Irondequoit, NY Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

The pruning duty in Town of Irondequoit Code § 214-8(B) falls on any person owning real property and covers any trees on that property. It names five conditions to prevent: obstructing or shading street lights, obstructing the passage of pedestrians on sidewalks, obstructing the visibility of traffic signs, obstructing or hindering the flow of traffic, and obstructing the view of any street or alley intersection. The measurable standard is the minimum clearance of any overhanging portion: 10 feet over sidewalks and 14 feet over all streets.

The companion duty in § 214-8(A) requires owners, at their own expense, to cut down and remove trees on their property, including those within a highway or right-of-way, that are dead, harbor insects or disease, or are so damaged as to be a public nuisance and in danger of falling. The Commissioner of Public Works can order removal of a tree or shrub on his or her own action or on the recommendation of the Conservation Board. Section 214-5(B) adds that the chapter does not relieve an owner of the duty to keep any tree, shrub or plant planted in the right-of-way of a public street, or growing on the property, from constituting a hazard or an impediment to travel or vision on any street, sidewalk, park or other public place.

Pruning a Town tree is different from pruning your own. A Town tree is any tree growing in a public place, including any Town highway, and § 214-3(E) refers to applications from property owners for tree plantings, pruning and removals on a public right-of-way, which the Conservation Board reviews and the Commissioner of Public Works decides. Hiring help carries its own rule: a commercial tree service working in the Town must hold a license under § 214-11, issued by the Commissioner, must carry $1,000,000 per occurrence and $3,000,000 annual aggregate in general liability coverage, and cannot place tree debris in any highway or other public place under § 214-15.