Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Tree Removal and Tree Service in Milwaukee
Milwaukee's Forestry Section owns and cares for the trees in the terrace between sidewalk and curb, and it chose to treat most of its street ash instead of cutting them. Trees inside your lot are your responsibility.
- County
- Milwaukee
- Tree rules
- Department of Public Works, Forestry Section
- Key local rule
- Terrace trees are city property. Residents may not prune or remove them.
- Electric utility
- We Energies
- Main hazards
- Thunderstorm wind, lake gales, heavy wet snow, oak wilt
Terrace trees, private trees and city orders
The terrace is the strip of public land between the sidewalk and the street. Trees there are planted, pruned and removed by the Forestry Section of the Department of Public Works. Residents are not permitted to do that work or hire it out without the city's authorization.
The city does not require a permit to remove a tree on private property. It can, however, order an owner to deal with a private tree that is dead, diseased or hazardous to the public way, and it enforces state and local controls on Dutch elm disease and other pests.
Wisconsin has no arborist license. Ask for insurance certificates and for an ISA Certified Arborist where diagnosis is involved. Shorewood, Wauwatosa, Whitefish Bay and West Allis are separate municipalities with their own forestry rules.
How Milwaukee handled emerald ash borer
- A treat-first strategy
- The city injected the great majority of its street ash on a repeating cycle, keeping tens of thousands of mature trees in place.
- Gradual replacement
- Ash in poor condition are removed and replaced with other species over time.
- Private ash
- Not covered by the city program. Untreated yard ash have died across the county.
- What owners should do
- Treat a healthy, well-placed ash every two to three years, or remove it before it becomes brittle.
Bungalows, duplexes and lake bluffs
Milwaukee's housing is dense by Midwestern standards. Bungalows and Polish flats on the South Side and duplexes on the North and West sides sit on lots 30 to 40 feet wide with a garage on the alley. A backyard tree is worked from above by a climber and carried out past the house.
The East Side, Washington Heights and Bay View have larger street and yard trees: Norway maple, linden, honeylocust and old silver maples. Along the lake bluff in the Upper East Side and the northern suburbs, trees stand on unstable slopes where removal can affect erosion.
The lake itself moderates temperature and adds wind. Spring comes later near the shore, and northeast gales in fall and spring test trees that are already leaning inland.
When to do what in Milwaukee
| Season | Good for | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Winter | Oak and elm pruning, removals on frozen ground | Nothing in particular. This is the best season. |
| Spring | Storm cleanup, inspections at leaf-out | Pruning or wounding oaks from April through July |
| Summer | Dead wood removal in non-oaks, ash treatment | Oak work unless it is an emergency |
| Fall | Planned removals, structural pruning after leaf drop | Waiting until the first heavy snow to deal with cracked limbs |
Trees to have looked at
Red oak wilting from the top in early summer
Possible oak wilt. Quick diagnosis can protect neighboring oaks.
Elm with one branch yellowing in June
Dutch elm disease flagging. Report it.
Ash with thin leaves and bark splits
Borer damage. Decide now between treatment and removal.
Silver maple hollow at an old pruning cut
Common in trees topped decades ago.
Who to contact
- Act now
A terrace tree is damaged, dead or blocking the street
Call the city's forestry line or submit a service request.
- Act now
A yard tree fell on the house or garage
Call a tree service. See emergency tree removal.
- This week
The city sent a notice about a private tree
Act within the stated period and keep the paperwork.
- Plan it
You want an oak pruned
Book it for winter.
Milwaukee tree service questions
Can I trim the terrace tree in front of my Milwaukee house?
No. Terrace trees belong to the city, and its Forestry Section does the pruning. Request service from the city.
Did Milwaukee cut down its ash trees?
Mostly not. The city treats the majority of its street ash with insecticide injections on a regular cycle and removes only those in poor condition.
Do I need a permit to remove a tree on my Milwaukee lot?
No. The city can order removal of a hazardous or diseased private tree, but an owner does not need a permit to remove their own.
When can oaks be pruned in Milwaukee?
From November through March. Avoid April through July, when oak wilt spreads through fresh wounds.
Reach a tree service in Milwaukee
Call to be connected with an independent tree company that works in the Milwaukee area, or leave your number and one will call you back.
(844) 955-1716Call availability varies by area and time of day
Limbwright is a referral service. Your call goes to an independent tree service company that sets its own schedule and terms. Ask for proof of insurance and a written scope before work starts. How this works
Call now
Talk to a tree service provider in your area. Have the tree's location and what it is near ready.
(844) 955-1716Call nowCall availability varies by area and time of day