Three kinds of wire, three answers
- The service wire runs from the pole to the meter on your house. ComEd doesn't do non-emergency trimming around it (ComEd).
- Distribution lines run along the street or alley between poles. ComEd trims these on a 4-year cycle, plus extra reliability trimming where it's needed (ComEd FAQ).
- Phone and cable lines aren't ComEd's at all. ComEd says to call your communications provider (same page).
How the free service drop works
- Call ComEd at 1-800-EDISON-1 (1-800-334-7661). Its FAQ asks for at least 5 days' notice to schedule (ComEd FAQ).
- ComEd drops or de-energizes the wire at the scheduled time, then reconnects it when the trimming is done. There's no charge (ComEd).
- Your house has no power while the wire is down (same page). Plan around the sump pump, the fridge and anyone working from home.
- Your trimmer works on a dead wire. That's the whole point: the job is safer and nobody has to climb next to a live line.
Tip: line up the tree crew first, then call ComEd with the crew's date. A drop with no crew on site is a power outage for nothing.
Limbs on the lines between poles
If a tree on your lot is tangled in the lines between poles, ComEd lists three options (ComEd):
- Line clearance by ComEd: its line-clearance trimmers clear around the primary and secondary lines so a private contractor can safely trim or remove the rest. Call for details and a written estimate.
- Line maintenance investigation (LMI): in some cases ComEd will de-energize the nearby lines so a private contractor can work. The inquiry is free; ask for an "LMI."
- A private contractor that employs line-clearance qualified tree trimmers under ANSI Z133.1. You pay all costs.
Don't do it yourself
ComEd's advice is blunt: pruning near power lines should only be done by trained professionals, and serious injuries and deaths have happened when untrained people tried (ComEd FAQ). Even brief contact with a line, or with a branch touching one, can kill (ComEd). Keep ladders, pole saws and kids away.
When ComEd's crews come through
For routine trimming on its lines, Illinois law requires the utility to give direct notice 21 to 90 days before work starts, to notify affected customers directly, and to tell them they can appeal the planned work through the utility and the Illinois Commerce Commission. It also has to follow the ANSI A300 pruning standard (220 ILCS 5/8-505.1). Emergencies are exempt (same law).
ComEd says its crews don't "round over" trees. They use lateral and directional pruning, cutting back to a limb so growth heads away from the wire, and they don't paint cuts. Wood too big for the chipper is cut into lengths and left near the tree for you to deal with, and stumps are cut flush, not ground (ComEd FAQ). If you'd rather lose the tree than see it pruned every four years, ComEd says it will review removal candidates case by case (same page).
Joliet specifics
- Parkway tree on the wire? It's the City's tree. Call Forestry at 815-724-3650; the City routes limbs near utility lines to ComEd (Joliet Forestry).
- Replanting under lines: ComEd allows trees with a mature height under 25 feet beneath distribution lines, and none under transmission lines (ComEd FAQ).
- After a storm: ComEd moves branches off the wires and leaves them on the ground; cleanup is yours (same page). See storm damage in Joliet and our Will County storm history.
For everything else on your lot, see tree trimming in Joliet.
Sources
Checked Nov. 4, 2026. If a City rule has changed since, the City’s page wins.