Trees on a private home lot
Conway's tree ordinance covers trees on public property, and this site found no city permit for removing a tree on a private home lot (checked Nov 10, 2026). The zoning code backs that up: Section 1101.2 says a single-family house, or an accessory building, allowed by right in its zone isn't subject to Development Review, which is where the city's tree preservation and landscaping requirements apply. Historic-district lots are different; see below.
Public trees and the Tree Board
Ordinance O-06-26, passed March 16, 2006, and amended by O-11-51 on June 28, 2011, sets the rules for public trees:
- Removing one takes two approvals. "It shall be unlawful for any person to destroy, transplant or remove any Public Tree" without the approval of both the Tree Board and the City Council (checked Nov 10, 2026).
- "Destroy" is broad. It includes putting toxic substances on the roots and grading within the drip line.
- Planting makes it public. A tree planted on public property becomes city property.
- Rights-of-way are handled separately. The city and Conway Corporation may prune, maintain and remove trees in street, alley and public-ground rights-of-way and in easements, for safety or appearance, following ANSI pruning standards. Trees that are unsafe, damage infrastructure or are infested may be removed, and after storms severely damaged trees may be removed or pruned.
The Conway Tree Board has nine citizen members appointed by the mayor with council approval, for staggered three-year terms. Its email is treeboard@conwayarkansas.gov (checked Nov 10, 2026).
The Robinson Historic District
The Conway Historic District Commission's design guidelines, adopted in 2010 and amended in 2015 and 2018, set the strictest tree rules in the city (checked Nov 10, 2026):
- "Removal of any trees over eight inches (8") in diameter must be approved by the HDC."
- "Removal of mature, healthy trees should be considered only for absolutely compelling reasons."
- An application should include photos or a site plan, proof the tree is dead or can't be saved (a letter from a landscape firm, for example), and the replacement's species and size.
- If a tree is removed, the stump must be removed or ground to the level of the surrounding soil.
- Damaged or diseased trees should be replaced with a similar species, in the same spot or nearby.
- Trees in street rights-of-way should be preserved, and work there requires permits. New construction must plant street trees with a 60-foot mature height, no more than 30 feet apart.
Planning and Development is at City Hall, 1111 Main Street, 501-450-6100. Lobby hours are 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4:30 p.m. (checked Nov 10, 2026).
Old Conway Design Overlay District
The Historic District Commission also reviews projects in the Old Conway Design Overlay District, with Suburban, Transition and Urban zones. A January 26, 2026 staff report says canopy trees "shall be planted within the public street frontage at ratio of one tree per thirty feet." In May 2026 minutes for a new house on Ash Street, the commission set the condition that "Any trees over 8" in diameter or greater must be protected and preserved." Whether removing a tree from an existing Old Conway lot, with no construction, needs commission approval wasn't spelled out in what this site read. Call City Hall at 501-450-6100 before removing a tree over 8 inches there.
Development projects
For projects that do go through Development Review, the zoning code makes tree preservation "the first, best, and standard approach" and asks that mature significant trees be kept where possible, with credit toward landscaping requirements. It calls for at least one canopy tree for every 30 feet of street frontage, each at least 2-inch caliper when planted (checked Nov 10, 2026). These rules apply to development projects, not to an existing single-family home.
Who hauls tree-work debris
Ordinance O-77-12, passed April 26, 1977, says the tree trimmer or cutter "shall be responsible for removing any limbs, branches or other cutting and/or trimming debris from the job site," and that "under no circumstances will the Sanitation Department of the City of Conway undertake the removal of said debris." The 1977 text set fines of $25 for a first violation and $50 after that.
The city's yard waste page still cites the ordinance today: "all professional tree trimming/cutting service providers haul away any yard waste they generate," and "Brush and limbs generated as a result of contracted work will not be collected curbside" (checked Nov 10, 2026). In practice, when you hire tree work in Conway, hauling the brush is part of the job. Make sure the written price says so.
