Madison, WI Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

101 opens by declaring its purpose: to preserve the health and maintain the natural shape of street trees and prevent trimming or removal that is unnecessarily disfiguring and/or destructive. 101(3)(a), no person shall trim, prune, or remove any tree that is in a public street, alley, highway or greenway or cause such work to be done by others, without first obtaining a permit from the City Forester. An applicant must submit a written Tree Trimming Plan identifying the target trees by street name and block number, the start and end dates of the work, and the nature of the trimming; a removal request also requires a Tree Replacement Plan prepared by a certified arborist.

The Board of Public Works holds a hearing on the plan at its first meeting after submission, and the applicant must notify nearby residents by mail or personal delivery of the proposed date and their right to testify. If the City Forester finds the plan consistent with the ordinance, the City Clerk issues the permit within 10 days of the hearing upon payment of a $50 fee; public utilities and contractors can instead get an annual forestry permit for $50 with 15 days' advance notice of each job.

The ordinance carves out exemptions for the Departments of Public Works and Transportation working under the City Forester's own policies, for routine utility trimming that still must meet the City Forester's standards, and for emergency trimming needed to protect the public from imminent harm such as disease or storm damage. Appeals of a City Forester decision go first to the Streets Superintendent, then to the Board of Public Works, whose ruling is a final administrative determination subject to judicial review.