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!
Mandeville protects its big trees more closely than a lot of homeowners realize. Since the city adopted Ordinance 25-11 in October 2025, taking out a live oak, bald cypress or southern magnolia of any real size is a permit question first and a saw question second. So tree removal in Mandeville starts with figuring out what the tree is, how big it is and what the city will want to see.
We take on tree removal across Mandeville, from a single pine over a roofline to a storm-hurt tree near the lake. Below is how the city’s rules, the lakefront weather and the job itself fit together. For the rest of what we offer here, visit our Mandeville tree service page.
The short version of Mandeville’s tree ordinance: live oak, bald cypress and southern magnolia are protected in every zoning district once they reach six inches in diameter at breast height (DBH). For a live oak that size or larger, the ordinance says a tree removal permit “shall be obtained from the Landscape Inspector prior to cutting, clearing or removing” it, and the same applies to protected cypress and magnolias.
Other parts of the ordinance are worth knowing before you plan:
Other species can still be affected, for example by the setback rule, and your zoning matters, so confirm the details with the city’s Landscape Inspector before a large tree comes down. If your home is outside city limits in unincorporated St. Tammany Parish, city rules don’t apply there. Parish rules are different, and St. Tammany Parish Planning and Development can tell you what applies, along with any HOA covenants.
Mandeville’s lakefront is beautiful and exposed. The National Weather Service notes that Katrina’s surge reached Northshore communities including Mandeville in 2005. In 2021, Ida’s surge topped the seawall in Mandeville, and the NWS reported thousands of trees downed across the parish.
Storms like those can leave trees that look fine from the ground but carry hidden damage. A live oak on Lakeshore Drive can lose a big limb and keep a full crown. A pine can come through with a crack you only see from a ladder. Many of these trees can be kept with good pruning. The ones worth a hard look are trees that lean more than they used to, have split unions or hollow sections near the base, or have large dead limbs hanging over a house, a driveway or the street.
The city itself describes Mandeville as having “a lush canopy of live oaks, magnolia, cypress and pines.” With that much canopy, a removal can mean working around other trees, a roof or a fence line.
Removal is a final step, so it’s worth being sure. A tree that is simply too big for its spot can often be reduced with tree trimming. A tree with one weak limb may only need that limb taken off. If you can’t tell whether the tree is declining or just stressed from a bad season, our Mandeville arborist services page explains what a health and risk look covers, and having the tree’s condition written down can be useful when you talk to the city.
When removal is the answer, it’s usually because the tree is dead or dying, structurally compromised, damaging a foundation or slab, or in a spot where a failure would do real harm.
It starts with a walk-through. We look at the tree, its species and trunk size, what’s under and around it, and how equipment can reach it. If it’s a protected species, we talk through the permit before anything gets scheduled, since the application has to be sorted out first.
You then get a free written estimate with the scope spelled out. On removal day, a tree with open ground around it can sometimes be felled in one piece. Where a house, pool or fence is close, it comes down in sections instead, each piece cut and lowered on ropes to control where it lands. Brush is chipped, wood is hauled off, and the yard is raked before we leave.
Some jobs need more machinery than a climber and ropes. For big removals, crane lifts and storm response, our fulfillment partner Gulf Coast Tree Service supplies the heavy equipment and crew, and you keep one contact through the whole project.
If limbs are tangled in power lines, call the electric utility listed on your bill before anyone touches the tree.
Next comes the stump, if you want it gone. Our page on stump grinding in Mandeville explains the process, which is useful if a replacement tree has to go in close by. Neighbors to the north can see tree removal in Covington, where the permit rules are different, and to the east, tree removal in Slidell. The main tree removal service page covers our approach in general.
Under Ordinance 25-11, live oak, bald cypress and southern magnolia are protected in all zoning districts at six inches DBH or more, and removing one calls for a permit from the Landscape Inspector. Other trees may be affected by other parts of the ordinance, such as the setback rule in low-density residential districts. The Landscape Inspector can confirm what applies to your specific tree and lot.
The ordinance treats that seriously. It calls for inch-for-inch replacement of the tree that was removed, and fines can apply as well. If you’ve bought a home where that may have happened, or you’re unsure whether a past removal was permitted, the city’s Landscape Inspector is the right office to ask before you plan any more work.
It depends on your address. Fontainebleau State Park sits southeast of Mandeville, outside city limits, and addresses near the park may also fall outside the city, in unincorporated St. Tammany Parish. Parish rules are different from Ordinance 25-11. Call the city to confirm which side of the line you’re on, then ask the right office.
The current application asks for the contractor’s arborist license number, which in Louisiana is issued by LDAF, and a letter from your HOA if your neighborhood has one. Getting the HOA letter early saves time. It’s also a good reason to ask any contractor for their LDAF license number before you sign anything.
If a tree on your lot is dead, damaged or in the way, call 504-732-1166 or ask for a free written estimate. We’ll look at the tree, sort out the permit question with you and put the whole plan on paper.
A credentialed arborist scopes the work and signs off the plan before a saw leaves the truck.
General liability and workers' compensation in force. Certificates sent before we start.
New Orleans, the Northshore and the coast — through hurricane seasons, not just fair weather.
No call-out fee, no obligation, and a fixed price in writing before any work begins.
Tree down or leaning? Call us first.
Storm and hazard crews dispatch 7 days a week across New Orleans, the Northshore and the coast.
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