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Poison Ivy Removal in Concord, NC

We remove poison ivy from yards, fence lines, trees and creek edges across Concord, North Carolina, in Cabarrus County^[1]. The City Code lists poison ivy as a public nuisance, so an owner can be told to clear it^[2]. And with over 160 miles of streams in city limits^[3], many back yards end at a protected buffer where machines are not allowed^[4]. Send your address and a few photos for a free estimate.

Concord at a glance

City code: Poison ivy is a nuisance; Code Enforcement can order it removed within five days of a notice^[2].
Creek buffer: 50 to 120 feet on mapped streams; Vegetation maintenance is allowed inside it, but machine clearing is not^[4].
Burning: Banned inside city limits; Only cooking fires are allowed outdoors, so cut vines must be hauled away^[5].
Spray window: Late summer to early fall; Extension's advice, closing near the November 2 median first freeze^[6]^[7].
What grows here: Eastern poison ivy; Cabarrus County has 158 iNaturalist records, so a three-leaf vine here is almost always poison ivy^[8].
Typical cost: $280 to $640; A typical yard, sprayed, dug or both, with everything hauled away.

Request a free estimate

We look at your photos and identify the plant.
We call or email you with a price, before any work starts.
We agree a day and one of our own technicians does the work.

How Much Does Poison Ivy Removal Cost in Concord?

Poison ivy removal in Concord typically costs $280 to $640 for a residential yard, with the debris bagged and hauled away.

The City does not collect yard waste a hired company puts at the curb^[9], so disposal is in every quote, and the County landfill charges $48 a ton for clean yard waste^[10]. Work inside a creek buffer is done by hand, not by machine^[4], which takes longer. Vines high in mature trees need ladder work. No Concord company publishes a rate, and one national guide puts the average job at $500^[11].

See what else changes the price on our cost page.

What Concord's City Code Says About Poison Ivy on a Lot

Sec. 30-161(a)(6) of the City Code declares any place of growth of poison ivy, poison oak or poison sumac a public nuisance^[2]. The clause names the plant, with no height limit. Enforcement follows these steps^[2]:

A written notice goes to the owner or the person in possession.
The poison ivy must be removed within five days of receiving it.
If not, a civil penalty applies, the City has the work done and bills the owner.
That bill becomes a lien, except on the owner's primary residence.

Five days is short, so send us photos as soon as a notice arrives. Code Enforcement, part of the Police Department, handles complaints^[12]. How the clause applies to a wooded lot is the officer's call, so ask what has to be cleared.

State rules on paid spraying, burning and river buffers are on our North Carolina rules page.

How Concord's Stream Buffers Limit Poison Ivy Work Near Creeks

Coddle Creek and Irish Buffalo Creek carry Concord's water to the Rocky River^[13]. Inside the city, the Concord Development Ordinance sets the buffers on them^[4]:

Water	Undisturbed buffer	Extra vegetated setback
Class 1 stream	50 feet plus 4 times the slope, up to 120 feet	20 feet
Class 2 stream	30 feet	10 feet
Water supply sources	150 feet minimum	None listed

The ordinance allows vegetation maintenance inside the buffer but bans mechanized land clearing, and any disturbed ground must be replanted with perennial vegetation as soon as practical^[4]. So we pull by hand there or treat single plants, and leave other cover standing. Right at the water, Aquatic (A) is a separate licence category from the Turf and Ornamental (L) most lawn services hold^[14]. If the strip behind your fence is HOA common area, the HOA decides.

When Concord's Weather Lets Us Treat Poison Ivy

At the Concord weather station the median last spring freeze is April 1 and the median first fall freeze is November 2, with a 1 in 10 chance of frost by October 21^[7]. That gives about 215 days of leaves^[7], enough for a first treatment and a follow-up in one year.

