Lebanon: Chapter 907, Trees
Lebanon's tree rules sit in Chapter 907 of its Codified Ordinances, most of it dating to 1964 and amended in 1990 and 2012. The chapter vests control of trees in the Director, whom it defines as the city's Director of Service, and refers to a Shade Tree Commission. Its listed state authority includes Ohio Revised Code 715.20, the power to regulate shade trees (all checked Nov 10, 2026).
Terms the code uses
- Treelawn: the part of a street between the property line and the part normally used by vehicles.
- Right-of-way: "any portion of the public way, street, alley, or sidewalk."
- Tree topping: "the severe cutting back of limbs to stubs of three inches or more in diameter" within the crown.
What each section requires
| Section | What it says (checked Nov 10, 2026) |
|---|---|
| 907.03 Permit required | Except for trees on private property inside an established utility easement, no person or contractor may start "any operation involving a public tree" without a right-of-way permit from the Director. Planting, removal, trimming or preservation is at the applicant's expense. |
| 907.06 Public tree trimming | The Director keeps public trees trimmed so branches over sidewalks, driveways and streets don't conflict with public safety. Topping a public tree is prohibited unless approved in advance by the Director. |
| 907.07 Owner's duty | Owners bordering a right-of-way must prune trees and shrubs that block street lights, street signs, or people and vehicles. They must also remove trees or shrubs the city designates as dead, dying, diseased or hazardous. After written notice, the owner has 30 days; if the work isn't done, the city or its contractor may do it and the owner pays all costs, including administrative charges. |
| 907.11 Spacing and clearance | Public trees are spaced 30, 40 or 50 feet apart for small, medium and large species, kept 35 feet from a street corner and 10 feet from a fire hydrant. Only small species from the Shade Tree Commission's list may go under overhead electric wires. |
| 907.99 Penalty | A fine of not more than $100, with each day or occurrence a separate offense, plus restitution and assessments. |
Questions go to the Service Department at (513) 933-7200. Public Works is at (513) 228-3701 and the city's main office at (513) 932-3060, City Hall, 50 South Broadway (checked Nov 10, 2026). If you can't tell whether a tree stands in the right-of-way, ask before anyone cuts.
Mason: Chapter 939
Mason's Landscaping and Street Tree Ordinance was adopted in 2002 and revised on November 18, 2013. The figures below come from that 2013 revision as posted on the city's site (checked Nov 10, 2026).
- Existing home lots. Under 939.03(A), existing lots in the R-1 through R-7 districts used for single- or two-family homes are exempt from the landscaping requirements, except lots approved as part of a new subdivision.
- City trees. The City Manager or a designee has "full jurisdiction, authority, control, supervision and direction" over trees on public property (939.07(K)). Planting, removing, pruning or treating a tree on city property needs the City Manager's approval first, or the Park Director's on park land, and the approval is good for up to 60 days. Work in a city right-of-way also needs the City Engineer's approval.
- Clearance. Limbs over a sidewalk must be at least 5 feet above the walk, and limbs over a street kept 14 feet above it (939.07(G)).
- Hazardous private trees. The City Manager's authority also reaches private trees judged a menace to public property, safety or welfare. The city may order removal of dead or diseased hazardous trees, or of private branches that overhang public property, with written notice and 60 days to comply; if nothing is done, it may remove them and charge the cost to the owner's property tax bill (939.07(K)(9)).
- Penalty. A misdemeanor fine of up to $100 per offense, each day a separate offense (939.11, checked Nov 10, 2026).
- Street trees. Appendix B lists trees not acceptable for street use, including silver maple, box elder, Bradford pear, Siberian elm, willow, poplar, black locust and "All Ash Trees."
Mason Public Works handles brush, leaves and trees at 513-229-8580; the city's main line is 513-229-8500 (checked Nov 10, 2026).
Springboro: Chapter 280, Tree Authority
Springboro's tree chapter was passed in 1995 and is overseen by the city's Tree Authority (all checked Nov 10, 2026).
- Protected trees (280.03). Anyone who wants to remove a "Protected Tree" must first get a tree removal permit from the city and list replacement trees, or pay $100 for each required replacement tree instead (checked Nov 10, 2026).
- Permit fees: $25 for up to 10 trees, $100 for up to 50, $200 for up to 100, and $500 for more than 100 (checked Nov 10, 2026).
- No permit needed for diseased trees, trees that threaten public health or safety, or trees in the exempt areas listed in 280.04.
