How Madison Handles Landscaping Rules: A Practical Guide

Madison maintains 144 local ordinances across all categories, and 5 of those deal specifically with landscaping rules. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Madison falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

Composting

Madison caps home compost piles at 125 cubic feet and 5 feet tall unless they hold only yard waste, and any bin has to sit at least 3 feet from a property line or building, in the rear yard only. Rodent problems near a pile let Public Health Madison & Dane County step in and order abatement.

Key details: Max bin volume: 125 cubic feet. Max bin height: 5 feet. Setback: 3 feet from property line or building. Location: rear yard only, with screened side-yard exception. Reverse corner lot setback: 10 feet from rear property line.

The ordinance doesn't set its own dollar forfeiture; instead a rodent-attracting or improperly sited pile becomes a health nuisance that Public Health Madison & Dane County can act on under § 7.05(4), including entering the property (by search warrant if entry is refused) to abate the condition, separate from any general property-maintenance citation.

Water Restrictions

Madison doesn't run standing lawn-watering days: instead the Water Utility General Manager can trigger voluntary or mandatory outdoor watering restrictions under § 13.04 when the system is under stress, applying them citywide or by alternate street side. Mandatory-restriction violations carry a $20-$1,000 forfeiture per day.

Key details: Governing section: MGO § 13.04. Who can impose it: Water Utility General Manager. Mandatory trigger: Pressure below 20 PSI, reservoir or well loss. Penalty: $20-$1,000 per day (§ 13.04(3)). New lawn exemption: Applies to voluntary restrictions only.

Only mandatory restrictions carry a penalty under § 13.04(3): a forfeiture of not less than $20 nor more than $1,000 per violation, with each day of continued noncompliance charged as a separate offense. Voluntary restrictions carry no forfeiture since compliance is requested rather than required; enforcement runs through the Water Utility and Municipal Court citation process.

Madison is more permissive than most cities when it comes to water restrictions. That said, there are still limits.

Tree Removal & Heritage Trees

Madison requires a written Board of Public Works permit before anyone plants, cuts, prunes, removes or chemically treats a tree in a public highway, and separately bans breaking, damaging or injuring any tree, shrub or public planting citywide, under MGO §§ 23.21 and 23.24.

Key details: Permit authority: Board of Public Works, § 23.21. Small-tree forfeiture: $250 + $30/diameter inch. Large-tree forfeiture: $150/diameter inch. Covers: Highways, parks, public places. General Ch. 23 penalty: Up to $500 (§ 23.70).

MGO § 23.24(3) fines by trunk diameter, measured 12 inches above ground and rounded to the nearest inch: $250 plus $30 per diameter inch for a tree three inches or less across, and $150 per diameter inch for anything larger, with each damaged tree a separate offense. Sections without their own penalty, §§ 23.21–23.23 and 23.25, default to the Chapter 23 general forfeiture of up to $500 under MGO § 23.70.

Weed Ordinances

Madison caps grass, lawn vegetation and terrace plantings at eight inches tall and requires every property to stay free of noxious weeds, under MGO § 27.05(2)(b), (f). On abandoned lots, the Building Inspection Division can mow the property itself and bill the owner.

Key details: Max lawn/vegetation height: 8 inches. Governing section: MGO § 27.05(2)(f). Terrace exemption: Plantings under § 10.25. Enforcement: Building Inspection Division. Abatement: City mows and bills as tax charge.

A property owner who misses the correction deadline in the certified-mail notice faces at least one municipal ordinance citation, and on abandoned property the Building Inspection Division may enter, mow the lawn itself, and add the cost to the tax roll as a special charge under Wis. Stat. § 66.0627, per MGO § 27.05(2)(f)1.

Tree Trimming

Madison General Ordinances § 10.101 requires anyone trimming, pruning or removing a tree standing in a public street, alley, highway or greenway to get a permit from the City Forester first. The rule governs clearance work on street trees citywide, with a $50 permit fee, a required tree-trimming plan, and Board of Public Works notice to nearby residents before work begins.

Key details: Permit required from: City Forester, § 10.101(3)(a). Permit fee: $50 (annual forestry permit also $50). Unauthorized trimming forfeiture: $25–$500/day. Unauthorized removal penalty: $150 per trunk-diameter inch. Appeal path: Streets Superintendent, then Board of Public Works.

Unpermitted trimming, pruning or removal draws a forfeiture of not less than $25 nor more than $500 per § 10.101(7)(a), with each day of continuing violation a separate offense. Removing a street tree without authorization carries a steeper penalty under § 10.101(7)(b): $150 per trunk-diameter inch of the tree, measured 4½ feet above ground, on top of any replacement costs owed under § 10.105.

The Bottom Line

Madison's landscaping rules rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Madison is broadly strict or permissive.

Keep in mind that Madison can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.