West Allis, WI Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in West Allis, WI, sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances, list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Key Facts
- Covers
- terrace/boulevard trees only
- Permit from
- Director of Public Works
- Citation
- § 11.135
- Exempt
- turf care, sucker pruning
Summary
In West Allis, no one may cut, prune, remove, or treat a tree or shrub growing in the city terrace or boulevard strip without written permission from the Director of Public Works, per § 11.135.
No person shall plant, cut, prune, or remove any tree or shrub in a City terrace or boulevard; cut, disturb or interfere in any way with the roots of any tree or shrub in a City terrace or boulevard; or spray any tree or shrub in a City terrace or boulevard with any chemical herbicide or insecticide, without first receiving permission from the Director of Public Works. Such permission is not required for an owner, occupant or person in charge of a lot or parcel of land that abuts a City terrace to use products associated with the maintenance of turf in the abutting terrace or to prune suckers (sprouts or slim branches of new growth) from the base of trees located in the abutting terrace. No person shall break or injure any tree or shrub planted in any City terrace or boulevard.
HISTORY Adopted by Ord. O-2023-0065 on 9/19/2023
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: ?).
Full Breakdown
Revised Municipal Code § 11.135 governs the terrace, the strip between the sidewalk and curb, or curb and property line where there's no sidewalk, and the boulevard median. No person may plant, cut, prune, or remove any tree or shrub there, disturb its roots, or spray it with herbicide or insecticide without first getting permission from the Director of Public Works. The rule doesn't require permission for routine turf care or pruning suckers from a tree's base. The Forestry Division plants and maintains terrace trees, while abutting owners are responsible for maintaining the terrace itself, including its lawn.
Violations & Fines
Cutting, pruning, or removing a tree in a West Allis terrace or boulevard without Director of Public Works permission, or otherwise injuring a terrace tree, violates § 11.135 and the Chapter 11 general forfeiture under § 11.17.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I cut down the tree in the terrace in front of my West Allis house?
Does West Allis protect trees on private property the same way?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in West Allis
Compare West Allis to another location·View the Wisconsin landscaping rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Tree Removal & Heritage Trees in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Milwaukee County handle tree removal & heritage trees.