# TreeRemovalServices.net

> National information and referral site for tree removal and tree care in the United States. TreeRemovalServices.net is an independent information and referral service. We don't perform tree work. Calls are routed to independent local tree-service companies, which set their own prices and are responsible for their work, licensing and insurance.

Key facts:
- Coverage: requests accepted from anywhere in the U.S.; researched local guides exist only for the states, counties and cities listed below.
- No offices, crews, licenses, ratings or reviews are claimed. No prices are published; cost pages explain pricing factors.
- Local permit rules are summarized only with official or primary sources and a checked date.
- Phone: (833) 892-2291 connects callers with independent local tree-service providers.

Core definitions:
- Tree removal: cutting down a tree, usually in sections near structures, and hauling the wood; the stump is a separate job.
- Stump grinding: chipping a stump 6 to 12 inches or more below grade; the roots stay and decay. Stump removal digs the roots out.
- Tree trimming / pruning: selective branch removal for safety, clearance or structure, done to the ANSI A300 standard.
- Hazardous tree: a living tree with a defect (crack, decay, failing roots, new lean) that could hit a target. Dead tree: a tree that has died and is decaying.
- Tree risk assessment: an arborist's evaluation (ANSI A300 Part 9: limited visual, basic, advanced) of failure likelihood and consequences.

Citing this site: quote the page's opening answer, which is written to stand alone, and link the page URL. Local rules change; each city page lists its official sources and the date they were checked.

Glossary of tree care terms (DefinedTermSet, one anchor per term): https://treeremovalservices.net/glossary/
Citable datasets (CC BY 4.0, CSV): tree removal rules by city https://treeremovalservices.net/data/tree-removal-rules-by-city/ (CSV https://treeremovalservices.net/data/tree-removal-rules-by-city.csv); tree risks by state https://treeremovalservices.net/data/tree-risks-by-state/ (CSV https://treeremovalservices.net/data/tree-risks-by-state.csv).

Full text of every page's answer, key facts, local rules and FAQs: https://treeremovalservices.net/llms-full.txt

## Services

- [Tree Removal](https://treeremovalservices.net/services/tree-removal/): Tree removal is cutting down a tree and hauling it away. Near houses, fences or wires, that usually means climbing or lifting the tree and taking it down in sections rather than felling it whole. It's the right choice when a tree is dead, structurally failing, or causing damage that pruning can't fix.
- [Emergency Tree Removal](https://treeremovalservices.net/services/emergency-tree-removal/): If a tree is on your house, across power lines or blocking an exit, get everyone out of the affected area first. Call 911 if anyone is hurt or a line is down, and your utility for anything touching wires. Then call a tree service for emergency removal. Stay away from the tree until professionals arrive.
- [Storm Damage Tree Removal](https://treeremovalservices.net/services/storm-damage-tree-removal/): After a storm, the job is to sort trees into three groups: down and needing removal, damaged but savable with pruning, and standing but newly dangerous. Downed trees on structures come first. Split trunks, uprooted trees and hanging limbs come next. Cosmetic breakage can usually wait for regular pruning.
- [Tree Trimming & Pruning](https://treeremovalservices.net/services/tree-trimming/): Tree trimming (or pruning) is selectively removing branches to make a tree safer, clear it from structures, or improve its health and shape. Good pruning removes the least wood needed to reach a clear goal, using cuts at the branch collar. Topping, meaning cutting main stems back to stubs, is not pruning and weakens trees.
- [Stump Grinding & Removal](https://treeremovalservices.net/services/stump-grinding/): Stump grinding uses a machine with a toothed spinning wheel to chew a stump into chips a few inches to about a foot below ground. The roots are left to decay. Stump removal pulls out the stump and main roots with an excavator. Grinding is faster, cheaper and less disruptive, and it's enough for lawns and most planting.
- [Dead Tree Removal](https://treeremovalservices.net/services/dead-tree-removal/): A dead tree should be removed if it could hit anything when it falls, such as a house, driveway, road, fence or play area. Dead wood dries, loses strength and becomes brittle, so dead trees get more dangerous every season. They also get more dangerous for climbers to remove, so it's generally safer and simpler to act sooner.
- [Hazardous Tree Removal](https://treeremovalservices.net/services/hazardous-tree-removal/): A hazardous tree is a living tree with a defect, such as a crack, decay, a failing root plate or a new lean, that makes it likely to fail onto something that matters: a house, a driveway, a street or a place people use. Removing one is slower than an ordinary removal, because the tree can't be trusted to behave predictably while it's being cut.
- [Large Tree Removal](https://treeremovalservices.net/services/large-tree-removal/): Large trees near buildings are removed in sections that are either lowered on ropes through rigging points in the tree or lifted out by a crane. A crane is often faster and safer for big trees over houses, because each piece is cut only after the crane is holding it.
- [Tree Risk Assessment](https://treeremovalservices.net/services/tree-risk-assessment/): A tree risk assessment is an arborist's evaluation of how likely a tree (or part of it) is to fail, what it would hit, and how bad the consequences would be. The result is a risk rating and recommendations: monitor, prune, support with cabling and bracing, or remove.
- [Commercial Tree Services](https://treeremovalservices.net/services/commercial-tree-services/): Commercial tree services cover tree work on business, multifamily, HOA, school and municipal properties: scheduled pruning, hazard removal, clearance for parking lots and buildings, storm response, and tree inventories that help managers budget and document care.

