Tree Services In Lisle

Tree Removal In Lisle, The Arboretum Village

Section 5-12-14(B)(1) of the Lisle code makes it “unlawful for any person to remove or cause the removal of any tree without having first obtained approval from the Village of a tree preservation and removal plan,” and § 5-12-14(C) ties that plan to new principal buildings and to trees six inches or more at breast height. The exemption list is where most homeowners land: detached houses, duplexes and townhouses are exempt, “provided that the tree(s) are not part of an adopted or approved landscape plan.” The real question for tree removal Lisle homeowners, then, is whether the tree was ever written into an approved landscape plan — worth a call to the village before anyone cuts.

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Section 5-12-14: How Lisle Protects Its Trees

The section sits in Title 5, Zoning Regulations, Chapter 12, Landscaping and Tree Preservation, in a code current through Ordinance 2026-5219, passed June 1, 2026. It speaks of “approval,” not a permit. Besides the housing exemption, it exempts trees under six inches; trees that are a safety hazard to traffic or to structures; trees dead, diseased or weakened by age, storm, fire or other injury; removals that are good forestry practice; and a named list of species — black locust, box elder, buckthorns, cottonwood, mulberry, Osage orange, olive trees, Siberian elm, tree of heaven, white willow, white birch and Amur corktree. Where a plan is required, the tree survey must be “prepared by a licensed Illinois arborist, landscape architect, or other qualified professional.”

Replacement is counted in whole trees. Under § 5-12-14(F), removing or damaging a non-designated tree of 6 to 12 inches calls for four replacements, 13 to 29 inches five, and 30 inches or more six; for trees designated for preservation, subsection (G) raises those to six, eight and ten. Every replacement must have “a minimum caliper size of three inches,” and if the lot cannot hold them the village may require planting on other public property or a cash donation. Subsection (A) bars anyone from planting, pruning, removing or otherwise disturbing a parkway tree “unless permitted by the Village,” and (E) keeps grading and construction equipment out of the drip line, with snow fencing at its edge. The ISA’s homeowner site explains why the drip line matters to roots.

Watershed Ground Along The East Branch

Lisle’s motto is “The Arboretum Village,” and the Morton Arboretum, founded by Joy Morton, is its best-known attraction. Most of the village lies within the watershed of the East Branch of the DuPage River. Ground that drains toward a river stays wet longer after heavy rain, and a big tree rooted in it can begin to lean with no branch failure at all.

Settlers arrived in 1832, the post office in 1834 and the railroad in 1864; the Lisle Station depot burned in 1874, and the Pioneer Village Museum now stands at Lisle Station Park. The village itself did not incorporate until June 26, 1956. Benedictine University’s 108-acre campus is here as well.

How We Work In Lisle

• Tree and bush removal — we go through the § 5-12-14(B) exemption list with you before quoting
• Trimming and pruning — parkway trees left alone unless the village has permitted the work
• Stump grinding — deep enough for a three-inch-caliper replacement to go in
• Storm response, 24 hours a day

Get A Tree Removal Lisle Estimate

Tell us the species, the trunk width at chest height and whether the house is a detached home, duplex or townhouse; that covers most of the tree removal Lisle exemption check. Phone 708-424-5885, or browse our DuPage County service area for nearby towns. Neighboring work: Naperville, Downers Grove.