Stumped by Tree Troubles? We're Here for You! - Get Your FREE Estimates!
Stumped by Tree Troubles? We're Here for You! - Get Your FREE Estimates!
By
Big Easy Tree Removal 
Aug 6, 2026 
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Who you ask depends entirely on where the tree is going. For public right-of-way and neutral grounds in New Orleans, that is the Department of Parks and Parkways. For a rental, the property owner. For a deed-restricted subdivision, the association. For your own yard, nobody, though Louisiana law still requires you to notify Louisiana 811 before digging. Big Easy Tree Removal helps New Orleans property owners work out which of those applies.
Table of Contents
Permission sounds like a bureaucratic question and it is really a geographic one. The answer changes entirely depending on which side of a line the planting hole sits, and in New Orleans that line is frequently not where people assume. The grass strip out front that you mow every week is very often not yours. The fence that has been there for forty years may not follow the property line. Sorting this out costs nothing before planting and can cost a great deal afterward. Here is who to ask and how, with practical notes from Big Easy Tree Removal.
Before asking anyone for permission, establish where your property actually ends, using your survey or title documents rather than the fence line or the mowing pattern.
Fences get built where it was convenient, where the old one stood, or where someone guessed. They are not evidence of a boundary. Across older New Orleans neighborhoods, fences and property lines disagree often enough that assuming they match is genuinely risky.
The strip between the sidewalk and the street catches out more people than anything else. Homeowners maintain it, mow it, and think of it as part of the yard, and it is typically public right-of-way. Planting there without asking is the single most common permission mistake in this city.
If you cannot locate a survey, your closing documents may include one, and a surveyor can establish the line definitively. For a small ornamental going in the middle of a back yard this is overkill. For anything near a boundary, or for a tree that will still be there in fifty years, it is worth doing properly.
| Where the tree goes | Who has authority | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Your own yard, clear of boundaries | You | No permission needed, but call 811 before digging |
| Strip between sidewalk and street | New Orleans Parks and Parkways | An application, with species and placement review |
| Neutral ground | New Orleans Parks and Parkways | Formal approval required |
| Rented property | The property owner | Written permission, since a tree is permanent |
| Deed-restricted subdivision | The association or the covenant | Possible species and placement restrictions |
| Inside a utility or drainage servitude | The utility or drainage authority | Often restricted even on land you own |
| Outside Orleans Parish | That parish or municipality | Rules differ from New Orleans entirely |
Two entries deserve extra attention. A servitude can restrict what you plant on land you genuinely own, so ownership alone does not settle the question. And outside Orleans Parish, nothing about New Orleans rules carries over, so Metairie, Kenner, Slidell, Covington, and Mandeville each need their own inquiry.
Planting in the public right-of-way or on a neutral ground in New Orleans goes through the Department of Parks and Parkways, and it is a real process rather than a courtesy call.
What to have ready before you contact them:
Powerline clearance drives a lot of these decisions in older New Orleans neighborhoods, where overhead conductors run along many streets and the planting strip sits directly beneath them. A large canopy species there will be cut back repeatedly for the rest of its life, ending up misshapen and structurally poor, which is exactly the kind of tree that sheds limbs in a storm. Reserving that space for small ornamentals and offsetting larger trees laterally is the reasoning behind most of the guidance you will receive.
Expect species guidance rather than free choice. Right tree, right place is the governing principle for public plantings, and a large canopy species will not be approved under a primary conductor no matter how much you want one there. That constraint is doing you a favor, since a tree planted under a line spends its life being cut back.
Timing is worth raising when you apply. Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30, and the best planting window in south Louisiana is late fall through winter, so roots establish before summer heat and storm season arrive. Working the approval timeline backward from that window rather than applying in spring saves a full year. The same forward planning applies to the mature live oaks already on a street: assessing canopy condition ahead of storm season is far easier than dealing with a damaged tree afterward.
It is also worth knowing that the regulatory picture recently changed. The New Orleans City Council approved a Tree Protection Ordinance on March 27, 2025, so confirm current requirements directly with the New Orleans Department of Parks and Parkways rather than relying on older descriptions of the process.
No law requires you to consult a neighbor about a tree planted entirely on your own property. Having the conversation anyway is usually worth more than the five minutes it takes.
The reason is that a tree’s mature canopy and root system will not respect the line even if the trunk does. A large species planted near a boundary will eventually overhang, drop leaves, and shade the neighbor’s yard. Discovering that they have strong feelings about it after the tree is thirty feet tall is a worse outcome than finding out beforehand.
