2026 Storm Debris Guidelines
- Please stack your brush at the edge of the road in the right of way, away from mailboxes, powerlines, or anything that will be in the way of the claw on the truck.
- Please make sure the debris is cut no longer than 15′ long.
- Once all of the debris has been stacked at the edge of the road, call the office and make a work order for it to be picked up.
- No commercial tree-cutting will be collected by the Highway Dept. If you have hired a commercial tree service, have them haul off the debris. Most likely, they are already billing you for it. The Highway Dept. is not responsible for picking up anything cut by trimming or cleaning services.
- We will be picking up for at least the next month – after that, we will determine how much longer we will be picking up storm debris and will update this page and our Facebook page.
Services
The Sumner County Highway Department provides a range of services for the county, including…
- County road repair and maintenance
- County bridge repair and maintenance
- County anti-litter administration
Driveway Connection Instructions
Sumner County Highway Department is currently open to the public, but you may download and print the permit to save time.
- Download and print the Drive Connection Permit (effective 1 November 2022).
- Complete application form, make sure to put the name of the person applying for the permit and/or the property owner’s name with phone numbers and the drive address.
- Permit fee is either $150 or $50 depending on the type of permit, payable to Sumner County Highway Department (SCHD) by cash, check or money order only. Attach payment to permit application.
- Bring your application and check to the office of the Sumner County Highway Department located at 1051 Old Hwy 109 North in Gallatin between the hours of 6:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Monday-Thursday. Get (2) two white survey flags, these should be placed on either side of the area that the drive connection is to be located.
- Stormwater Management will verify if the requested location is in a flood plain / floodway and if not then a work order will be generated for our area foreman to size the tile, we will call you with the information and the next steps of the procedure.
For any additional information you may call the Sumner County Highway Department at 615-452-2632
Work on County Road Right of Way
Each road’s right of way is different; it is best to call our office to obtain this information.
A permit is required for any work being done on the county road right of way. Permit fee is $100.00 payable to SCHD. A bond will be set based on the scope of work. For more information, call the office at 615-452-2632. Download and print work permit.
Underground utilities maintenance and removal guidelines are available. Download and print list.
Vegetation Management Policy
The purpose of this policy is to establish uniform standards for the inspection, trimming, removal, planting, and maintenance of trees, brush, and other vegetation located within Sumner County right-of-way. The policy is intended to protect public safety, maintain roadway drainage, and visibility, preserve infrastructure, and reduce erosion and environmental impacts.
Scope: This policy is adopted pursuant to the authority granted to county highway departments under Tennessee law and applies to all county-maintained roads and the county road right-of-way under the jurisdiction of the Sumner County Highway Department. It applies to county personnel, contractors, utility companies, property owners, and any other party performing vegetation work within county right-of-way. A permit is required for any work done on the county road right-of-way, and each road’s right-of-way width may vary by location.
Definitions:
- Right-of-Way (ROW): The public corridor used for road, shoulder, drainage, utility, and related county transportation purposes.
- Hazard tree: A tree that is dead, dying, structurally unstable, leaning toward the roadway, or otherwise likely to fail and create a safety risk.
- Vegetation work: Pruning, cutting, clearing, removal, stump grinding, planting, or other disturbance of trees or woody vegetation.
- Encroachment: Any tree, limb, shrub, stump, fence, or vegetation that interferes with safe road use, drainage, sight distance, or maintenance access.
General Policy: The Highway Department may remove or trim vegetation in the county ROW when needed for public safety, road preservation, drainage, visibility, signing, utility clearance, or maintenance access. Work should be limited to what is reasonably necessary and performed in a manner that minimizes damage to adjacent property and remaining vegetation.
Maintenance Standards:
- Trees, limbs, and brush shall be trimmed or removed when they interfere with sight distance, sidewalks, curbs, traffic signs, mailboxes, culverts, ditches, roads, or safe passage of county equipment.
- Dead, dying, or hazardous trees in the ROW may be removed after inspection by Highway Department staff or their designee.
- Pruning shall follow accepted arboricultural practices, including cuts at branch collars where feasible, and topping should be avoided except in emergency situations where public safety requires immediate action.
- Vegetation shall not be allowed to obstruct drainage features, because blocked drainage increases erosion and maintenance problems.
Tree Removal Criteria: Removal may be authorized when a tree:
- Is dead, dying, storm-damaged, or structurally unsound.
- Presents a documented hazard to the traveling public or county workers.
- Interferes with road widening, drainage improvements, culvert installation, guardrail, signage, or other county work.
- Is rooted in a location where it is causing drainage failure, sidewalk accessibility, pavement and curb damage, or repeated maintenance issues.
- Must be removed to comply with utility, emergency response, or approved county construction work.
- When the work is performed by the adjoining land owner and approval is granted by the Highway Department.
Pruning Standards:
- Pruning shall be performed to promote tree health and minimize future failure.
- Branches over the roadway should be maintained at a clearance adequate for county equipment and road operations.
- Pruning should avoid flush cuts, stubs, and unnecessary canopy loss.
- Topping is prohibited as routine practice because it weakens trees and increases long-term hazard potential.
- Where trees are retained near the roadway, pruning should preserve structure and reduce conflict with signs, sight lines, and utilities.
