No homeowner permit, and why
Olive Branch's zoning ordinance (Appendix A, adopted March 19, 2019) mentions trees only where land is being developed. A site plan petition needs an existing tree survey, and parking and landscape plans must show every tree of 8 inches caliper or more and justify any that will be removed (checked Nov 12, 2026). The city's permit FAQ lists what does need a permit, including fences, buildings, signs and demolition, and tree removal isn't on it (checked Nov 11, 2026).
So a homeowner taking down a yard tree in Olive Branch doesn't file with the city. Two exceptions to keep in mind: your HOA's covenants, if your subdivision has them, and anything near the street right-of-way, covered below. Questions about permits go to the Building Department at 662-892-9333.
What the city asks of new subdivisions
Olive Branch is the second-largest of DeSoto's four cities, with 47,563 people in the Census Bureau's July 1, 2025 figures, up 2.5% since April 2020. It has the highest share of owner-occupied homes of the four, 82.3%, and a median owner-occupied home value of $290,000 (2020–2024 survey; checked Nov 11, 2026).
The city's design review checklist, the list of mandatory items for development plans, spells out its tree standards (checked Nov 11, 2026):
- "8” Caliper or Larger Trees Identified"
- "Existing trees over 8 inches in caliper identified, justification for removal submitted"
- "One (1) three and one half (3½) inch caliper street tree planted for each thirty-five (35) lineal feet of frontage"
- "All street trees located within the area five (5) feet behind the street right-of-way line"
- "1:1 tree credit for maintaining existing trees, 8” in caliper, or more in perimeter or interior parking lot landscape areas"
Those rules bind the developer during construction, not the homeowner afterward. If you're not sure whether a tree by your street sits in the right-of-way, ask Public Works at 662-893-5208 before anyone cuts it.
Entergy or Northcentral: check your bill
Olive Branch is split between two electric providers. Entergy Mississippi serves "parts of Olive Branch" from its DeSoto service center on Highway 51 North. Northcentral Electric Cooperative, a member-owned co-op that distributes TVA power, has its headquarters at 4600 Northcentral Way in Olive Branch, serves eastern DeSoto County and western Marshall County, and has "more than 30,000 members" (checked Nov 11, 2026). Exact boundaries weren't confirmed for this site; your power bill tells you which one you have.
| Entergy Mississippi | Northcentral Electric Cooperative | |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 800-ENTERGY (800-368-3749) | (662) 895-2151 (main number) |
| Wire from pole to house | "We DO NOT trim service lines"; the owner's responsibility, and Entergy can disconnect it temporarily for tree work | Not confirmed for this site; call the co-op |
| Debris from line clearing | Not picked up after storm damage or customer-requested trims | Not confirmed for this site |
Whoever your provider is, Mississippi law (Miss. Code § 45-15-3) bars work that could bring people, tools or equipment within 10 feet of a high-voltage line until safety arrangements are made with the utility, and § 45-15-9 calls for written notice to the utility first (checked Nov 11, 2026).
During Winter Storm Fern, the city's update of Jan 27, 2026 reported that Northcentral and Entergy showed no outages in Olive Branch, while about 147,000 customers were without power across the state; warming centers were open in Olive Branch, Southaven and Hernando. By Jan 30, the city reported about 98,850 outages statewide, "down from a high of about 180,000" (checked Nov 11, 2026).
Getting limbs picked up
Olive Branch's Roadside Rubbish Guidelines (undated, checked Nov 11, 2026) set the rules for what a homeowner puts out:
- Length: "Limbs/Trees not over 6 ft. long"; cut "to a five to six foot length."
- One pile behind the curb, where the city's boom trucks can reach it.
- Placement: "We cannot pick up debris placed under low power lines, low tree branches, or within five feet of structures."
- Size: one truckload is "5' Tall, 5' Wide, 24' Long," or 600 cubic feet. More than one truckload is billed, starting at $100 for two loads.