Louisiana also has a specific rule that makes this worth understanding. Louisiana Civil Code Article 688 gives a landowner the right to demand that branches or roots of a neighbor’s trees extending into their property be trimmed at the neighbor’s expense, where those branches or roots interfere with the enjoyment of the property. That means the cost of dealing with future overhang may land on you rather than on them.
The practical response is not to avoid planting but to set the tree back far enough that its mature canopy stays on your side, generally half the mature spread plus a buffer. On narrow lots that calculation frequently rules out large species along a side yard, which is useful information before you buy the tree rather than after.
Check your survey. Maintaining it does not make it yours, and in most New Orleans neighborhoods that strip is public right-of-way.
If the survey is unclear or unavailable, ask Parks and Parkways directly about the location. They deal with this question constantly and it is far cheaper than planting in the wrong place.
Generally no city permission is required, but Louisiana law still requires notifying Louisiana 811 before digging, and any deed restrictions or servitudes still apply.
The 811 requirement is at least 48 hours and not more than 120 hours before digging, excluding weekends and holidays, and it applies to homeowners rather than only to contractors. It is free and it prevents striking a buried line.
Confirm which jurisdiction actually governs the address before assuming, since rules can differ across the street.
Orleans, Jefferson, and St. Tammany Parishes each handle this differently, and municipalities within them add their own layer. A single phone call to the right office settles it.
Planting a tree on rented property needs the owner’s permission, and getting it in writing protects both sides.
The complication is permanence. A tree outlives most tenancies, and the person who plants it usually is not the person dealing with it in twenty years. From an owner’s perspective a tree is a long-term alteration to the property, which is why some will say no to something they would happily allow if it were a shrub.
Points worth settling in writing:
An easier alternative for renters is a large container. It gives you a tree, it moves when you do, and it needs nobody’s approval.
Big Easy Tree Removal is locally owned and operated and works across Orleans, Jefferson, and St. Tammany Parishes, so questions about which authority governs a given address come up regularly here. We can help you think through placement, species, and clearance and point you to the office with the final say.
We serve New Orleans, Metairie, Kenner, Gretna, Harahan, Slidell, Mandeville, Covington, and throughout Louisiana.
Call 504-732-1166 before you dig if the spot is anywhere near a boundary.
If the spot is in the public right-of-way, the Department of Parks and Parkways. That includes the strip between the sidewalk and the street in most neighborhoods.
Generally no city permission, but Louisiana law requires notifying Louisiana 811 before digging, and deed restrictions or servitudes may still apply.
Use your survey or title documents. The fence and the mowing pattern are not evidence of where the boundary runs.
Only with the owner’s permission, and get it in writing. A tree is a permanent alteration that outlasts most tenancies.
Not legally, if it is entirely on your property. It is still worth doing, since Louisiana Civil Code Article 688 can put the cost of trimming future overhang on you.
No. Jefferson Parish, St. Tammany Parish, and individual municipalities set their own requirements, so ask the authority for that address.
Yes, there are special permits required to plant a tree, depending on where you live. These permits may vary from city to city, and even within neighborhoods in some cases. In many cities, you will need to acquire a permit from the Department of Parks and Recreation before planting a tree. Depending on the location of your intended tree, there may also be additional zoning or environmental regulations that must be followed. Additionally, some cities require a fee in order to obtain the necessary permits. It is important to research your local government’s regulations in advance so that cutting corners does not end up costing you more in the long run.
When it comes to local laws and regulations for planting a tree, the specific requirements can vary widely depending on your city or county. Generally, however, you’ll need to obtain permission from your local municipality before planting a tree on public or private property. You may also need to abide by certain zoning restrictions, tree management plans, and building codes.
For example, some jurisdictions may require that you contact utility companies in order to ensure that any planting does not interfere with underground power lines or other utilities. Other considerations may include whether the tree is a native species and how large the desired tree is. Additionally, if you are planting on public property, you may be required to pay for a permit. It’s important to research all applicable rules and regulations before attempting to plant any trees.
Yes, there are many organizations that can provide assistance with obtaining permission to plant a tree. For example, the Arbor Day Foundation is a non-profit organization that helps individuals and communities obtain permission to plant trees. The organization provides resources such as advice on local laws, helpful tips, and even free seedlings to help people fulfill their goal of planting a tree in their community. Additionally, the U.S. Forest Service assists landowners who need permission to plant a tree on public or private land by providing advice on land management practices, grants, and other forms of support. Finally, many local governments offer programs and ordinances related to tree planting permitting such as urban forestry initiatives and permit requirements for specific species. With the right information and support from these organizations, getting permission to plant a tree doesn’t have to be an overwhelming task.
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