Conway's curbside yard waste rules
For brush you cut yourself, the Sanitation Department runs weekly curbside yard waste pickup for homes inside city limits on garbage service (checked Nov 10, 2026):
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| When | Your regular garbage day, set out by 7 a.m. |
| Where | Within 2 feet of the curb |
| Bags and cans | Up to 10 brown paper yard bags or your own containers, 32 gallons at most, each under 50 pounds; no plastic bags |
| Brush piles | No larger than 10 feet long, 10 feet wide and 3 feet high |
| Not covered | "Not applicable for tree removal"; no limbs from contracted work; no yard waste in the green or blue carts |
| Bulky items | Two appointments a year, three items each; trees and debris not accepted |
Sanitation and the landfill are at 4550 Highway 64 West, (501) 450-6155 (checked Nov 10, 2026). Ask there before hauling logs or stumps yourself.
The Bradford Pear Bounty
Conway's Tree Board ran a Bradford Pear Bounty in 2025 and again in 2026 to get the invasive trees out of city yards. Each round offered a native tree to the first 25 households inside city limits that sent before and after photos of a removed pear. The 2026 trees were set to be handed out at the Arbor Day festival on November 7, 2026. The Tree Board's March 2026 minutes spelled out the limits: the city sanitation department "will not pick up removed trees or debris," and the City will not remove trees or pay for tree removal (checked Nov 10, 2026). To ask whether another round is planned, email treeboard@conwayarkansas.gov.
Power lines
Conway Corporation supplies electricity inside the city, and Entergy Arkansas, Petit Jean Electric Cooperative and First Electric Cooperative serve other parts of Faulkner County. A few rules apply to any of them:
- First Electric, citing Ark. Code § 11-5-307, says to keep all machinery, equipment, materials and people at least 10 feet from energized overhead lines, and asks for three days' written notice before work in its right-of-way (checked Nov 10, 2026).
- The statute (2020 code text) requires written notice to the director of the state Division of Labor and to the line's owner before work closer than the law allows, and work may go ahead only after "satisfactory mutual arrangements have been negotiated."
- Entergy trims only to keep service reliable and safe, and doesn't remove storm debris or debris from trimming a customer asked for (checked Nov 10, 2026).
Outage lines: Conway Corporation 501-450-6000, Entergy 800-968-8243, First Electric 888-827-3322 (checked Nov 10, 2026).
Arkansas One Call (811)
Arkansas One Call is headquartered in Conway and takes requests 24 hours a day. Call 811 at least two working days before digging; marks are good for 20 working days if work starts within 10 working days, and the tolerance zone is 18 inches (checked Nov 10, 2026). Conway Corporation also lists 1-800-482-8998. Call before stump grinding or digging near utility lines; see stump grinding.
Burning brush
State rules allow some burning of yard waste. The Arkansas Division of Environmental Quality's open burning page (dated July 2020) says that "generally, Arkansans may burn yard waste that is collected from the property it is grown on," while calling it "strongly discouraged but permissible in some areas." Local officials may restrict burning or require a permit. Trash, garbage and trade waste can't be burned. State law, Ark. Code § 8-6-1703 (2024 code text), also discourages open burning of yard waste.
County burn bans override all of that. Faulkner County's 2026 bans, issued by court order (checked Nov 10, 2026):
- January 14 to 21, for dry, windy weather.
- March 23 to April 4, for wind.
- August 13 until 9 a.m. on November 3, lifted by Court Order 26-202.
The Sheriff's Office non-emergency line, 501.450.4914, answers around the clock (checked Nov 10, 2026). In Mayflower, the city code allows burning leaves and yard trimmings when no ban is in effect, asks residents to notify the fire department first, bars burning in storm-water ditches, and sets fines of $25 to $500; the Fire Department is at 501-470-1200 (checked Nov 10, 2026). For Conway, Greenbrier and Vilonia, ask the city before burning; this site didn't find their burning ordinances.
