Dead, leaning, storm damaged, or just too close to the house. We take trees down in tight suburban yards without tearing up your lawn or your neighbor's fence.
Most homeowners wait too long. A tree that is already dead is more expensive to remove than a tree that is dying, because dead wood is unpredictable and the crew has to rig every piece instead of dropping it. If you are seeing bare branches in July, mushrooms at the base, bark falling off in sheets, or a lean that got worse after a storm, get it looked at now.
A climber or a bucket operator takes the tree down in sections, top down, rigging the heavy limbs so they lower instead of fall. Groundcrew feeds brush into the chipper as it comes down. On a normal suburban lot a mature maple takes half a day. Trees over a roof, over a pool, or wedged between two houses take longer and cost more, because everything gets rigged.
Small ornamentals under 30 feet run $450 to $800. Mature trees in the 30 to 60 foot range, which is most silver maples and ashes in Oakland and Macomb, run $900 to $1,600. Large oaks and pines over 60 feet, or anything requiring a crane, run $1,800 to $3,200 and up. Stump grinding is usually quoted separately at $3 to $6 per inch of diameter.
Ask any company for a certificate of insurance before they touch your property, and ask for both general liability and workers comp. If a climber gets hurt on an uninsured crew, that can land on your homeowners policy. We carry both and will send the certificate over before the job.
Before you hire anyone: ask for a certificate of insurance showing both general liability and workers compensation, and get the estimate in writing. Those two things filter out most of the problems people run into with tree companies.
Send a photo and a few details. Most quotes back same day.
Most residential removals land between $450 and $3,200. A small ornamental under 30 feet is usually $450 to $800. A mature 30 to 60 foot tree is $900 to $1,600. Large oaks, pines, and anything needing a crane run $1,800 and up. Price depends on height, trunk diameter, how close it is to the house or power lines, and whether we can get equipment into the yard.
Only if you ask for it. Stump grinding is quoted separately, usually $3 to $6 per inch of stump diameter with a $150 minimum. Say yes on the same visit and it is cheaper than bringing the grinder back out later.
On private property in most Metro Detroit suburbs, no permit is needed for a tree in your own yard. Some cities including Detroit, Ann Arbor, and a few Oakland County communities have ordinances covering landmark trees or trees in the right of way between the sidewalk and the street. Those belong to the city. We check before we quote.
We use plywood mats under equipment on soft ground and we keep the truck on the driveway when we can. Some rutting is possible on a wet spring lawn with a big removal. We tell you up front if that is a risk on your job.
Standard removals are typically scheduled within a week. Emergency work, meaning a tree on a house, a car, or blocking a driveway, gets a crew out same day.
Free estimate, no obligation. Call or send photos and we will give you a real number.