NC State's Burke County office advises spraying in late summer to early fall^[6]. Concord's normals show why fall is the easier end^[15]:

Month	Normal high	Days with 0.10 in of rain or more
June	88.4°F	7.2
July	91.8°F	7.2
August	89.8°F	6.8
September	84.0°F	5.3
October	74.4°F	4.7

October has the fewest rain days, so fewer sprays wash off. In July we start early, before the heat. After leaf drop we cut tree vines and treat the stumps.

Getting Cut Poison Ivy Out of Concord Without Burning It

City Code Sec. 34-4 bars any open burning fire inside the corporate limits^[16], and Concord Fire says the only outdoor fires allowed are for cooking^[5]. NC State also warns that the smoke can be as toxic as touching the plant, and breathing it is worse^[17].

That leaves hauling. Concord collects yard waste weekly, only in brown paper bags or a marked container under 35 pounds, and plastic bags have been refused since July 5, 2022^[9]. The City does not pick up yard waste set out by a landscaping or tree company, and limb piles over 6 cubic yards carry a fee^[9]. So we bag everything we remove and take it with us.

Poison Ivy Removal Across Concord's Neighborhoods

The oldest shaded lots are in the North and South Union Street historic districts and Edgewood^[18], where mature trees carry the heaviest vines. Nearly half of Concord homes date from 2000 or later^[1], so most work is on newer lots in places like Afton Village, Moss Creek, Skybrook North, Winding Walk, Highland Creek and Christenbury^[19]. Coddle Creek bisects the city on its way to the Rocky River^[20]. We also work in nearby Kannapolis, Harrisburg, Mount Pleasant and Locust, and in Charlotte.

ZIP codes: 28027, 28025, 28269

Concord Questions

Is the Three-Leaf Shrub in My Concord Yard Really Poison Oak?

No, almost certainly not. NC State says Atlantic poison oak is rarer in the piedmont^[21], and Cabarrus County has a single iNaturalist record of it, in Kannapolis^[22]. What locals call poison oak is usually poison ivy with lobed leaves.

Who Gets the Notice if Poison Ivy Grows at a Rented Concord Home?

The owner or the person in possession of the property^[2]. About a third of Concord homes are rented^[1], so a tenant who gets one should pass it to the landlord at once.

How Much Is the Penalty for Ignoring a Concord Poison Ivy Notice?

The amount is set in the City's annual fees and charges schedule, not in the code^[2]. Call Code Enforcement for the current figure.

Can I Put Pulled Poison Ivy in My Concord Garbage Cart?

No. Concord will not empty a cart with yard waste in it, because yard waste is banned from North Carolina landfills^[9]. Small amounts can go out on yard waste day in paper bags.

Where Can I Drop Off Bagged Poison Ivy Myself in Cabarrus County?

At the County's Construction and Demolition Waste Landfill, 4441 Irish Potato Road^[23]. Up to five 32-gallon bags cost $6, and a pickup load up to 8 feet long costs $15^[23].

Does the Concord Burn Ban Apply Outside City Limits in Cabarrus County?

No, Sec. 34-4 covers the city limits^[16]. Outside them, state rules allow burning only your own yard's vegetation, where local rules permit it and no public pickup exists^[24]. NC State still says never burn poison ivy^[17].

Can You Spray Poison Ivy Near Lake Howell or Lake Concord?

Yes, with care. Both are water supply reservoirs, and a buffer of at least 150 feet applies to them^[4]. Near the water we pull by hand or use an aquatic-labeled product under the Aquatic (A) category^[14].

Who Can Identify a Plant for Free in Concord?

The Cabarrus County Center of N.C. Cooperative Extension, at 715 Cabarrus Ave W, can help^[25]. Call (704) 920-3310.

Near Concord

We also cover Charlotte, Gastonia, Mooresville in the Charlotte area area. See all areas, the price table and NC rules.

Sources

Checked November 2026. Rules change: confirm with the office named before you rely on one.

Request a free estimate

Poison Ivy Removal in Concord, NC

We look at your photos and identify the plant.
We call or email you with a price, before any work starts.
We agree a day and one of our own technicians does the work.