Tree Trimming In Elwood Is The Owner’s Job
Elwood puts street-side pruning on the property owner. Section 93.04(A) says “Owners of abutting premises shall maintain and trim trees and shrubs planted near or overhanging streets and sidewalks” “to avoid the obstruction of vision, vehicular or pedestrian traffic.” If a hazard is not fixed within ten days of notice, § 93.04(B) lets the village trim or remove the tree and recover the expense from the resident or owner, and § 93.99 adds a fine “not to exceed $250 for each violation,” with “Each day the violation remains after notice” counted as a separate offense. Tree trimming Elwood owners schedule before a notice arrives costs one bill instead of several.
Chapter 93: Elwood’s Trees And Shrubs Ordinance
Chapter 93 of the Elwood code, adopted as Ordinance 783 on June 15, 2005, covers planting (§ 93.02), removal (§ 93.03), trimming and maintenance (§ 93.04), encroachments (§ 93.05), poles, wires, ropes and banners (§ 93.06), enforcement (§ 93.07) and the penalty (§ 93.99). Section 93.03 makes it “unlawful to remove or cut down any tree or shrub planted near any public street or sidewalk” “without first securing approval from the Village Administrator, the Director of Public Works or their designee.” Section 93.02(A) requires the same approval to plant in a street, sidewalk, parkway or right-of-way, and § 93.02(B) puts species and location in subdivision public-use areas under the Village Engineer’s direction.
The chapter does not address trees elsewhere on private land, and we could not confirm any permit for removing one. Nor does § 93.04 set clearance heights in feet; the test is the one in the text — no obstruction of vision or of vehicle or foot traffic. Under § 93.99, a violator is also “liable for the expenses incurred” when the village does the work itself. Section 93.04(C) also addresses care around utility lines and hiring professional, bonded contractors; check its exact wording in the code. The ISA’s homeowner site is a plain-language guide to hiring an arborist.
Elwood’s contractor registration. The village’s registration application says “Registration is done on a yearly basis” and requires “the current registration fee of $100.” It also calls for a $10,000 license or permit bond in the village’s favor, which “only needs to be issued when a job is scheduled”; commercial general liability of “$1,000,000 each occurrence, $2,000,000 aggregate”; and workers’ compensation and employer’s liability “in an amount no less than $1,000,000.” Every registration ends the same day: “all licenses expire on April 30th, regardless of issue date.” The form has no tree category; applicants describe their own specialty. Ask your contractor — and us — for the registration and certificates before work starts.
The Arsenal, Midewin And A Village Of About 2,200
Elwood was founded in 1854 and incorporated as a village in 1869, and it counted 2,229 residents in 2020, down from 2,279 in 2010. The Joliet Arsenal began operating in 1940, and an explosion there in 1942 killed 42 workers. The old Joliet Army Ammunition Plant ground became Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie in 1996, and the 982-acre Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery was dedicated in 1999. Development picked up in the 1990s with the CenterPoint Intermodal Center.
Elwood has seen wind do its work. On May 8, 1988, a tornado touched down about three miles north of the village, uprooting trees and damaging homes and pole buildings. A tree on open ground takes wind with little in front of it, and when it drops a limb over the street, § 93.04 puts that limb on the owner.
Our Elwood Services
- Tree and bush removal — street-side trees taken down once the village has approved it under § 93.03
- Trimming and pruning — limbs over sidewalks and streets cut back until they stop blocking sight lines and traffic
- Stump grinding — in yards and along the street once removal is cleared
- Storm response, 24 hours a day
Storm damage. If wires are involved, call 911 and then your electric utility before anyone approaches the tree. The 1988 tornado north of the village uprooted trees outright, and a tree that has partly lifted deserves a look before the next storm.
Set Up Tree Trimming Elwood Requires
If you have a village notice, tell us the date; § 93.04(B) gives you ten days, and we schedule tree trimming Elwood owners need inside that. Call 708-424-5885 for a free estimate, or move on to other towns in our Will County service area. Neighboring work: Manhattan, Joliet.
Source and public record. Elwood Code of Ordinances (American Legal Publishing, 2025 S-7), Title IX, Chapter 93, “Trees and Shrubs” (§§ 93.01–93.99), and the village’s contractor registration application. Arsenal, prairie and cemetery history is drawn from reference works.
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