Greenbrier, Vilonia, Mayflower and county land
- Greenbrier. City Hall, 11 Wilson Farm Road, 501.679.2422. Limbs: call 501.679.3014 to schedule a pickup and put them by the curb. "The City of Greenbrier will not pick up brush or leaves" (checked Nov 10, 2026).
- Vilonia. City Hall, 18 Bise Drive, 501-796-2534. Its permits page lists building, site plan, sign and business permits; this site found no Vilonia permit for removing a tree on a private lot (checked Nov 10, 2026). The Street Department trims trees along public ways.
- Mayflower. City Center, 5 Ashmore Drive, (501) 470-1337, closed Fridays. The city schedules yard waste pickup days; bulk items may not go to the curb more than a week before pickup (checked Nov 10, 2026).
- Unincorporated Faulkner County. County Judge Allen Dodson's office: 501-450-4900. Road Department, for trees on county roads: 501-450-4930, Monday through Thursday. A permit is required to build, maintain or alter a county road (checked Nov 10, 2026).
- State highways. Faulkner County is in ArDOT District 8. Work on a tree in a state highway right-of-way may need an ArDOT permit; call the District 8 office at (479) 968-2286 and ask for the permit officer first (checked Nov 10, 2026).
This site didn't review the codes of Wooster, Guy, Holland, Enola, Damascus or the other small towns, so call the town hall before a large removal. If you live in a subdivision with an HOA, check its covenants too.
Rules questions
Does Conway charge a fee to remove a tree on my lot?
This site found no city permit, and so no permit fee, for a tree on a private home lot outside the historic areas (checked Nov 10, 2026).
The tree is between the sidewalk and the street. Can I cut it?
Ask the city first. Right-of-way trees are handled by the city and Conway Corporation, and in the historic district, work in street rights-of-way requires permits.
Can I put my tree crew's brush out for pickup if I stack it neatly?
No. The city says brush and limbs from contracted work won't be collected curbside, however they're stacked (checked Nov 10, 2026).
Is the burn ban on right now?
Faulkner County's latest ban was lifted at 9 a.m. on November 3, 2026 (checked Nov 10, 2026). Bans come and go with the weather, so check the county's news page before you burn.
This site passes each request to one independent contractor who works around Conway. That contractor, not this site, handles any approval the job needs.
Sources
- City of Conway, Ordinance O-06-26, Ordinance O-11-51 and Ordinance O-77-12. Checked Nov 10, 2026.
- City of Conway, Zoning Code (O-22-39 cover), Sec. 1101; Planning and Development. Checked Nov 10, 2026.
- Conway Historic District Commission, Design Guidelines; staff report, Jan. 26, 2026; minutes, May 27, 2026. Checked Nov 10, 2026.
- City of Conway, yard waste, yard waste notice and Sanitation; Bradford Pear Bounty; Tree Board minutes, March 2026 and May 2026. Checked Nov 10, 2026.
- First Electric Cooperative, working near power lines; Ark. Code § 11-5-307 (2020 text); Entergy, tree trimming and phone numbers; Conway Corporation, outages and call before you dig. Checked Nov 10, 2026.
- Common Ground Alliance, Arkansas. Checked Nov 10, 2026.
- Arkansas Division of Environmental Quality, Open Burning (July 2020); Ark. Code § 8-6-1703; Faulkner County, news and burn ban notice; Faulkner County Sheriff's Office, burn ban, Aug. 13, 2026; City of Mayflower, Chapter 7.32, Open Burning. Checked Nov 10, 2026.
- City of Greenbrier, Sanitation and Water, Sewer and Street; City of Vilonia, Permits and Street Department; City of Mayflower, Yard Waste Pickup and § 5.04.03; Faulkner County, County Judge and Road Department; ArDOT, Districts. Checked Nov 10, 2026.