Neenah, WI Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)
Key Facts
- Street-side clearance
- 14 feet
- Sidewalk-side clearance
- 8 feet
- Duty falls on
- owners/occupants bordering the street
- Non-compliance cost
- billed as a special assessment
Summary
Trees and shrubs overhanging a Neenah street or sidewalk must be trimmed to 14 feet of clearance over the street and 8 feet over the sidewalk, and owners bordering a street must keep growth clear of lights, signs and intersection views.
All trees and shrubs on public or private property, which have branches overhanging a public street or sidewalk, shall have said branches trimmed to a clearance height of 14 feet on the street side and eight feet on the sidewalk side. The City Forester may wave the provisions of this section for newly planted trees and shrubs if he determines that they do not interfere with public travel, obstruct the light of any street or endanger public safety. Trimming of trees and shrubs in terraces, parks, or other public areas shall be the responsibility of the City in order to maintain aesthetics, health, public safety and clearance heights as prescribed in this section.(b)It shall be the duty of any person or persons owning or occupying real property bordering any street to prune such trees or shrubs in a manner that they will not obstruct or shade the street lights, obstruct the passage of pedestrians on sidewalks, obstruct vision of traffic signs, or obstruct view of any street or alley intersection. The minimum clearance of any overhanging portion thereof shall be eight feet over sidewalks and 14 feet over all streets. When a person to whom an order is directed shall fail to comply within the specific time, it shall be lawful for the City to prune such trees with the cost assessed to the owner as provided by law in special assessments.(c)Tree topping is not allowed on any publicly owned tree.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 44).
Full Breakdown
Neenah Municipal Code § 18-7(a) sets a flat clearance standard for any tree or shrub, public or private, whose branches overhang a public street or sidewalk: 14 feet of clearance on the street side, 8 feet on the sidewalk side. The City Forester may waive this for newly planted trees that don't yet interfere with travel or safety. Subsection (b) puts an affirmative duty on the property owner: anyone owning or occupying real property bordering a street must prune trees and shrubs so they don't obstruct or shade street lights, block pedestrians on the sidewalk, hide traffic signs, or block the view at a street or alley intersection. If an owner ignores a City order to prune, the City may do the work itself and assess the cost as a special assessment against the property.
Violations & Fines
Noncompliance after a City order lets Neenah prune the tree or shrub itself and assess the cost against the property as a special tax; topping of publicly owned trees is separately banned under § 18-7(c).
Frequently Asked Questions
How high must my tree branches be trimmed over a Neenah sidewalk?
What if I don't trim a tree that's blocking a Neenah street sign?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Neenah
Compare Neenah to another location·View the Wisconsin landscaping rules overview
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