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The strip between the sidewalk and the street is almost always public right-of-way, so the tree standing in it is treated as a city tree even though you mow around it. High Point handles trees on city owned or controlled property through a Public Tree Certificate, a free application reviewed by the Urban Forestry Committee, and that covers planting, maintaining or removing a tree in the right-of-way or a city easement. The city says it reviews the application for completeness within 2 business days and the committee decides in about 20 business days, so this is not a same-week job. The practical test is not where your deed line runs but whether the tree sits in the right-of-way, and the Planning and Development Department can tell you. We do not cut a right-of-way tree without that approval in hand, and we will tell you when a tree you asked about is one.
Updated Sep 18, 2026 · High Point Tree Service Pros, High Point, NC
The right-of-way is usually wider than people expect. It often runs several feet behind the sidewalk, which puts the planting strip, and sometimes the first row of yard trees, on the public side. A deed or survey shows your property line, but the right-of-way width is the number that matters here, and that comes from the city.
High Point's Street Maintenance division keeps the street rights-of-way clear, which includes trimming overgrown and dead limbs and dealing with hazardous trees and debris in the roadway. That is different from removing a healthy tree because you do not like where it drops leaves.
The city also prunes or removes trees along sewer line easements to keep service reliable, and it states it will not remove trees in yards and maintained areas unless an emergency forces it. So a limb over the road is likely a city call to make. A tree in your back yard never is.
If the tree is yours, we can look at it and price it this week. If it is in the right-of-way, the certificate comes first and the timeline stretches by roughly a month, which is worth knowing before you plan a driveway or a fence around it.
| Situation | What comes first |
|---|---|
| Tree in the planting strip | Public Tree Certificate, no fee, committee review |
| Dead limb hanging over the street | Call the city, Street Maintenance handles the right-of-way |
| Tree in a sewer easement | City may prune or remove it for access |
| Tree in your yard | Nothing. Free on-site assessment and a written price |
Quotes on a street tree differ because some companies price it as an ordinary removal and never mention the certificate. That is the quote to be careful with, not the cheap one. Ask any company you call whether the tree is in the right-of-way and what approval they intend to get, and ask it before you sign anything.
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