Wauwatosa, WI Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)
Key Facts
- Clearance required
- At least 8 feet above street/sidewalk
- Responsible party
- Owner or occupant of abutting property
- Notice window
- 24 hours to comply after written notice
- City self-help
- Board of public works trims and bills owner
- Billing method
- Special tax assessment on tax roll
Summary
Every Wauwatosa property owner along a public street or sidewalk must trim overhanging tree limbs to keep at least an eight-foot clear space above the street or sidewalk, and the city can trim the tree itself and bill the owner after 24 hours' notice, under Wauwatosa Municipal Code §§ 12.08.010 and 12.08.020.
Every person owning or occupying any premises bounded by a public street or sidewalk, in the city of Wauwatosa, is required to trim off all overhanging boughs of each and every overhanging tree growing on or near such street or sidewalk, and to keep the same trimmed in such a manner that such overhanging boughs or limbs will in no way interfere with public travel on such street or sidewalk, and so that there will be a clear space above any street or sidewalk of at least eight feet. ... it shall be the duty of any police officer of the city or the city engineer to whom the complaint shall be made, to forthwith inform the owner or occupant of such premises of such fact, by written notice requiring such person to conform to the provisions of Section 12.08.010 within twenty-four hours of the service of such notice. In case of the failure of any such person to comply with the provisions of Section 12.08.010 within such time after the service of such notice the board of public works is authorized to cause the tree or trees to be so trimmed, and charge the cost thereof to the property.
Full Breakdown
010 requires every person who owns or occupies a property bounded by a public street or sidewalk to trim off all overhanging boughs from any tree growing on or near that street or sidewalk, and to keep them trimmed, so that the limbs never interfere with public travel. The section sets a specific clearance floor: there must be a clear space of at least eight feet above the street or sidewalk at all times. 030's requirement that anyone planting, cutting, pruning or removing a tree actually rooted in the public highway itself get a permit from the board of park commissioners first.
020 gives any police officer or the city engineer who receives a complaint the authority to send the owner or occupant written notice requiring compliance within twenty-four hours of service. If the owner still has not trimmed the tree after that twenty-four-hour window, the board of public works is authorized to do the trimming itself and charge the cost to the property, which the city clerk then adds to the property's tax roll as a special assessment collected the same way as other special taxes.
Violations & Fines
Noncompliance under §§ 12.08.010 and 12.08.020 does not carry a separate forfeiture in the printed text; instead, the city's remedy is self-help. The board of public works trims the offending limbs after the twenty-four-hour notice period lapses and bills the full cost of the work to the property owner as a special tax assessment on the tax roll.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much clearance do I need to leave when trimming a tree over my Wauwatosa sidewalk?
What happens if I don't trim my overhanging tree after the city tells me to?
Is trimming my own overhanging tree the same as the permit needed to cut a city street tree?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Wauwatosa
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Tree Trimming in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Milwaukee County handle tree trimming.