Lynchburg Tree Removal Guide: Licensing, Ash, Storms (2026)

Updated October 22, 2026. This guide is general information, not legal or engineering advice. Rules change, so confirm with the agency listed before you start work.

Quick reference

Topic	What to know	Source
Contractor license	Class C: single job over $1,000 and under $30,000. Class B: $30,000 to under $150,000. Class A: $150,000 or more	Va. Code 54.1-1100; DPOR
Tree-specific license	No DPOR specialty for tree work; landscape service contracting may remove stumps and roots below grade	18VAC50-22-30
Check a license	DPOR License Lookup; contract should list the license number	DPOR
Emerald ash borer	Confirmed in almost every Virginia county; a healthy ash can die about 3 years after decline starts	Virginia DOF
Power lines	No work within 10 feet of an overhead high-voltage line unless guarded	Va. Code 59.1-408
Digging and grinding	Submit a locate request before excavating; it's valid 15 working days	Va. Code 56-265.17
Street and park trees	Managed by Lynchburg Public Works, which has an urban forester	Lynchburg Business Magazine

Does a tree company need a license in Virginia?

Virginia's contractor law covers anyone who, for a fee, takes on the construction, removal, repair or improvement of buildings or other improvements to real property. Licenses come in three classes based on the value of the job: Class C for a single contract over $1,000 and under $30,000, Class B for $30,000 up to $150,000, and Class A for $150,000 or more. There are also annual totals: under $250,000 for Class C, $250,000 to under $1 million for Class B, and $1 million or more for Class A.

The Board for Contractors' list of specialties doesn't include a tree-care classification. The closest is landscape service contracting, which the regulation says may remove stumps and roots below grade. Because the rules don't map neatly onto tree work, the practical step is to ask any company for its DPOR license number, look it up on DPOR's License Lookup, and also ask for proof of liability and workers' compensation insurance. DPOR's consumer sheet says the contract should include the contractor's license number and suggests a down payment of about 10 percent.

What is emerald ash borer doing to Lynchburg's ash trees?

The Virginia Department of Forestry reports that emerald ash borer has been confirmed in almost every county in the state. Signs include D-shaped exit holes, a thinning canopy, sprouts from the trunk, serpentine galleries under the bark and heavy woodpecker activity in winter. A healthy ash can die about three years after the first signs of decline. DOF calls trunk injection with emamectin benzoate the best treatment option for trees with at least 70 percent live crown, protecting them for up to three years.

The City of Lynchburg first found wood-boring beetles in its ash trees in 2017 and had removed more than 100 ash trees from rights-of-way and parks by 2020, while treating others in parks and cemeteries with DOF's help. A Virginia Tech study of Lynchburg's street trees found native ash made up only about 1.8 percent of street trees, and a Virginia Cooperative Extension agent has noted that ash makes up about 3 percent of Virginia's forest inventory, mostly along creeks and streams.

What trees are common in Lynchburg?

Virginia Tech's assessment of Lynchburg's roughly 26,820 street trees found flowering dogwood (8 percent), red maple (7 percent), black locust (5 percent), Leyland cypress (5 percent) and crapemyrtle (4 percent) to be the most common. Dogwood and red maple were nearing the 10 percent single-species guideline that urban foresters use to limit losses to any one pest.

What rules apply near power lines?

Virginia's Overhead High Voltage Line Safety Act says no one may do, or have someone else do, work that puts people, tools or equipment within 10 feet of an overhead high-voltage line unless the danger of contact has been guarded against. In practice, trees in the lines are a job for the utility or a crew working with it. Call your electric company first.

Do I need to call 811 for stump grinding?

Virginia's Underground Utility Damage Prevention Act says no one may begin an excavation or demolition without first submitting a locate request, and that request is valid for 15 working days. Stump grinding and root removal go below grade, so ask whether the tree company will request a locate before it grinds.

What should I do after a storm?

Virginia Cooperative Extension's storm guidance says storm-damaged woods should only be entered with extreme caution, and recommends saving receipts, pre-storm photos of your landscape and other records. For a damaged yard tree, an appraisal can document the loss. Check your homeowners policy before major work. Extension also notes that dead limbs fail first, that losing one or two big branches can change a tree's structure, and that a certified arborist can find hidden problems such as root damage and internal decay.

Questions to ask a tree service

What's your DPOR license number, and can I see proof of liability and workers' comp insurance?
Will an arborist look at the tree, and could it be saved instead?
How will the tree come down, and how will you protect the house, lawn and septic area?
Is cleanup, wood hauling and stump grinding included?
Will you request a Virginia 811 locate before grinding?

Common questions

What license class does a Virginia contractor need?

Class C covers single jobs over $1,000 and under $30,000, Class B covers $30,000 to under $150,000, and Class A covers $150,000 or more, under Va. Code 54.1-1100.

How fast does emerald ash borer kill a tree?

The Virginia Department of Forestry says a healthy ash can die about three years after it first shows signs of decline.

Who handles trees along Lynchburg streets?

The City of Lynchburg's Department of Public Works, which has an urban forester on staff.

Lynchburg tree removal guide (2026)