Joliet, IL Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

Joliet puts the trimming duty for roadside trees on the adjacent property owner, not the city. Sec. shall maintain and trim all trees, shrubs, and plants located thereon,' and it spells out two specific clearance minimums rather than leaving 'maintained' undefined: a clear space of at least fifteen feet above the vehicular travel portion of the right-of-way, and at least seven feet above any sidewalk. The same section adds that the owner's trees, shrubs and plants can't block a streetlight, obstruct the view of a street, intersection, sign or traffic control device, or interfere with the free movement of vehicles and pedestrians.

Maintenance has to track any master street tree plan, urban forestry plan, and the city's adopted Arboricultural Specifications and Standards of Practice, tying the day-to-day trimming duty back into the same Urban Forest Management Plan framework that governs city-owned parkway trees under Sec. 26-128. If an owner ignores a notice to trim or remove an overgrown tree, shrub or plant, Sec. 26-131 lets the city do the work itself and bill the owner for whatever it costs, on top of prosecuting the underlying ordinance violation.