Tree services in Chicago, IL

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By HomePros editorial·Reviewed by licensed contractors and home-services industry experts.·Last updated May 6, 2026

Chicago's urban canopy has been reshaped twice in living memory: first by Dutch elm disease (DED) starting in the 1950s-60s, which removed the dominant American elm street trees that had defined Chicago's parkways for generations, and again starting around 2008 by emerald ash borer (EAB), which has driven systematic ash removal across Cook County. The current Chicago canopy is dominated by Norway maple, silver maple, sugar maple, hackberry, honeylocust, bur oak, white oak, northern red oak, American elm (resistant cultivars and surviving older specimens), and various pines. The [Chicago Bureau of Forestry](https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/streets/provdrs/forestry.html) manages parkway (the strip between sidewalk and street) trees and right-of-way work, with significant ongoing replanting programs.

This page covers what local ISA-certified arborists actually see on Chicago trees — the species and structural patterns that drive removal versus pruning decisions, parkway tree rules versus private-property work, EAB management, ice-storm and microburst exposure, and what to expect when scheduling work in Cook, DuPage, Lake, or Will County. We connect Chicago-area homeowners with vetted licensed tree contractors carrying ISA certification and current insurance.

Parkway trees (the strip between sidewalk and curb) in Chicago are owned and managed by the [City of Chicago Bureau of Forestry](https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/streets/provdrs/forestry.html), not by adjacent homeowners. Pruning, removing, or significantly altering a parkway tree without city authorization is prohibited. Adjacent homeowners can request city work via 311 but cannot direct it. For private-property work, city oversight is generally limited to construction-tied removals affecting parkway trees.

EAB and the ongoing canopy transformation

Emerald ash borer was first confirmed in Cook County in 2006 and has driven the largest urban-canopy transformation in modern Chicago history (alongside the older DED transformation). The City of Chicago has been removing public ash trees on a multi-year structured plan and replacing with diverse species. Private-property ash trees are owner-managed.

The homeowner question for ash trees: treat or remove?

Treat (with systemic insecticide injections every 1-3 years depending on product) — appropriate for trees that are still healthy or only lightly affected (less than 30% canopy thinning). Treatment is ongoing and lifetime; stopping in EAB-confirmed regions usually results in eventual death. Most cost-effective on large, valuable, well-placed specimens.

Remove — appropriate for trees with significant canopy dieback (30%+), advanced bark splitting, D-shaped exit holes, or where treatment economics don't work. Once an ash is past 50% canopy dieback, structural decay accelerates fast — branches become brittle, climbing and rigging become hazardous, and removal cost rises with delay.

The Illinois Department of Agriculture maintains EAB resources and current quarantine information.

Replant species: diverse, non-ash. Common Chicago replants include bur oak, swamp white oak, hackberry, Kentucky coffeetree, ginkgo, and various maples. Avoid creating monocultures — the elm story (DED) and now the ash story (EAB) are the cautionary tales for canopy diversification.

Common Chicago species and their patterns

Norway maple — extensively planted as a replacement for DED-killed elms from the 1960s-1980s. Now considered invasive in Illinois and many specimens are in late-life decline. Common patterns: girdling roots, surface-rooting that lifts sidewalks, root collar disorders, and structural decay. The Bureau of Forestry has been systematically replacing failing Norway maples with native species.

Silver maple — fast-growing, brittle wood, structurally weaker than sugar maple. Common across older Chicago neighborhoods. Failure modes include large limb shedding during summer storms and ice events, hollow-trunk decay in older specimens. Many Chicago silver maples planted as quick-shade trees are now in the high-risk zone.

Sugar maple — beautiful fall color, structurally good. Common patterns: girdling roots in older transplants, decline from urban soil compaction, verticillium wilt in stressed specimens.

Hackberry — durable, drought-tolerant, structurally good for Chicago conditions. Common in newer parkway plantings as a diverse replacement option. Witches' broom and nipple gall are cosmetic issues, not structural.

Honeylocust — drought-tolerant, structurally sound where well-maintained. Common patterns: borers in stressed specimens, mistletoe loading, and trunk wounds from string trimmers.

Bur oak and white oak — Chicago's most structurally sound oaks, capable of long lifespans. Bur oak in particular tolerates urban conditions well. Avoid pruning oaks during April-July as a precaution against oak wilt vectors.

American elm — DED pressure remains, but resistant cultivars (Princeton, Valley Forge, New Harmony, Accolade, Triumph) have been used in major Chicago replanting programs since the 1990s. Surviving older non-resistant elms are valuable; DED management programs exist.

Ash species — see EAB section above.

Bradford pear — universally compromised by age 20-25. Co-dominant leader splitting is the failure mode. Removal is the right call once splitting starts.

