The decision page is remove a dangerous tree. This list only helps you walk into that page with the right facts.
In short. Remove the tree when the wood has already failed, the roots have lifted, or a structure sits in the path — and then match the sign to the county rule before you assume a permit.
| Sign | What you are seeing | Which rule cares |
|---|---|---|
| Open crack | A shear in the trunk, often with decay behind it | Charlotte’s hazard track if failure has started |
| Lifted plate | Soil heaved on one side of the flare | A tree that is already uprooting |
| Hung-up leader | A broken top lodged in the crown | Raleigh’s one-fifth-of-crown test |
| Target | Roof, car, or sidewalk under the defect | Required in Raleigh’s definition |
| Line in the path | A primary conductor through the crown | Greensboro’s danger-tree sentence |
| Dead pine | Red needles, bark gone, woodpecker holes | Fayetteville nuisance path if it threatens the public |
| Slope scar | Bare soil where a root ball would come out | Buncombe’s hand-tool and ground-cover limit |
The list
- An open crack with decay. The wood has started to fail. Charlotte treats failure that has started as the imminent-hazard track, with a file inside three days.
- A root plate that has lifted. The tree is uprooting. That is a removal, not a cable.
- A leader hung up in the crown. Raleigh’s definition looks at whether at least one-fifth of the crown is predisposed to fail.
- A real target. A roof or a parked car. Without it, Raleigh will not call the tree hazardous.
- A line through the crown. Greensboro’s danger tree is this case, and the crown-reduction limit is one-fourth a year.
- A dead pine over a walk. Fayetteville can treat a dead tree the arborist declares a nuisance as an abatement.
- A removal that would strip a steep bank. Buncombe allows a dead tree out with hand tools and tells you to leave the ground cover.
How this was ranked
Ranked by how directly the sign shows failure already underway, then by whether a North Carolina ordinance uses that sign as a trigger. A brown leaf in August is not on the list.
Questions people type before they hire
Is a lean enough?
A lean with no crack, no lifted plate, and no target is not Raleigh’s definition and is not Charlotte’s imminent-hazard sentence. Photograph the defect before you call it dangerous.
Do all seven signs need a permit?
No. The sign tells you the tree is a removal. The permit depends on the city. An existing house in Greensboro is outside the conservation ordinance. A 30-inch native tree in Charlotte is not.
Should I prune instead?
If you intend to keep the tree, this list is the wrong page. Greensboro limits ordinary crown removal to one-fourth a year. A tree that has already split is a removal.
Where do I start the hire?
On the rule page, with the phone and the email, after you confirm the property is in North Carolina.
When the list matches your tree, go back to remove a dangerous tree and use the callback. The card is also at the top of this page.