Mount Prospect, IL Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)

Section 14.2308 of the Mount Prospect Village Code protects trees on private property. The permit threshold has two triggers: more than five (5) trees on any property, or a tree with a caliper of four inches (4") or greater on any proposed development site. The section does not apply if the Village requested the removal or the tree stands on public property. Chapter 9 sets separate standards for public trees.

The application must include a written statement giving the reason for removal, a general description of the tree(s), and a tree survey of the surrounding area, as determined by the department of community development. The survey covers trees four inch (4") caliper and above and lists species. If the request rests on disease, weakening or good forestry practice, the department of community development can require a report from a certified arborist.

The Village must approve the permit when one or more conditions are present: the tree is a safety hazard to pedestrian or vehicular traffic, it is a safety hazard to structures, it is diseased or weakened by age, storm, fire or other injury, or removal is necessary to observe good forestry practice, meaning the number of healthy trees a parcel will support. When removal comes with a development that needs a site plan or subdivision plan, the Village's approval of that plan counts as the tree removal permit.

Removal must be complete, including trunks, stumps and associated debris, and the area must be restored to natural condition with topsoil and grass seed or sod. Trees designated for preservation on a development that are destroyed or removed without prior approval of the community development director must be replaced: six trees for a caliper of 30 inches or greater, five for 13 to 29 inches, and four for 4 to 12 inches. A fee in lieu, set in appendix A, division II, is acceptable when replacement is not feasible.

Trees in a street, parkway or other public place are different. Section 9.711 requires a permit from the director of public works, who reviews a completed application within ten (10) days.