Fitchburg, WI Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

Section 54-106(d) of the Fitchburg City Code, Dane County, Wisconsin, requires that trees and shrubs standing on or overhanging any public way be kept trimmed so the lowest branches leave a safe overhead clearance for pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles moving along the street or sidewalk. The duty applies whether the tree sits in the terrace, on private property but overhanging the right-of-way, or elsewhere in a public area, and it runs continuously rather than only at planting time. The city forester holds discretion to waive the clearance standard for newly planted trees, but only after determining the tree will not interfere with safe public travel or endanger public safety, so a waiver is tied to an affirmative safety finding rather than automatic for young trees.

The same section works alongside Section 54-78, which lets the forester act directly on any public tree or shrub that constitutes a nuisance, including one that interferes with the use of public areas, and alongside Section 54-105's permit requirement: because trimming a public tree is itself permit-controlled work, a resident cannot simply cut back overhanging branches without first getting the forester's written authorization, even to fix a clearance problem the code identifies. Section 54-107 separately bars anyone from breaking, injuring or mutilating a tree or shrub without the owner's or occupant's permission, so a trim performed to satisfy the clearance rule still must avoid unnecessary damage to the tree.