Arlington Heights, IL Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)

Section 20-602, Injury and Removal, sits in Article VI, Trees and Shrubs, of Chapter 20. It states: 'It shall be unlawful to damage or remove any tree or shrub located in any public street or parkway without having secured a permit from the Department of Public Works.' The permit fee is set at $20.00 'plus the value of the tree being removed, as determined by the Guide for Establishing Values of Trees and Other Plants by the International Society of Arborculture.' Anyone who damages or removes a parkway tree without that permit shall be liable to the Village for the replacement value, as well as the costs to remove the tree and all other costs associated with repairing the parkway.

The Section builds a separate check into the building permit process: when someone applies for a building permit, the Director of Building and Life Safety asks the Department of Public Works to certify the value of any tree or foliage in the adjacent public street, parkway or public place, and the applicant must post a bond or letter of credit equal to 20 percent of that certified value to guarantee replacement if the tree is lost, damaged or destroyed within a year of the certificate of occupancy. Before construction begins on any site, the Department of Public Works also inspects and counts the existing parkway trees so that any later loss, damage or destruction must be replaced by the permit holder, with replacements the Department can't fit back on site placed elsewhere in public areas at the Department's direction.