Tree work in Franklin Lakes: what to expect
Franklin Lakes is one-acre zoning and big trees: tall tulip poplars and oaks on the wooded lots around the lakes and along the Franklin Lakes Nature Preserve, Norway spruce screens between estate lots, and the 40-year-old plantings of the Urban Farms and Scott Road subdivisions now at full height. With that much canopy per house, the usual job here is bigger than the county average, often several trees at once, and the borough has written its rules around that.
Access is rarely the problem it is in Teaneck or Hackensack; most lots have room for a bucket truck and a chipper. What costs money here is sheer size, the number of trees, and the permit. Franklin Lakes is served by Rockland Electric on most streets, which matters for anything near the lines.
Do you need a permit to remove a tree in Franklin Lakes?
Yes, for any tree 7 inches or more in diameter. The borough's Tree Removal and Replacement rules (Code Chapter 300, Article XX, as amended in August 2025) require a permit before removing any tree 7 inches in diameter (22 inches around) measured 4.5 feet up, whether it is dead or alive. Applications for ten or fewer trees are taken only online through the borough's SDL portal; no window applications. You tag the trees first, attach a sketch showing the house, driveway and road, and the fee is $100 for the first five trees and $25 for each tree after that. The approved permit is good for 90 days and has to stay posted in a window visible from the road for ten days after the cutting.
Penalties for removing without a permit run $250 to $1,500 per tree. Replacement planting follows the ordinance schedule for healthy trees.
Where to ask: Code Enforcement (Building and Construction), Franklin Lakes Borough Hall, 480 DeKorte Drive, 201-891-4000. Source: franklinlakes.org Tree Removal Process page and the Borough's Article XX ordinance notice, read October 2026. Confirm the current rule with the municipality before work starts; ordinances change and towns were still amending these in 2025.
What goes wrong with trees in Franklin Lakes
- Tulip poplar limb drop. The tallest trees in the borough are tulip trees that shed big, brittle limbs in summer thunderstorms. Deadwooding the crown every few years is cheaper than the roof repair.
- Beech leaf disease. Franklin Lakes' woodlots and the preserve are full of beech, and the disease has been in Bergen since 2020. Dying beech near the house is the most common new removal.
- Spruce screens failing. Rows of Norway spruce planted as privacy screens in the 1980s are now overgrown, thin at the bottom and prone to tipping in wet snow. They often come out a few at a time, which is where the permit count matters.
- Bacterial leaf scorch in the big oaks. Large red oaks browning in late summer usually have bacterial leaf scorch, a slow chronic disease. Have a licensed expert look before deciding; a scorched oak can be pruned and kept for years.
What it costs in Franklin Lakes (2026)
| Job | Typical NJ price |
|---|---|
| Small tree, under 30 ft | $200 – $600 |
| Medium tree, 30 – 60 ft | $500 – $1,500 |
| Large tree, 60 – 80 ft | $1,000 – $2,500 |
| Crane removal over a house | $2,500 – $3,500+ |
| Tree trimming, mature tree | $450 – $700 |
| Stump grinding | $100 – $500 per stump |
Ranges are published 2026 New Jersey figures (T&D Tree's NJ cost guide and treecostremovalcalculator.com's NJ pages), not quotes from this site; some North Jersey companies publish higher 2026 ranges, which we compare in the Bergen County cost guide. Your number depends on the tree, the access and your town's permit.
Franklin Lakes jobs are usually multi-tree and large-tree, so the total is higher than the per-tree ranges suggest even though access is good. Budget the permit ($100 for up to five trees) and ask whether the company's price includes the replacement trees the ordinance will require for healthy removals.
What we can line up in Franklin Lakes
Tree removal
Oaks over the roof, storm-split maples, dying ash: climbing, rigging and crane jobs.
Storm and emergency work
A tree on the house, the car or across the driveway, with the insurance paperwork you will need.
Is this tree dangerous?
A licensed look at a leaner, a cracked fork or a thinning crown before you decide.
Pruning and trimming
Deadwood out, clearance off the roof and the service line, weight off long limbs.
Stump grinding
Old stumps ground out so the spot can be lawn, patio or a replacement tree.
Lot and brush clearing
Overgrown back lots, pool and addition footprints, saplings and vines taken back to soil.
Streets and neighborhoods we cover around Franklin Lakes
We match homeowners across the borough: the lakes and Pulis Avenue, Urban Farms, High Mountain Road, Scott Road and Colonial Road, Franklin Lake Road and the Ewing Avenue side, and the estates along Summit Avenue. Nearby we also cover Wyckoff, Oakland and Mahwah.
How it works
- Describe the tree. Your town, what is wrong or what you want done, and a photo from the street if you can get one. A minute on the form.
- We hand it to one company that works your town. An independent Bergen County tree business registered with the NJ Board of Tree Experts and insured, picked because it actually covers your municipality and knows its permit.
- They come out and price it in writing. The company calls or texts you, looks at the tree, and gives you a written quote with no obligation. From there you deal with them directly.
Franklin Lakes tree questions
Do I need a permit to take down a dead tree in Franklin Lakes?
Yes. The borough's rule covers any tree 7 inches or more in diameter, dead or alive. Apply online through the borough's portal (ten trees or fewer), tag the trees, and post the permit in a window after the work.
What is the tree permit fee in Franklin Lakes?
$100 for the first five trees and $25 for each additional tree, per the borough's Tree Removal Process page. Removing without a permit can cost $250 to $1,500 per tree in fines.
How much does tree removal cost in Franklin Lakes, NJ?
Published 2026 New Jersey ranges are about $200 to $600 for a small tree, $500 to $1,500 for a medium one, $1,000 to $2,500 for a large one and $2,500 and up for crane work over a house, plus $100 to $500 per stump. Franklin Lakes jobs tend to involve several large trees, so totals run higher.
How long does the Franklin Lakes permit take?
Allow time for the borough to review the online application and inspect the tagged trees; the permit, once issued, is valid for 90 days. Dead or dangerous trees that pose an immediate risk should be flagged as such on the application.