Will County, IL Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Will County, IL, sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances, list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Key Facts
- Trigger
- Tree removal, 6+ inch DBH
- Replacement ratio
- 125% of removed DBH
- Waiver authority
- Zoning Administrator
- Geographic scope
- Unincorporated Will County only
- Citation
- Will County Code § 155-12.20
Summary
In unincorporated Will County, removing a tree with a trunk six inches or more in diameter as part of permitted development requires planting replacement trees totaling at least 125% of the diameter removed, unless the Zoning Administrator waives it.
The removal of trees with a single-stem diameter breast height (DBH) of six inches or greater must be mitigated by providing one or more replacement trees with a total combined DBH equal to at least 125% of the total DBH of trees that are removed. The Zoning Administrator is authorized to waive this tree replacement requirement when it is determined that inadequate area exists for healthy growth of replacement trees or when they determine that the removed trees are diseased or of an undesirable species.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025 S-25: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ordinance No. 24-100, passed 4-18-2024 and Res. 23-387, passed 11-16-2023; and State legislation approved through 2024 Pamphlet #2).
Full Breakdown
Will County Code § 155-12.20 sets a mitigation, not an outright cutting ban: any tree with a single-stem diameter breast height of 6 inches or more that is removed on a site subject to the zoning ordinance's landscaping standards must be replaced with trees totaling at least 125% of the removed DBH. The Zoning Administrator can waive the replacement duty if there isn't enough room for healthy new growth, or if the removed trees were diseased or an undesirable species. The rule sits inside Chapter 155's landscaping and screening article, which applies to new development and significant expansions requiring county permitting or review.
Violations & Fines
Failing to provide the required replacement plantings can hold up site plan, zoning permit, or certificate of occupancy sign-off, since compliance with Chapter 155's landscaping standards is checked as part of the county's development review process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this rule apply inside Joliet or Bolingbrook?
Can the county waive the replacement requirement?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Will County
Compare Will County to another location·View the Illinois landscaping rules overview
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