burning
- State online permits; banned on some streets; confirm status with the Fire Department, 603-427-1515
Public trees and the committee. The rule is short: "No trees may be removed from any public right of way or public place in the City without a permit from the Tree Warden," and "permits may not be granted until after a hearing has been held by the Trees & Public Greenery Committee." The committee, created under Chapter 1, Article IV, §1.409 with ten voting members, advises the Tree Warden on the Urban Forestry Ordinance. Its November 11, 2026 meeting was cancelled, and the next is set for December 9, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. in Conference Room A of the Municipal Complex, One Junkins Avenue (Trees & Public Greenery Committee). A removal request for a street tree runs on that meeting calendar.
Who does the work on city trees. DPW's Parks and Greenery Division looks after an urban forest of "more than 15,000 trees," with the City Arborist Supervisor leading tree work. Service requests go to (603) 427-1530 or through the Portsmouth Click N' Fix app (Parks and Greenery), and the city asks that urgent or emergency problems be called in to (603) 427-1530 immediately (Click N' Fix). Portsmouth has been a Tree City USA for more than twenty years, and it and Nashua were the only New Hampshire communities to receive a Tree Growth Award, which Portsmouth has held since 2019 (Parks and Greenery).
The wetland buffer. The zoning ordinance puts a 100-foot buffer around wetlands larger than 10,000 square feet, including most tidal areas, and new construction, ground disturbance and fill or removal of soil there need a city Conditional Use Permit. Inside it, the first 25 feet is a Vegetated Buffer Strip where no cutting or clearing is allowed except removing invasive species by hand; from 25 to 50 feet is a Limited Cut Area where up to 50% of trees over 6 inches in diameter, measured at 4.5 feet, may be cut (Wetland Buffer Info). Along non-tidal perennial streams and rivers the Limited Cut Area extends to 75 feet, and a vernal pool gets a 50-foot Vegetated Buffer Strip with limited cutting from 50 to 75 feet (wetland buffer flyer). The ordinance, as amended through October 26, 2026, says conditional use approval is required for most uses, activities and alterations in a wetland or buffer (Zoning Ordinance §10.241.22). The Wetland Buffer Info page links the MapGeo Wetlands layer and the 2025 citywide wetlands map, which are the place to start before marking trees on a waterside lot.
Tidal frontage. State shoreland rules also cover land within 250 feet of tidal waters. In the first 50 feet, each 25-by-50-foot segment must keep 25 points of trees and shrubs, and stumps stay in the ground unless NHDES approves their removal (RSA 483-B:9). NHDES's Inspector of the Day answers questions at (603) 271-2147 (NHDES protected shoreland).
The Historic District. The Historic District Commission's 2016 site guidelines say no Certificate of Approval is needed for plantings, apart from plantings that screen equipment, and the reviewed text doesn't address tree removal (HDC site elements guidelines). If a big tree in the district is coming out, ask the Planning Department. We found no city list of designated scenic roads.
Digging out roots. New Hampshire's excavation law covers "tree and root removal" (RSA 374:48), with notice to Dig Safe at least 72 hours ahead, weekends and holidays excluded, and the area white-marked. The 811 call is free (Dig Safe); ask the tree company whether your job needs one.
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, pull permits or appear before city boards.
Brush, burning and the urban forest
What happens to the wood in Portsmouth
Curbside brush. Yard waste goes out on regular trash day in paper bags under 50 pounds. Brush must be cut to no more than 4 feet long and 5 inches in diameter and tied in bundles no more than 1 foot across and 50 pounds; anything that doesn't comply is left behind. There's "No pickup during December, January, February, or March" (Yard Waste Information).
The Recycling Center. Yard waste, brush and Christmas trees are accepted year-round at 680 Peverly Hill Road, Tuesday through Thursday 7:45 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. and Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.; questions go to (603) 427-1530 (Yard Waste Information). The city's page doesn't mention logs or stumps, so settle how the trunk wood and any stump grindings leave the property when you agree on the job.
Burn permits. Portsmouth issues burn permits through the state Division of Forests and Lands online system at nh.burnsafeamerica.com. Under city ordinance 307.1.1, open burning is prohibited on the streets listed on the city's page, and a permit applied for at one of those addresses "is not valid and it will be immediately voided" (Online Burn Permitting). A notice from September 22, 2025, citing a Governor's proclamation that banned open burning statewide, is still posted with no end date (2025 burning notice); that posting may be out of date, so confirm the current status with the Fire Department at 603-427-1515. State rules allow only untreated wood and brush up to 5 inches in diameter, and fires over 2 feet across only from 5 p.m. to 9 a.m. unless it is actually raining (NH fire permits).
The city's tree map. DPW Urban Forestry and GIS map the city's trees on the Portsmouth Tree Viewer, though "the majority of the tree inventory is based on data collected more than ten years ago." The city's Tree Grant Program aims to add shade trees where planting in the right-of-way isn't appropriate, and the Urban Forestry page posts the 2017 Tree Planting Requirements and a Tree Protection Plan (Urban Forestry). If a tree on your lot near the street comes down, the grant program is worth asking about for a replacement.
Power lines
Portsmouth trees and Eversource lines
The state's community profile lists Eversource as Portsmouth's electric utility (NHES community profile). Eversource keeps its lines clear by 8 feet to the side, 10 feet below and 15 feet above, on a four-to-five-year cycle. Limbs over the house or driveway beyond that are for the homeowner's contractor; Eversource will temporarily take down the pole-to-house wires so the contractor can work safely, may remove limbs rubbing the service wires at no charge, and leaves the wood with the owner (Eversource NH tree FAQ). Keep at least 10 feet from any line and treat it as energized (NH Department of Energy).
FAQ
Portsmouth tree questions
The tree between my sidewalk and the street is failing. Who handles it?
The city. DPW's Parks and Greenery Division, led on tree work by the City Arborist, cares for Portsmouth's public trees. Make a request through the Click N' Fix app, or call (603) 427-1530 right away if it's urgent. Removing a public tree takes a Tree Warden permit after a committee hearing.
How close to a wetland can my tree company cut?
Within 25 feet of a wetland covered by the city's buffer, no cutting or clearing is allowed except removing invasive plants by hand. From 25 to 50 feet, up to half of the trees over 6 inches in diameter may be cut. Check the MapGeo Wetlands layer and the Planning Department first.
Will the city take the branches?
At the curb, brush must be cut to 4 feet or less, no more than 5 inches thick, tied in bundles up to 1 foot across and 50 pounds, and there's no pickup December through March. Brush can go to the Recycling Center at 680 Peverly Hill Road year-round.
Can I burn brush in Portsmouth?
Permits are issued online through the state's burn permitting system, but city ordinance 307.1.1 bars open burning on certain streets, and a permit for one of those addresses is voided. A burning ban posted in September 2025 is still on the city's page, so call the Fire Department at 603-427-1515 to confirm the current status before you apply.
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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