## States

- [Texas](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/texas/): Texas tree problems depend on where you are. Gulf Coast cities deal with hurricanes and tropical-storm winds. Central Texas contends with oak wilt and rocky, shallow soils. North Texas sees hail, tornadoes and ice storms. Statewide, droughts weaken trees that later fail in storms. Permits are local: some Texas cities regulate large trees on private lots, and many don't.
- [Florida](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/florida/): In Florida, tree work revolves around hurricane season, June 1 to November 30. Under §163.045, a local government can't require a permit to prune or remove a tree on a single-family lot when an ISA Certified Arborist or licensed landscape architect documents an unacceptable risk. Otherwise local permit rules apply.
- [California](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/california/): California tree work is shaped by drought, wildfire and strict local ordinances. Years of drought and bark beetles have killed large numbers of trees. Homes in fire-prone areas must maintain defensible space. Many cities, including Los Angeles and Sacramento, protect native oaks and other species with permit requirements that apply even on private property.
- [Arizona](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/arizona/): In Arizona's desert cities, the monsoon (officially June 15 to September 30) causes most tree failures: sudden microburst winds hit top-heavy, shallow-rooted trees and push them over. Many native trees, including palo verde, mesquite and ironwood, are covered by the Arizona Native Plant Law, which requires notifying the Arizona Department of Agriculture before destroying them.
- [Georgia](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/georgia/): Georgia's big tree risk is tall pines and aging water and laurel oaks standing close to houses, combined with tropical-storm remnants, severe thunderstorms and occasional ice. Rules vary sharply. Atlanta requires a permit to remove any private tree 6 inches in diameter or larger, even dead ones, while many other Georgia cities don't regulate trees on private homes.
- [North Carolina](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/north-carolina/): North Carolina gets tree damage from both directions: hurricanes and tropical storms from the coast inland, and ice storms across the Piedmont in winter. Hurricane Helene in 2024 devastated western North Carolina. For most homeowners, trees on a private single-family lot don't need a city permit, but street trees in the public right-of-way do.
- [Washington](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/washington/): Western Washington's tree risk comes from very tall conifers, saturated winter soils and strong windstorms. Root rot and recent summer droughts have weakened many Douglas firs and western red cedars. Seattle's tree ordinance, updated in 2023, requires a permit for removing most trees 6 inches in diameter and larger on private property.
- [Minnesota](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/minnesota/): In Minnesota, emerald ash borer is the defining tree issue. It has killed or threatened a huge share of the ash trees planted in cities after Dutch elm disease. Add heavy snow, ice and summer straight-line winds, and many removals are either dying ash or storm damage. Boulevard trees between the curb and sidewalk usually belong to the city.
- [New York](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/new-york/): New York trees fail most often in nor'easters, heavy wet snow and the remnants of tropical storms. In New York City, trees in the sidewalk strip are owned by the city: no one may prune, remove or work within their root zone without an NYC Parks permit. Trees on private property follow local rules, which vary by town.
- [Colorado](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/colorado/): Colorado's Front Range trees break most often in early-fall and late-spring snowstorms, when heavy wet snow lands on trees that still have leaves. Chinook and downslope winds, drought, and the spread of emerald ash borer across Front Range cities add to the list. In Denver, work on trees in the public right-of-way requires a city permit and a licensed tree company.
- [Illinois](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/illinois/): Most Illinois tree emergencies come from summer straight-line winds, like the August 2020 derecho, and winter ice. Emerald ash borer has killed a large share of street ash statewide. There's no statewide permit for removing a tree on a private lot; in Chicago, parkway trees belong to the city.
- [Ohio](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/ohio/): Ohio's tree problems split by region: lake-effect snow in the northeast snowbelt, summer windstorms like the June 2012 derecho in central and southern Ohio, and dead ash statewide. Private-lot removals generally need no permit, but Columbus, Cleveland and Cincinnati require one for work on street trees.
- [Pennsylvania](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/pennsylvania/): Pennsylvania tree work is shaped by terrain and pests: steep, slide-prone hillsides in the west, nor'easters and tropical remnants in the east, and spotted lanternfly quarantines across much of the state. Private-lot removals usually need no permit; Philadelphia and Pittsburgh require one for street trees.
