Landscaping Rules in Champaign, IL (2026)
5 verified landscaping rules for Champaign, Illinois, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Tree Trimming
Champaign property owners must trim their trees, shrubs, and vegetation to keep a minimum overhead clearance of eight feet over sidewalks and fourteen feet over streets and alleys at all times, under Sec. 35-19. The duty runs to every owner, whose property must never let branches block pedestrians on a sidewalk or vehicles on a street.
Champaign Tree Clearance Over Sidewalks
Some RestrictionsChampaign, IL Code of Ordinances § 35-19(a)(1)
(a)Every owner of property shall maintain his or her property so as to prevent the growth of:(1)Vegetation, alternative vegetation, trees or shrubs which prevent the free and unobstructed travel of pedestrians upon sidewalks, or vehicles on streets and alleys, or which otherwise negatively affect traffic or pedestrian's safety by impairing the visibility or passage of pedestrians or vehicles. O...
Tree Removal & Heritage Trees
Champaign requires a free permit from the Director of Public Works before anyone removes, damages, or root-cuts a tree on city right-of-way, including parkway and street trees. Under Sec. 35-21, someone who removes a right-of-way tree without following the rules still owes the city the tree's appraised value, due within 28 days of notice.
Champaign Tree Removal Permit Rule
Some RestrictionsChampaign, IL Code of Ordinances § 35-21
(a)Required. Except for employees or agents acting under the direction of the Director of Public Works, no person shall perform any of the following acts without having first obtained a permit from the Director of Public Works...:(1)Plant, treat, trim, prune, root cut, remove, spray or damage any tree on public property; provided, however, that this provision shall not be construed to prohibit ...
Weed Ordinances
Champaign caps vegetation on private property at 8 inches tall under Sec. 35-19(a)(7), with an exception for maintained 'alternative vegetation' that meets the chapter's other standards. The parkway strip next to the street is held to the same 8-inch cap, plus a 24-inch limit on shrubs, under the companion rule at Sec. 35-18.
Champaign Weed and Grass Height Limit
Some RestrictionsChampaign, IL Code of Ordinances § 35-19(a)(7)
(a)Every owner of property shall maintain his or her property so as to prevent the growth of:...(7)a.Vegetation in excess of eight (8) inches in height except for alternative vegetation that complies with the other standards set forth in this Chapter;b.Vegetation in excess of eight (8) inches in height shall be presumed not to be alternative vegetation unless predominantly composed of alternati...
Native Plants
Champaign exempts maintained native and pollinator gardens from its 8-inch vegetation cap through the 'alternative vegetation' definition at Sec. 35-16.1. To qualify, plants must be native or commercially propagated vines, flowers, grasses, vegetables, herbs, or fruit that the owner intentionally plants and regularly maintains, not simply uncut turf or a listed noxious weed.
Champaign Native Plant Garden Allowance
Light RestrictionsChampaign, IL Code of Ordinances §§ 35-16.1, 35-19(a)(7)a, 35-20
Alternative vegetation shall mean and include all native or commercially propagated species of vines, annual or perennial flowers and grasses, vegetables, herbs, fruit, or plants excluding trees and shrubs, which are intentionally planted and regularly maintained by the owner or the owner's designee. Turf grass and forms of vegetation prohibited in section 35-19(a)(6) and section 35-19(a)(4), t...
Composting
Champaign caps any residential compost cell or pile at 125 cubic feet and 5 feet in height under Sec. 35-40, requires at least a 3-foot setback from property lines, and bans piles within 15 feet of a neighbor's dwelling, in a floodway, or in a front yard. Only listed yard and food scraps qualify as allowable organic material.
Champaign Backyard Compost Pile Size Limits
Some RestrictionsChampaign, IL Code of Ordinances § 35-40
(a)No person shall maintain a compost cell or pile in violation of the standards in this chapter.(b)The maximum size of a compost cell or pile shall not exceed one hundred twenty-five (125) cubic feet in volume and five (5) feet in height. The cell must be restrained on three (3) sides to minimize blowing material. Side walls should allow aeration. The cell shall not:(1)Be located in a floodway...
Looking for Champaign County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Champaign city rules.
Landscaping Rules in Champaign County →