- Timing: "Typically, it takes one week to complete routes."
And the line that matters most for tree work: "WE DO NOT PICK UP AFTER TREE SERVICES." The guidelines add, "Commercial business and tree services will continue to be responsible for hauling away their own rubbish material." If you hire a crew, hauling belongs in the written price. Public Works is at 10175 Highway 178, 662-893-5208.
For a load you haul yourself, DeSoto County's rubbish pit at 5255 W. Sandidge Road in Olive Branch (662-895-9705) accepts limbs and leaves. Winter hours, Nov 2, 2026 to Mar 14, 2027, are weekdays 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturdays 7 a.m. to noon, and the county allows each resident up to four visits a month without paying (checked Nov 11, 2026).
No burning in town
DeSoto County's burn permit page is clear: "Open burning is not allowed inside any of the municipalities within DeSoto County" (checked Nov 11, 2026). Inside Olive Branch's city limits, brush goes to the curb or gets hauled. If your Olive Branch mailing address is actually outside the city limits, the county's same-day residential burn permit, 662-469-8080, may apply: brush under 5 inches across, at least 150 feet from any standing structure, watched the whole time and out by dark.
Olive Branch through an ice storm
Olive Branch shares DeSoto County's storm record. The county leads Mississippi's hazard plan table with 44 winter storm events from 1996 to 2022, and FEMA's DR-4899 covered the county after Winter Storm Fern in January 2026 (checked Nov 11, 2026). After that storm, the city said its Public Works and Fleet Services had "worked around the clock since Winter Storm Fern's arrival," and MDOT was still working to "remove ice and remaining debris." The storm guide covers what to do when a tree comes down.
Stumps and buried lines
Mississippi's damage prevention law defines excavation broadly and doesn't name stump grinding, but a grinder is a machine that cuts below the surface, so the person grinding should give Mississippi 811 three to ten working days' notice; tickets last 20 calendar days (checked Nov 11, 2026). Utilities mark only from the street to the meter. Sprinkler lines, landscape lighting and wiring to a backyard pool or shed are yours, so point them out. More in the stump grinding guide.
Olive Branch questions
Does Olive Branch want a permit before a backyard tree comes down?
No. Olive Branch's tree rules apply to development site plans, and tree removal isn't on the city's list of permits (checked Nov 11 and 12, 2026). Check your HOA's covenants if you have them.
Will the city haul away what the tree crew cuts?
No. "WE DO NOT PICK UP AFTER TREE SERVICES," the city's guidelines say (checked Nov 11, 2026). Make sure the contractor's price includes hauling.
A limb is lying on the wire to my house. Who do I call?
Your power company: Entergy at 800-368-3749 or Northcentral Electric Cooperative at (662) 895-2151, whichever your bill shows. Don't touch the limb or the wire.
Can the city's boom truck take my limbs if the pile is under a low branch?
No. The guidelines say crews can't pick up debris under low power lines or low tree branches, or within five feet of a structure. Move the pile into the open behind the curb.
Olive Branch requests made on this site are passed to a single independent contractor who covers DeSoto County. The site does no tree work.
Sources
- City of Olive Branch Code, Appendix A (Zoning), checked Nov 12, 2026; Olive Branch Design Review Checklist, permit FAQ, Roadside Rubbish Guidelines, and storm updates of Jan 27, 2026 and Jan 30, 2026, checked Nov 11, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, QuickFacts: Olive Branch city, Mississippi. Checked Nov 12, 2026.
- Entergy Mississippi, DeSoto service center; Entergy, tree trimming and how Entergy trims; TVA, Northcentral Electric Cooperative; Miss. Code § 45-15-3 and § 45-15-9. Checked Nov 11, 2026.
- DeSoto County, Burn Permits and Rubbish Pits; MEMA, State Hazard Mitigation Plan, Section 3.9; FEMA, DeSoto County declarations; Mississippi 811 law and FAQ. Checked Nov 11, 2026.