Randolph tree protection permit

Randolph's Tree Protection Permit is a Planning Division application under Section 15-48 that lists trees by trunk size bands starting at 8 inches. A residential lot pays an $80 fee and can use a sketch on a survey copy, and cutting may start within 48 hours after protection fencing is reported and the permit is approved. Call the Planning Division at 973-989-7080 to ask whether a dead or exempt tree still needs the form.

What the application asks for

The township's Tree Protection Permit application sorts trees by trunk size into three bands: 8 to 12 inches, 12 to 18 inches, and more than 18 inches. For each band you list the species and how many trees will come down. For a residential lot, the township asks for a sketch showing the trees, either drawn on the back of the form or marked on a copy of your property survey. Subdivisions and site plans need a full tree preservation plan instead.

The form also asks for proof that the property has no delinquent taxes or assessments, and the Planning Division can ask for more information if it needs it to process the application. If you believe your removal is exempt, the form asks you to spell out the exemption under Section 15-48 rather than simply skipping the paperwork.

Fees

The fee listed on the form for a residential lot, minor subdivision or minor site plan is $80. Major site plans and major subdivisions pay $300, plus $65 when the building permit is issued. The fee covers the township's review, not the tree work, so it sits on top of whatever the contractor charges. Ask the contractor whether they prepare the sketch and file the form as part of the job, or whether you should handle it yourself.

The steps before any cutting

The form lays out a sequence. First, the trees to be removed are identified and flagged. Next, trees that are staying are protected with high visibility fencing at the drip line, the outer edge of the canopy, so trucks and log piles stay off their roots. The contractor then calls the Planning Division to report that the protection is in place. Cutting can begin within 48 hours of that notice, once the permit has been approved.

That order matters on Randolph's wooded lots, where the trees you keep often stand a few feet from the ones coming out. Soil packed down by a loaded truck or chipper can damage the roots of a healthy oak for years, which is why the fencing goes up before the saws start.

When grading or building is involved

Tree rules also appear inside other township approvals. Randolph's lot grading permit, updated in 2026 by Ordinance 12-26, requires plans to show trees as required by Section 15-48, along with existing vegetation, wooded areas and steep slopes within 50 feet of the disturbance. That permit covers new buildings, in-ground pools, retaining walls and projects that disturb 2,000 square feet or more of soil or add 500 square feet or more of impervious surface.

When trees come out as part of a land use approval, the township can require replacement trees, and any shortfall is covered by a contribution under Section 15-48.7. A resolution recorded in township minutes in January 2026, for a home project on Everdale Road, noted that 48 replacement trees were required by ordinance while 6 were proposed, with the difference subject to that contribution.

Dead ash and township trees

Many Randolph removals today involve ash killed by the emerald ash borer, which the township said had killed more than 1,000 ash trees in town by 2021. The township has handled dead trees in the public right of way, and the property owner handles the rest. Before scheduling a dead tree removal, call the Planning Division at 973-989-7080 to ask whether your situation fits an exemption or still needs the form. For trees along township roads, the Engineering department is the contact the township lists.

Common questions

Rules change. Confirm the current requirements with Randolph or the contractor before work starts.