- Replacements and Monarch Trees (280.04). Each removed protected tree is replaced within six months with a tree at least 2.5 inches in diameter. Trees the city designates as Monarch Trees can't be removed without Tree Authority approval and a permit. Exempt areas include street construction, rights-of-way and utility easements, a building's footprint plus 20 feet, driveways and walkways, septic fields and ponds.
- Care standards (280.07). Pruning standards apply to Monarch and public trees, climbing spurs are banned on Monarch Trees, and no construction or recreational fires are allowed within 100 feet of protected trees.
The code's own definition of a protected tree decides which trees need the permit, so don't assume a yard tree is exempt. Springboro has a tree-removal permit for "protected trees" under Chapter 280; call the city at 937-748-4343 before removing a healthy tree. Separately, the city's landscaping chapter, 1280, says its rules "do not apply to individual single-family lots." The Tree Authority meets at 5:30 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month except January, July and December, at SPARC and Go, 320 S. Main Street (checked Nov 10, 2026).
Villages, townships and associations
Ohio has no statewide permit for removing a tree on a private home lot that we found; the city, village or HOA rules are what matter. In South Lebanon, Morrow, Maineville, Waynesville or a township such as Deerfield, Turtlecreek, Hamilton or Union, call your local government office before cutting a tree near a road. In newer subdivisions, read the homeowners association covenants too; some address front-yard trees, and the association enforces them on its own.
Power lines
City of Lebanon Electric
Lebanon has run its own electric utility since 1895, buying bulk power through American Municipal Power. Its line clearance rules (checked Nov 10, 2026):
- Crews trim limbs away from city lines year-round; the city says limbs touching its lines are "a common cause of power outages."
- The city can remove any tree in an easement or right-of-way that poses an immediate threat to lines, property or public safety.
- Keeping the service line clear, the wire from the pole to the house, is the property owner's responsibility.
- To trim near your service line, the city will temporarily shut off its power at no charge during normal business hours. Call (513) 228-3210 at least two business days ahead (checked Nov 10, 2026).
- Underground neighborhoods: keep 12 feet clear in front of transformers and pad-mounted equipment and 3 feet around the back and sides. All plants should stay at least 10 feet from any pole or city equipment.
- Electric Department: (513) 228-3200 (checked Nov 10, 2026).
AES Ohio and Duke Energy
AES Ohio serves more than 527,000 customer accounts across 24 counties in West Central Ohio. Its crews trim to at least 10 feet from lines but won't trim near a service line, which is the owner's to keep clear. Line clearance: 888-582-3213. Duke Energy asks customers to call before pruning or removing trees near power lines and to have the line de-energized before work near a service drop (all checked Nov 10, 2026).
The Ohio Consumers' Counsel explains that utility trimming rights come from easements that transfer with the deed. Complaints go to the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio at 1-800-686-7826; the Consumers' Counsel is at 1-877-742-5622 (checked Nov 10, 2026).
OHIO811
Ohio law requires notice to OHIO811 "at least 2 working days, not including the day of the notification, but no more than 16 calendar days" before digging, under Ohio Revised Code 3781.28(A). Weekends and legal holidays don't count. Dial 8-1-1 or 800-362-2764, or file online. The service is free, and if you hire a contractor, the person doing the work submits the notice. OHIO811 says to contact it any time the soil is disturbed, like tree planting; ask whether stump grinding at your address needs a ticket (checked Nov 10, 2026).
Private lines may not be marked, and Lebanon Electric doesn't locate privately owned underground service lines from the transformer or vault to the house. More in stump grinding.
Burning brush
Ohio regulates open burning in two layers, and where you live decides which one applies.
| Rule | What it says |
|---|---|
| State burn ban (ORC 1503.18) | In March, April, May, October and November, no open burning of wood, brush, weeds, grass or rubbish from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. outside the limits of any municipal corporation. A fire in a plowed field, garden or public highway at least 200 feet from woods or dry grass is the exception. |
| Restricted areas (OAC 3745-19-01 and 3745-19-03) | Inside any municipal corporation, plus 1,000 feet beyond one of 1,000 to 10,000 people and one mile beyond one of 10,000 or more, by the latest federal census. Open burning is banned there except for listed exceptions, such as a small recreational fire of clean, seasoned firewood. Yard waste isn't one of the exceptions. |
| Unrestricted areas (OAC 3745-19-04) | Residential waste from the property may be burned if the fire is at least 1,000 feet from any inhabited building not on the property. No rubber, plastics, grease, asphalt or building materials. Land clearing waste needs Ohio EPA's written permission. |
Ohio Revised Code and Ohio Administrative Code (rules 3745-19-01, -03 and -04 effective April 30, 2018), checked Nov 10, 2026.
