Tree Trimming and Removal in Itasca

Tree Service In Itasca, Under Chapter 96

In Itasca, a dead or dying tree on private property is more than an eyesore. Section 96.28 of the village code declares it a public nuisance, and once a notice arrives the owner has ten days to contact the Director of Public Works and 90 days from that contact to have the tree removed. If the owner does nothing, the village can take the tree down, charge the cost to the owner or occupant, and record a lien for it. Much of the tree service Itasca residents call us for begins with that letter, so we read it with you and schedule the work well inside the deadline.

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What Chapter 96 Asks Of Itasca Property Owners

Chapter 96, Trees and Shrubs, dates to Ordinance 604-85, passed December 3, 1985. Section 96.01 defines street trees as the woody vegetation on land “lying between property lines on either side of all streets, avenues, or ways within the village.” Under § 96.27 it is unlawful to remove or cut down any tree or shrub in a street, parkway or other public place without a permit; the application goes to the Village Clerk, who refers it to the President and Board of Trustees.

For trees on your own lot, § 96.40 is the working rule. Any tree overhanging a street or right-of-way must be pruned to leave “a clear space of eight feet above the surface of the street or sidewalk,” and its branches may not block the light from a street lamp. Owners must also remove dead, diseased or dangerous trees and broken or decayed limbs that menace the public. We found no permit requirement and no diameter threshold for removing a private tree in § 96.28, but the section does not say outright that none is needed, so a short call to Public Works settles it.

Section 96.41 bars topping any street tree, park tree or other tree on public property “as a normal practice,” and defines topping as cutting limbs back to stubs larger than three inches in diameter inside the crown. We do not top private trees either; the ISA’s consumer pages explain why stubbing a crown backfires. Fines under § 96.99 run from $10 to $500, with each day a separate offense, while the nuisance section, § 96.28(I), carries its own range of $25 to $750 for each offense, each week counted separately.

Itasca’s Green Belt And Wet Ground

Itasca was incorporated in 1890, almost fifty years after Elijah Smith settled here in 1841 and gave the Chicago and Pacific Railroad its right-of-way plus $400 toward a station. In 1966 the village bought 60 acres for a green belt meant to serve as both open space and water retention, and Spring Brook Nature Center grew out of it in 1968.

Retention land exists to hold water, and the trees along its edges live with that. Roots that sit in saturated soil each spring tend to stay shallow, so a large tree near low ground can look solid and still have less anchoring it than you would expect.

Our Work Around Itasca

• Tree and bush removal — including dead trees named in a § 96.28 notice, finished inside the 90-day window
• Trimming and pruning — to hold the eight-foot clearance § 96.40 sets over streets and walks, with no topping cuts
• Stump grinding — below grade, so the spot can take sod or a new tree
• Storm response, 24 hours a day

Ask For A Tree Service Itasca Estimate

A dead tree is where most tree service Itasca calls begin, and timing matters once the village has noticed it. Send the address, a photo if you have one, and any notice from the village. We will tell you which part of Chapter 96 is in play before we put a price on the job. Call 708-424-5885 or see the rest of our DuPage County service area. Neighboring work: Wood Dale, Elk Grove Village.