Bloomington, IN Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)
Key Facts
- Clearance over street surface
- 15 feet to bottom of canopy
- Clearance over sidewalk
- 8 feet to bottom of canopy
- Hazard removal duty
- Owner must remove dead/diseased/dangerous limbs
- Topping
- Banned except by written department exception
- Penalty basis
- Up to Indiana Code § 36-1-3-8 limit
- Guidance document
- City of Bloomington Tree Care Manual
Summary
In the City of Bloomington, tree canopies must clear fifteen feet above any street surface and eight feet above any sidewalk. Owners must remove or trim dead, diseased or hazardous branches that overhang public property, keep growth off traffic signs, intersection sightlines and streetlights, and follow the City of Bloomington Tree Care Manual when pruning.
Vegetation planted on public property or in the public right-of-way and trees subject to these provisions shall follow all stipulations set forth by the City of Bloomington Unified Development Ordinance Section 20.04.050(c)(4) and recommended practices in the "City of Bloomington Tree Care Manual." ... Every owner shall remove or have removed all dead, diseased, or dangerous trees or vegetation, or broken or decayed limbs which overhang or may fall upon public property and which constitute a hazard to public safety. In addition, every owner shall properly prune or have properly pruned the branches of such tree(s) or other vegetation so that the branches shall not obstruct any traffic control signs or devices, the view of any street intersection, or light from any street lamp. ... There shall be a clearance standard space of fifteen feet above any highway or street surface and eight feet above any sidewalk surface to the bottom of the tree canopy.
Full Breakdown
' The same section requires every owner to remove, or have removed, all dead, diseased or dangerous trees or vegetation, and any broken or decayed limbs that overhang or could fall onto public property and endanger public safety. Owners must also properly prune trees and vegetation so branches do not obstruct traffic control signs or devices, block the view of a street intersection, or block light from a streetlamp, following the recommended practices in the City of Bloomington Tree Care Manual. 050(c)(4). 090 separately bans topping, the severe cutting back of limbs over three inches in diameter to stubs that disfigures a tree, except by written department determination for storm-damaged trees or ones tangled in utility wires where other pruning is impractical. 070, though property owners can prune limbs under two inches on up to twenty percent of a tree's canopy without one.
Violations & Fines
Section 12.24.120 allows an official warning for a first violation, and on a written notice of violation, a penalty up to the statutory limit set in Indiana Code § 36-1-3-8. Section 12.24.110 requires the notice of violation to identify the location, the tree or vegetation involved, the sections violated, the correction period, and the potential penalty; if the responsible party does not fix the violation, the city legal department may sue to collect accumulated fines and, if the city abates the hazard itself, certify the cost against the landowner and place it on the county tax duplicate for collection as taxes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much clearance does a tree need over a Bloomington street or sidewalk?
Am I responsible for trimming a tree that overhangs the street from my yard?
Can I top my trees to keep them small in Bloomington?
Do I need a permit to trim a street tree?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bloomington
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