One county, two cities, two different answers.
Guilford County holds two major cities, and the two do not publish the same rules about trees. What gets collected at the curb, what an ordinance reaches and who takes the outage call can change across a line nobody can see from their own yard. So the first move is finding out which city you are in.
Which rulebook covers the lot
The two sets of rules below belong to Greensboro and to High Point. They are city rules, and they do not blend at the edges.
Guilford County's own Unified Development Ordinance covers properties in unincorporated Guilford County and outside municipal extraterritorial jurisdictions. Which document governs a particular parcel, and what the county ordinance says about trees, is a question for Guilford County planning.
Greensboro exempts a class of dwelling by name
Greensboro's Land Development Ordinance requires a tree disturbance permit or an approved plan in association with the development activities its tree conservation section applies to, unless the ordinance expressly exempts them.
It then exempts a class of property by name. Single-family detached, two-family attached and duplex dwellings on their own lots are exempt from the tree conservation requirements and from the tree disturbance permit requirement.
That answer has edges. It names dwelling types, not every property, and Greensboro planning confirms which side of the line a parcel sits on.
High Point's tree document stops at city property
High Point's guidelines and standard practices for trees state that they apply to trees located on city-owned or controlled property, which the document defines as property the city owns or leases, or controls through rights-of-way and easements for public purposes.
That is the document's own reach. Whether another High Point rule touches a private lot is a question for the city.
The curb is where the two cities part company
Both cities publish curbside yard waste rules and neither publishes the other's. A pile prepared to the wrong city's rule stays where it is.
- Greensboro: bundles no more than five feet long, no heavier than 50 pounds, tied with twine or string
- High Point: bundles tied in lengths of 4 feet or less, no more than 50 pounds
- Greensboro: 10 bags or bundles a week outside the city's seasonal limit, and biodegradable paper bags only
- High Point: a city-approved rollout cart, paper bags or tied bundles, no plastic
- Greensboro: no loose leaves or organic material in the street or right-of-way, even temporarily
What each city says about material a contractor cut
High Point answers this one in its own FAQ. Asked whether the city will pick up material after a homeowner pays a contractor to remove trees, it says no, unless the tree service cuts and ties the material to the city's size and weight limits. Its yard waste program is intended for the regular maintenance of a property, not the removal of an entire tree.
Greensboro's comparable sentence sits elsewhere. Its construction and demolition debris page publishes that debris from jobs performed by professional contractors will not be collected. That page's subject is construction waste, so in Greensboro the honest move is to ask the city.
Who takes the outage call is also a city question
High Point runs its own electric utility and publishes a 24-hour emergency number for electric, water and sewer service, 336-883-3111, with a toll free alternate of 888-883-3632. ElectriCities lists High Point among the state's public power communities.
EnergyUnited names Guilford among the counties where it serves portions of the territory, and a county list is not a street map. Whoever bills you for power takes the call. Anything with a wire in it belongs to emergency storm response and the first hour after the tree lands.
Three answers that change with the address
Which curbside rule applies, which ordinance applies and who sends the power bill all change with the address, and the city settles each one.
How that becomes a number is on how jobs get quoted, a lot with no drop zone is argued on the Forsyth County page, and Guilford sits inside the seven-county service area.
Not sure which Guilford County rulebook is yours?
Questions people actually ask.
Do I need a tree disturbance permit to take a tree out of my Greensboro yard?
Not for the dwellings the ordinance names. Greensboro exempts single-family detached, two-family attached and duplex dwellings on their own lots from both the tree conservation requirements and the tree disturbance permit. Other property types are a question for Greensboro planning.
Does High Point's tree document cover the trees in my yard?
No. High Point's guidelines and standard practices for trees apply to trees on city-owned or controlled property. Whether another High Point rule reaches a private lot is a question for the city.
Will High Point collect the material after a tree service takes a tree out?
No. The city's own answer is that work performed by a tree service company must be disposed of by that company, or cut and tied to the city's size and weight limits.
Are the Greensboro and High Point bundle rules the same?
No. Greensboro publishes bundles of no more than five feet and no heavier than 50 pounds, and a weekly cap of 10 bags or bundles outside its seasonal limit. High Point publishes bundles of 4 feet or less at no more than 50 pounds. Neither collects plastic bags.
Who do I report a power outage to in High Point?
High Point runs its own electric utility and publishes a 24-hour emergency electric, water and sewer number, 336-883-3111, with a toll free alternate of 888-883-3632. A bill from another company means that company's number.