Parkway tree rules — what homeowners should know

The parkway-versus-private distinction in Chicago shapes what homeowners can and can't do:

Parkway trees (between sidewalk and curb) are city-owned and managed by the Chicago Bureau of Forestry — homeowners cannot prune, remove, or substantially alter them
Adjacent homeowners can request city work via 311 — but the city decides timing and scope
Damaging a parkway tree (mechanical injury, herbicide application near root zone, soil compaction during construction) can produce city fines and replacement requirements
For private-property trees, the homeowner generally has unilateral authority to remove or prune (outside overlay districts and HOA covenants)
Construction-tied work that affects parkway trees requires Bureau of Forestry coordination with the building permit
Suburban Cook County jurisdictions (Evanston, Oak Park, Skokie, Naperville, Schaumburg) have varying parkway and private-tree rules

When to commission a hazard assessment

Specific signs that warrant an ISA-certified arborist's written assessment in Chicago:

Ash trees with crown dieback, bark splitting, or D-shaped exit holes (almost certainly EAB)
Visible lean that has developed or worsened recently (photograph and compare against older images)
Large fungal conks (Ganoderma, Armillaria, Inonotus) at the root flare or trunk
Crown dieback concentrated at the top with more than 25-30% deadwood and no explainable cause
Visible cavity in the trunk, particularly with sound wood thinner than 1/3 of trunk diameter
Co-dominant trunks with included bark — high failure risk under ice and microburst loading
Norway maples showing significant decline — common pattern in older Chicago specimens
Elm trees showing wilting or yellowing in mid-summer (potential DED — time-sensitive)

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Chicago?▾

For parkway trees (the strip between sidewalk and curb), always — these are city-owned trees managed by the [Chicago Bureau of Forestry](https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/streets/provdrs/forestry.html). Adjacent homeowners cannot prune or remove parkway trees; you can request city work via 311. For private-property trees, removal is generally not permit-required outside of overlay districts and construction-tied review. Suburban Cook County jurisdictions (Evanston, Oak Park, Naperville) have varying private-tree rules.

Should I treat my Chicago ash tree or remove it?▾

Depends on the tree's current condition. Treatment with systemic insecticide injections every 1-3 years is appropriate for ash trees that are still healthy or only lightly affected (less than 30% canopy thinning). Treatment is ongoing and lifetime; stopping in Chicago's EAB-confirmed environment usually results in eventual death. Removal is appropriate for trees with significant canopy dieback (30%+), advanced bark splitting, D-shaped exit holes, or where treatment economics don't work. Once past 50% canopy dieback, removal becomes a structural-safety question on a clock.

My ash tree has D-shaped holes in the bark — is it EAB?▾

Almost certainly. EAB exit holes are a distinctive D-shape about 1/8 inch wide. Combined with crown dieback (starting at the top), vertical bark splitting that reveals serpentine larval galleries, and woodpecker "flecking" (pale patches where woodpeckers have stripped bark to feed on larvae), the diagnosis is straightforward in EAB-confirmed Cook County. Once exit holes are visible and crown dieback is significant, removal is the practical option — treatment is generally ineffective on heavily infested trees.

My Norway maple is in decline — should I remove it?▾

Norway maples planted as DED replacements in the 1960s-1980s are now widely in late-life decline across Chicago. The species is also classified as invasive in Illinois. If your Norway maple shows girdling roots, surface-rooting that lifts hardscape, root collar disorders, or significant decay, removal and replacement with a native species (bur oak, swamp white oak, hackberry, sugar maple) is generally the right call. For parkway Norway maples, the Bureau of Forestry manages replacement.

Should I do tree work before winter ice or summer storm season?▾

Yes, for trees over structures, driveways, or play areas. The right work: deadwood removal, structural pruning of co-dominant leaders and included-bark unions, and proportional canopy reduction (15-25%) on overgrown trees. Avoid topping, lion's tailing, or aggressive over-thinning — all three increase storm-failure risk. Late winter through early spring is the optimal scheduling window for ice-prep and structural work; late spring through early summer is appropriate for derecho-season prep.

Will my homeowners insurance cover Chicago tree removal after a storm?▾

Only if the tree damaged a covered structure (house, attached garage, attached fence). Coverage typically extends to removing the tree from the structure but may have limits. A tree that fell in your yard with no structural damage is your responsibility, even an EAB-killed ash. Document everything with photographs before cleanup, and request a written assessment from the contractor for your insurance file. Trees that fell on a neighbor's structure are usually their claim unless documented negligence is involved.

Sources and references

Service guide

Tree services — full guide

City guide

Chicago, IL home services

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