Tree work rules in Wisconsin

Wisconsin has no state arborist or tree service license, and the Department of Natural Resources points consumers to private ISA certification.¹

Wisconsin law bars county shoreland zoning from being stricter than the state shoreland standards and from requiring new or wider vegetative buffers on developed land. City and village tree rules aren't addressed.²

If a tree is touching the power line to your house, keep clear and call your utility first. Clearing the line is the utility's job, and a tree company can't start until it's done.

In Wisconsin the federal OSHA rule is the one that applies to workers near power lines. The state's utility rule sets line clearances for utilities, not distances for workers.^3-4

Wisconsin's one-call law doesn't name stumps. It covers moving earth by any tools or equipment.⁵

For-hire applicators need category certification from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, an Individual Commercial Applicator License and a Pesticide Business License. The category is 3.0 Turf and Landscape.^6-8