Vegetation Clearing Limits: The County should remove only the minimum vegetation necessary in the County right-of-way to accomplish the maintenance objective. Permit holders performing vegetation work within the County right-of-way shall be responsible for damage arising from their work and may be required to indemnify the County to the extent permitted by law.
Utility Coordination: Vegetation work near electric, communication, water, sewer, or other utility facilities shall be coordinated with the affected utility when appropriate. Where a utility has maintenance responsibilities or separate legal authority, the County should avoid duplicating work unless public safety or county operations require immediate action.
Permits and Approvals: Any non-routine vegetation work in the county ROW by property owners, HOA’s, contractors, or utilities requires a County permit before work begins. Permits may be approved, denied, or conditioned based upon roadway safety, drainage impacts, utility conflicts, environmental concerns, traffic control adequacy, and protection of county infrastructure. The permit application shall describe the location, scope of work, method, traffic control needs, disposal plan, and any restoration measures. The Highway Department may require a bond based on the scope of work, consistent with County ROW permitting practice. Any person aggrieved by a permit denial or enforcement decision may request administrative review by the Highway Superintendent or designee.
Restoration Requirements: After vegetation work is complete, disturbed areas shall be left in a safe and stable condition. This may include grading, seeding, mulching, ditch restoration, erosion control, removal of debris, and repair of any damage to shoulders, pavement, mailboxes, culverts, or drainage structures. Temporary roads, disturbed access points, and exposed soils should be stabilized as soon as practical to prevent erosion. Care must be taken when trees are planted back in or near the right-of-way. The appropriate species must be selected to ensure future damage to the right-of-way is avoided. Prior to any tree restoration or planting must be granted by the Sumner County Highway Department.
Disposal of Debris: All brush, logs, stumps, and debris shall be removed or disposed of in a manner approved by the Highway Department. Commercial tree-cutting debris should be removed by the contractor or property owner unless the County specifically approves collection. Debris shall not be placed where it obstructs visibility, roadside drainage, sidewalks, or travel lanes.
Emergency Work: In the event of storms, ice, flooding, or immediate threats to public safety, the Highway Department may perform emergency tree and vegetation removal without prior notice or permit. Emergency work should still follow safe work practices and should be followed by cleanup and restoration as soon as conditions allow.
Enforcement: The Highway Department may stop unauthorized work, remove hazardous encroachments, require corrective action, or assess costs and damages where allowed by law and County policy. Repeated violations may result in denial of future permits or referral to the appropriate authority.
Brush Collection
The County Highway Department offers complementary brush pick up twice a year: spring and fall.
Brush Collection Guidelines
- Resident must be on a county road to receive brush pickup.
- No commercial tree-cutting will be collected by the Highway Dept. If you have hired a commercial tree service, have them haul off the debris. Most likely, they are already billing you for it. The Highway Dept. is not responsible for picking up anything cut by trimming or cleaning services.
- The pile of brush must not be placed under trees and overhead wires so that our equipment can reach it without posing a danger to the operator. Also, piles must be kept away from mailboxes or other structures to avoid damage to the structure.
- Place brush away from driveways or intersections in a manner that does not reduce visibility. Must be placed within two feet of the edge of roadway / sidewalk / curb, with limbs / logs facing the same direction.
- Limbs and logs must be no longer than 15 feet.
- Brush should be free of any other debris (i.e. paper, furniture, treated or painted wood.)
- Brush shall not be placed in the sidewalk or roadway travel paths.
- Once all brush has been placed at side of road, call the office for a work order to be put in for pickup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the right of way of a particular road?
A: Each road’s right of way is different, it is best to call our office to obtain this information.
Q: What is the speed limit on a particular county road?
A: Each road’s speed limit is different and several do not have a set speed limit, it is best to call our office to obtain this information. If the road doesn’t have a posted speed limit sign, then the speed limit is assumed to be 55 MPH.
Q: Does a driveway connection require a permit?
A: YES. You will need to come by our office (1051 Old Highway 109N) and fill out the permit. There is a fee of either $150 or $50 (cash or check) depending on which permit is necessary. You will be given two white flags to mark the driveway location. If this location has no TDEC issues, we will send out a foreman to size the tile needed and will notify the applicant of the size and type of tile to purchase and install. Once installation is complete, the applicant must contact Sumner County Highway stating they are ready for inspection for final approval. Applicants should keep a copy of the receipt as it will be needed when they go to Development Services for a Land Disturbance Permit.
Q: Who picks up an animal carcass on a county road or road right of way?
A: The Sumner County Highway Department will pick up domestic and non-domestic animal carcasses the size of a dog and larger.
Q: Who takes care of Hwy. 109 and Hwy. 174?
A: The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT). Any road that has a number is maintained by the state. The number for the local office in Gallatin is (615) 451-5822.
Resource Authority also accepts trash and brush.
Website: https://www.resourceauthorityinsumner.org/
Phone: 615-452-1114
Hours M-F 6 am – 5 pm Sat. 7 am – 4 pm
Burn Permits can be obtained by calling 1-877-350- 2876 or going to their website at https://www.tn.gov/tnwildlandfire/prevention/safe-debris-burning/phone-permits.html
Hours: M-F 8 am – 4:30 pm
