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Tree rules in Chicago: permits, protected trees and fees

What the City of Chicago Bureau of Forestry pages and guidelines say about permits for tree work, the insurance certificate, parkway tree protection fencing by trunk size, removal and replacement inch for inch, and appraised value charges.

Checked against the sources at the bottom of this page on October 8, 2026. Rules, fees and pay change: the source has the last word.

This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. It restates City of Chicago Bureau of Forestry material as read on October 8, 2026: the forestry home page, the permit page, the tree trimming and dead or damaged trees pages, the Standard Tree Protection Instructions page and two Bureau guideline PDFs. The wider list of cities is on the guide to tree permits in the largest US cities.

Who handles which trees

The forestry home page says Chicago has more than 500,000 parkway trees and that the Bureau of Forestry, part of the Department of Streets and Sanitation, maintains each of them. The trimming page puts the Bureau's responsibility at 520,000 shade and ornamental trees along city streets and boulevards, out of an estimated 4.1 million trees in the city. It describes an area trimming program that works one geographic area at a time, with the goal of weekly work in every ward during a season that generally runs April to December, and says trees are posted with signs before trimming. A tree blocking a street, sidewalk or alley, or lying on a car, house or garage, is reported to 311 as an emergency. The dead or damaged trees page says the Bureau coordinates removal of dead or damaged parkway trees, that emergency trees are removed immediately, and that trees in conflict with utilities are removed at the Bureau's discretion.

Permits and the insurance certificate

The permit page says the Bureau of Forestry issues permits for any work involving trees and that a City Forester is the contact for all permits. The company doing the work in the public way needs a certificate of liability insurance naming the City of Chicago as additional insured. The page gives the wording for the certificate: a minimum US$1,000,000.00 general liability for each occurrence, with the Department of Streets and Sanitation Bureau of Forestry Permit Division as certificate holder. A faxed copy is accepted for initial registration only and is good for seven days, and the original must arrive within seven working days. The Parkway Tree Work Permit Request must say whether the work is on public or private property. The page asks for at least 24 hours notice per request and 10 working days for removal requests, and says a copy of the permit must stay in the vehicle at all times. The pages read do not set a size or species rule that triggers a permit for a tree on private land.

Protection during construction

The Standard Tree Protection Instructions page, dated September 15, 2010, says the aim is to limit construction damage to street trees. It says a Tree Removal Permit is issued only when the City finds that all reasonable efforts were made in the design to keep existing street trees, and that replacement trees or compensation for lost value may be a condition. An applicant submits a landscaping plan that shows tree protection, marks every tree proposed for removal with a reason, and flags likely harm inside the dripline. The applicant must tell the City within 24 hours of suspected damage. Work must follow Chapter 10-32 of the Municipal Code.

The Bureau's Tree Protection Guidelines PDF, dated May 11, 2004, sets the fencing. The barrier is at least 1.2 metres (4 feet) high, built of orange snow fencing on posts at most 1.5 metres (5 feet) apart, and in place before construction starts. Storing materials, running equipment or placing work trailers inside it is not allowed. For a parkway tree, the fence runs a minimum of 1.5 metres (5 feet) from the trunk face for trees under 9 inches diameter at breast height, 10 feet for trees of 10 to 15 inches, and 15 feet for trees over 15 inches, along the length of the parkway. Boulevard trees are fenced out to the dripline where the site allows. Trunk boards with a bridge over the roots, or plywood, are listed as alternatives the Bureau may approve or require.

Replacement and charges

The Tree Removal and Replacement Guidelines, dated October 20, 2005, say the City values trees under Municipal Code 10-32-200 using the Guide for Plant Appraisal, 9th Edition at the time of writing. The City first seeks the largest readily available replacement tree on an inch for inch basis. Where no replacement fits, the applicant is charged the appraised value, and for partial replacement the difference between the appraised value and the installed trees. Removal costs fall on the applicant, who hires an insured removal firm and, where space allows, a landscape firm, and those firms pull the Bureau's removal and planting permits. For damage in construction, any tree over 4 inches that is permanently damaged and not marked for removal is replaced with a tree of at least 4 inches caliper, and smaller damaged trees are replaced inch for inch. Where a tree cannot be replaced in kind or the planting season is wrong, the City charges the appraised value and deducts it from sums due to the contractor.

For driveways, the guidelines say alley access takes priority, then keeping the edge of the drive at least 5 feet from the tree edge or as the Bureau directs, narrowing the drive to the transportation department minimum, trimming the flare on the tree side, a shared driveway, or lighter paving.

Sources