Tree Service in Riverside, IL

Tree Trimming In Riverside, IL Needs A Week’s Notice

Riverside’s § 8-5-3(A) bars trimming a tree in a village right-of-way, or on private property within a public easement, “without first obtaining a permit for the proposed trimming from the Department of Public Works,” and applications are due “no later than seven (7) days prior to the proposed trimming.” A permit can be denied if the “Scope of the trimming is excessive.” For tree trimming Riverside IL residents want done near the street, the calendar starts a week before the crew shows up.

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Riverside’s Chapter 8-5 And The New Removal Permit

Title 8, Chapter 5 of the Riverside Village Code, “Trees and Shrubs,” holds the codified rules. Section 8-5-3 also says “Trees that are cut down must be removed, and the root above the grade and stump thereof must be grubbed out,” bars boot spikes or “any other sharpened instrument” while trimming except to remove a dead tree, and states that “Public utility companies or their agents are not exempt.” Section 8-5-5 directs the village manager to plant, trim, spray, preserve and remove trees in streets, alleys and parks, and allows removal of a tree that “is in unsafe condition” or “is affected with any injurious fungus, insect or other pest.”

Private removals are changing. The Riverside-Brookfield Landmark reported on May 12, 2026 that trustees unanimously approved a tree-removal permit ordinance on May 7, effective June 1, 2026, covering trees on residents’ property; per the article, it “will not affect tree trimming,” passed without the $25 fee first proposed, and has staff check each request with the village forester to confirm whether the tree is village-owned. The article also says the ordinance does not define “tree.” We have not found that ordinance in the online code yet, so confirm current terms with the village before any removal. In the meantime, the Morton Arboretum is a good resource on caring for the trees you keep.

Under § 8-5-10, fines run from $25 to $500 per offense, “upon conviction in the circuit court of Cook County,” and every day a violation continues is a new offense.

Olmsted’s Village On The Des Plaines

Riverside was designed in 1869 by Calvert Vaux and Frederick Law Olmsted and incorporated in 1875; the Riverside Landscape Architecture District became a National Historic Landmark in 1970. The village had 9,298 residents in 2020 on about 2 square miles, and Cook County’s 2024 hazard mitigation annex lists it as an active Tree City USA, classified in 2005. The Des Plaines River runs through the west half of the village. The annex notes “repetitive breaches” of the Groveland Avenue levee, flooding that affects 1st Avenue and Riverside Brookfield High School, and a 2008 crest of 9.86 feet at Riverside, the second-highest on record there. It counts 32 repetitive-loss properties and 3 severe repetitive-loss properties.

In 2006 a path of tree damage 500 to 1,000 feet wide ran through much of Riverside and brought power lines down; in 2008 part of a fallen tree hit a house near Herrick Road; and in 2013, winds near 70 mph caused extensive tree damage in Riverside, Western Springs and La Grange.

How We Work In Riverside

• Tree and bush removal — checked against the June 2026 removal permit, with the stump grubbed out as § 8-5-3 directs
• Trimming and pruning — right-of-way and easement trees only with the Public Works permit, and no climbing spikes on live trees
• Stump grinding — yard stumps ground below grade so the spot can be replanted
• Storm response, 24 hours a day

Plan Your Tree Trimming Riverside IL Visit

If the tree is near the street, we build the seven-day permit window into any tree trimming Riverside IL schedule we set. You can call 708-424-5885 or move on to our Cook County service area for nearby towns. Neighboring work: North Riverside, Brookfield.