Tree Trimming and Removal in Elmhurst

Tree Removal In Elmhurst, Climbed The Legal Way

Elmhurst’s tree code reaches onto private property in one specific way: how a tree may be climbed. Section 6.12(c) says no person, contractor or utility “shall use climbing irons on trees located on city property or private property for any purpose other than removal of that tree or in an emergency.” Spikes are allowed on a tree that is coming down and off-limits on one that is staying. That is how tree removal Elmhurst crews ought to work anyway, and it is how we work: spurs for takedowns, rope and saddle for everything we prune.

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Chapter 6 And The City Forester

Chapter 6 of the City Code, revised in its entirety in 1993, declares trees “a natural, public resource” and defines a tree as a woody plant that reaches at least 20 feet at maturity. The City Forester controls what happens on city land: § 6.12(a) bars anyone from removing, cutting, trimming or interfering with a tree, shrub or woody plant on city property “without prior written permission from the City Forester,” and § 6.02 requires written permission before planting. Under § 6.12(b), anyone working on parkway trees must sterilize pruning tools on and between trees.

We did not find a permit requirement for removing a private tree in Chapter 6; the private-property duties concern hazards. Section 6.12(d) requires an owner to remove a dead, decaying or broken tree or limb likely to fall across a public way, and after notice the owner has 30 days before the city may remove it and bill the cost. Section 6.13 treats Dutch elm-infected elms and any dangerous tree as a public nuisance with a 30-day removal deadline after notice, and an owner who fails to abate can be assessed up to 25 percent of the total removal cost, plus up to a further 50 percent in some cases. Chapter violations are fined under § 1.06, each day counting separately.

Section 6.13(b) is aimed squarely at our trade: “Firewood merchants, tree service contractors and all other persons are prohibited from possessing or providing such elm or infected tree material to residents within the City limits.” Elm wood from an Elmhurst job leaves with the crew. University of Illinois Extension has background on Dutch elm disease if you are watching an elm decline.

Salt Creek, The Quarry, And 20,652 Parkway Trees

Elmhurst was Cottage Hill until Thomas Barbour Bryan renamed it in 1869. Local topography has left it prone to flooding after heavy rain, and the answer was the Elmhurst quarry, about 150 feet deep and 59 acres, half a mile west of downtown, which can hold up to 8,300 acre-feet when a tunnel diverts Salt Creek into it. Standing water reaches yards and parkways first, and repeated soakings loosen the soil roots depend on.

The parkway canopy has thinned. Patch reported in November 2021 that the city had 22,000 parkway trees in 2009 and 20,652 in 2021, with no fall planting in 2020 or 2021. An undated Elmhurst Independent article put the city’s Tree City USA run at 38 consecutive years and said an outside contractor trims parkway trees every six to seven years.

What We Take On In Elmhurst

• Tree and bush removal — spiked only when the tree is coming down, with elm wood hauled out of the city
• Trimming and pruning — private trees climbed without irons, tools cleaned between trees
• Stump grinding — deep enough that lawn or a new tree can take the spot
• Storm response, 24 hours a day

Request A Tree Removal Elmhurst Estimate

A tree removal Elmhurst crew of ours climbs to the city’s rules, not around them. Section 16.10 says the city has no duty to pick up trees, branches or brush cut from private property by those hired to cut them, so our quotes include the hauling. Call 708-424-5885 or see the rest of our DuPage County service area. Neighboring work: Berkeley, Oakbrook Terrace.