Our reading of those rules: Lebanon counted about 21,000 people and Mason about 34,800 in the 2020 census, both over 10,000, so the restricted area should reach a mile past each city's limits (populations checked Nov 10, 2026). Ohio EPA or the city can confirm where that line falls for a given address. Inside the cities, a brush pile can't be burned. Ohio State's Agricultural Safety program lists Ohio EPA's Division of Air Pollution Control at (614) 644-2270 for questions (October 2019 newsletter).
Brush and yard waste by city
| City | Collection rules (checked Nov 10, 2026) |
|---|---|
| Lebanon | Contracted to Rumpke. Yard waste bundled in 4-foot sections or bagged goes out with regular trash. Spring and fall drop-off days are announced in LebanonLife and on the city homepage; in 2024 they were at the Municipal Service Complex, 580 W. Main Street. Large items: Rumpke, 1-800-582-3107. |
| Mason | City crews, one quarter of the city per week. Brush out by 7 a.m. Monday, cut ends toward the curb, 4 to 12 feet long, no thicker than 4 inches. None in January, February or March. Stumps, root balls and trunks over 4 inches aren't taken. Leaf collection Oct 12 to Dec 11, 2026. |
| Springboro | Rumpke, April 1 to December 31. Bundles up to 4 feet long, 2 feet wide and 50 pounds. Rumpke: 1-800-828-8171. |
| Warren County | The Solid Waste Management District, 513-695-1210, lists no yard waste drop-off sites on its page. |
Permit questions
Do I need a permit to remove a tree on my own property in Lebanon?
If it's a public tree, yes: a right-of-way permit from the Director of Service. The code counts the tree lawn as part of the street, so treat a tree there as public. Chapter 907's permit section is aimed at public trees, so for a tree wholly on your lot, confirm with the Service Department at (513) 933-7200 (checked Nov 10, 2026).
How much is a tree permit in Springboro?
For protected trees, $25 covers up to 10 trees, $100 up to 50, $200 up to 100 and $500 for more. Diseased and hazardous trees are exempt (checked Nov 10, 2026).
Can I burn the branches in my Lebanon or Mason yard?
No. Inside a municipal corporation, Ohio EPA's restricted-area rules don't allow yard waste fires (checked Nov 10, 2026).
Does Mason need to approve taking down a tree in my backyard?
Existing single- and two-family lots in the R-1 to R-7 districts are exempt from Chapter 939's landscaping requirements unless the lot was approved as part of a new subdivision. Approval is required for trees on city property (checked Nov 10, 2026).
I live in a township. What rules apply?
This guide doesn't list township rules. Call your township office before cutting near a road, and follow the state burning rules above.
Permits and approvals belong with whoever does the work. Requests made on this site reach one independent contractor serving the Lebanon area.
Sources
- City of Lebanon Codified Ordinances, Chapter 907: 907.01, 907.03, 907.06, 907.07, 907.11, 907.99. Checked Nov 10, 2026.
- City of Lebanon, Electric Department, line clearance, new plantings, call before you dig, refuse and recycling, 2024 drop-off notice. Checked Nov 10, 2026.
- City of Mason, Chapter 939 (revised Nov 18, 2013) and brush and leaf collection. Checked Nov 10, 2026.
- City of Springboro, Chapter 280: 280.03, 280.04, 280.07; 1280.02; Tree Authority; trash. Checked Nov 10, 2026.
- AES Ohio, what to expect and fast facts; Duke Energy, trees and tree trimming practices; Ohio Consumers' Counsel, tree trimming; AMP member spotlight, Lebanon (July 2016). Checked Nov 10, 2026.
- OHIO811, homeowners and FAQ. Checked Nov 10, 2026.
- Ohio Revised Code 1503.18; OAC 3745-19-01; OAC 3745-19-03; OAC 3745-19-04; Ohio State University Ag Safety, open burn laws (October 2019). Checked Nov 10, 2026.
- Warren County Solid Waste Management District; populations from citypopulation.de (U.S. Census figures). Checked Nov 10, 2026.