Tree removal and large pruning.

Whose tree is it

Three kinds of trees show up in a River Forest yard, and the answer to "can I remove it" is different for each.

Parkway trees, in the strip between the sidewalk and the curb, belong to the village. You cannot remove or heavily prune one, and you should not hire anyone who says they will. If a parkway tree is dead, hazardous or dropping limbs on your car, call Public Works. The village maintains them, including removal and replacement.

Private trees on your lot are yours, subject to the Village rules described next, which are stricter for large oaks and elms.

Boundary trees with the trunk on a lot line are jointly owned with your neighbor. Removing one without the neighbor's agreement is a lawsuit, not a landscaping project. Overhanging branches from a neighbor's tree can generally be pruned to the property line, but not in a way that kills the tree.

Village rules and the permit

River Forest values its canopy. Removing most trees on your own lot needs no building permit, but the Village requires the work to be done by a forestry or landscaping contractor licensed and bonded with River Forest, so no permit does not mean anyone can do it.

Oaks and elms are the exception. On October 27, 2025 the Village Board amended its tree preservation rules (Village Code 10-24-5). On a single-family property, an oak or elm, other than Siberian elm, that is 20 inches or more in diameter measured 4.5 feet above the ground may not be removed without written approval from the Zoning Administrator. The request goes in with a written statement of the reasons for removal and a description of the tree. A tree that is a safety hazard, is diseased or weakened, or meets one of the code’s other conditions is approved for removal with no replacement required. Otherwise the tree must be replaced with new trees, or its dollar value paid to the Village. Before a large oak or elm comes down, ask the contractor to confirm in writing whether Village approval is needed and who is getting it, or call Building & Zoning yourself at (708) 714-3552. A reputable local company knows the answer and puts it on the estimate.

Two other rules of thumb. Work in the public right of way, such as a crane on the street or a chipper blocking a lane, may need its own permit and traffic control. And if the tree is near a ComEd line, the utility, not your contractor, handles the clearance around the wires.

Remove, or prune

Many removal estimates begin as a homeowner worried about a big tree over the house. A certified arborist can often tell you whether the tree is actually a hazard, whether structural pruning or cabling would address it, and how many years it has. That assessment costs a few hundred dollars and can save a ten-thousand-dollar removal, or justify it.

Be alert to the reverse as well. A crew that recommends removal on sight, without looking at the crown, the root flare or the trunk, is selling the bigger job. Ask what specifically is wrong with the tree. Decay at the base, a major split, dead crown over a third of the canopy and root damage from a sewer dig are real reasons. "It's big" is not.

If pruning is the answer, ask for the standard being followed. Proper pruning removes specific limbs at the collar. Topping, which is cutting the crown flat, is not pruning and will kill or deform the tree.

How the job is done: climb, bucket, crane

The method is the largest driver of cost after size, and it is why two estimates for the same tree can differ by thousands.

Climb and rig. A climber works the tree in pieces, lowering limbs on ropes. Slowest, cheapest in equipment, and the only option in a tight back yard with no street access. Requires the most skill, which is why insurance matters.

Bucket truck. Faster and safer where a truck can get close. Needs a drivable route and space, which many River Forest back yards do not have.

Crane. Lifts whole sections over the house to the street. Fastest and safest for large trees close to structures, and it can turn a three-day climb into a morning. It costs more per hour but sometimes less overall, and it is the method that requires a street permit. A contractor who quotes a crane job should say where the crane will sit.

Ask each contractor which method they priced and why. If one priced a crane and the other a climb, you are not comparing the same job.

Reading the estimate, row by row

What drives the price

• Size and species. Trunk diameter and height. Oaks and hard maples are heavier and slower to cut than ash or silver maple.
• Location. Over the house, over the neighbor's garage, near wires, in a back yard with no access. Every one of these adds hours or a crane.
• Method. Above.
• Stump grinding. Often quoted separately, by inch of diameter. Ask how deep, and whether surface roots are pursued.
• Debris. Hauling wood, chipping brush, removing the chips. Leaving the wood as firewood is a legitimate way to save money if you want it.
• Permit and traffic control.
• Season. Below.
• Crew and insurance. A fully insured crew with a certified arborist costs more per hour than two men and a truck. This is the one trade where the cheap crew can cost you your house.

Insurance, and why it comes first

Tree work has among the highest injury and property-damage rates of any trade. If an uninsured climber is hurt in your yard, or a limb goes through your neighbor's roof, the claim can land on your homeowner's policy or on you.

Ask for a certificate of insurance naming general liability and workers' compensation, and ask that it be sent directly from the insurer or agent, not handed to you as a photocopy. Confirm the coverage is current on the day of the work. A company that bristles at this is telling you something.

Certification matters too. An ISA Certified Arborist on staff, and ideally on site, means someone has passed an exam on tree biology and safe practice. It is not a guarantee, but its absence on a large removal is a reason to look harder.

Stumps, wood and the lawn

After the tree is down, three things remain that the estimate may or may not cover. The stump, which is ground out with a machine to a stated depth; ask for at least eight to twelve inches below grade if you want to plant or sod. The grindings, a large pile of wood chips and soil that either stays as fill or gets hauled. And the lawn, which a crane, a chipper and a week of foot traffic will damage; ask what restoration is included.

Also ask what happens to the wood. Some companies sell the logs; some charge to haul them; some will leave rounds for you. Any of these is fine if it is on the page.

Timing and the oak calendar

Late fall through late winter is the best time to remove or prune most trees here. The tree is dormant, the leaves are down so the crew can see the structure, the ground is firm or frozen so equipment does less damage, and crews are less busy, so prices are softer.

For oaks specifically, avoid pruning from mid-April through mid-October. Oak wilt, a fatal fungal disease, spreads through fresh wounds during the growing season when the beetles that carry it are active. A contractor who suggests pruning your oak in June should be asked about it.

Storm season is the expensive season. If a limb is on your roof in July, you are buying emergency service and everyone in town is too.

Storm damage

If a tree or limb is down and touching a wire, stay away from it and call ComEd. If it is on a structure, call your insurer before you call a tree service; many policies cover removal from the structure and the paperwork is easier if the adjuster sees it first. Then call a company you have checked, not the truck that appears in the alley the morning after the storm. Storm chasers with no insurance and cash-only pricing are a well-known problem after every major wind event in the western suburbs.

Questions to ask

• Is this tree mine, the village's, or shared? If it is an oak or elm 20 inches or more across, who gets the Village's written approval?
• What specifically is wrong with the tree, and would pruning address it?
• Which method are you pricing, and where will the equipment sit?
• Is stump grinding included, to what depth, and are the grindings hauled?
• What happens to the wood and brush?
• Can your agent send me the certificate of insurance directly?
• Will an ISA certified arborist be on site?
• What lawn or fence restoration is included?
• What is the window for the work, and what does the price become in winter?

Permits, programs and the Village