- [Michigan](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/michigan/): Michigan is where emerald ash borer was first found in the U.S., near Detroit in 2002, and its streets lost millions of ash. Today most removals follow summer windstorms, ice and heavy snow, or involve aging maples and leftover dead ash. There's no statewide permit for trees on your own lot.
- [Tennessee](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/tennessee/): Tennessee tree damage is driven by tornadoes, like Nashville's in March 2020 and December 2023, and by ice storms. Thin soil over limestone in the Nashville Basin keeps roots shallow. Homeowners generally need no permit for a tree on their own lot, but right-of-way trees need city approval.
- [Louisiana](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/louisiana/): Louisiana's tree emergencies come mostly from hurricanes, like Ida in 2021, on saturated soil with a high water table. In New Orleans, Formosan termites hollow out living trees, and trees on public property and neutral grounds can't be touched without Parks and Parkways' approval.
- [Missouri](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/missouri/): Missouri trees are hit from both directions: ice storms in winter and severe thunderstorms, straight-line winds and tornadoes in spring and summer. Emerald ash borer is now established across the state, and pin oaks in alkaline urban soils often decline. Removing a tree on a private lot generally doesn't need a permit, but St. Louis and Kansas City both require one for any work on a city street tree.
- [Virginia](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/virginia/): Virginia's coast deals with hurricanes and nor'easters on sandy, wet soil, while Northern and central Virginia see summer derechos, like June 2012's, and ice. In Tidewater localities, trees inside a Chesapeake Bay Resource Protection Area (the buffer along shorelines, wetlands and streams) can't simply be cut; removal needs local approval. Elsewhere, homeowners generally don't need a permit to remove a tree on their own lot.
- [Maryland](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/maryland/): Maryland regulates tree work statewide: the Roadside Tree Law requires a permit to prune or remove trees in a public road right-of-way, and tree care for hire must be done by or under a Maryland Licensed Tree Expert. Trees entirely on your lot, away from the road, generally need no permit.
- [District of Columbia](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/district-of-columbia/): DC has some of the strictest private-tree rules in the country. Any tree measuring 44 inches or more in circumference (about 14 inches in diameter) is a Special Tree, and removing one needs a DDOT Special Tree Removal Permit and a Tree Fund fee. Trees 100 inches around or more are Heritage Trees, and healthy ones can't be removed at all. Street trees belong to DDOT's Urban Forestry Division.
- [New Jersey](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/new-jersey/): In New Jersey, tree rules are set town by town. Most municipalities control street trees through a shade tree commission or public works, and many also require a permit to remove larger trees on private lots, so the answer can change at the town line. Nor'easters and tropical systems like Sandy (2012) and Ida (2021) cause most emergency tree work, and spotted lanternfly is now widespread.
- [Massachusetts](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/massachusetts/): In Massachusetts, public shade trees along streets are protected by state law (Chapter 87). They can't be cut down or removed without a permit from the local tree warden and a public hearing, and a written objection can stop the removal unless the mayor or select board approves it. Trees on private lots are generally the owner's call. Nor'easters, heavy wet snow and tropical remnants cause most storm damage.
- [Wisconsin](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/wisconsin/): Wisconsin's biggest tree concerns are oak wilt, which kills red oaks quickly and spreads through roots, and emerald ash borer, found in the state in 2008. Avoid pruning or wounding oaks from April through July. Summer windstorms and heavy snow cause most emergency calls. Private-lot removals generally don't need a permit, while street trees in cities like Milwaukee are city-managed.
- [Kentucky](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/kentucky/): Kentucky's worst tree disasters have come from ice and wind: the January 2009 ice storm, which damaged trees and power lines across much of the state, and the remnants of Hurricane Ike, which brought hurricane-force gusts to Louisville in September 2008. Emerald ash borer has killed much of the state's ash. Private-lot removals generally don't need a permit; Louisville requires one for any right-of-way tree.
- [South Carolina](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/south-carolina/): Hurricanes shape South Carolina's tree work, from Hugo in 1989 to Helene's inland destruction in 2024. On the coast, many cities protect large live oaks and other "grand trees": in the City of Charleston, removing a tree 24 inches or more in diameter, except pines and sweetgums, needs city approval. Inland, pines, water oaks and Callery pears drive most storm calls.
- [Alabama](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/alabama/): Alabama sees both tornadoes and hurricanes. The April 27, 2011 outbreak destroyed trees and neighborhoods from Tuscaloosa to Birmingham, and Gulf hurricanes like Sally (2020) hit Mobile and Baldwin counties. Tall pines and aging water oaks are the most common storm failures. Private-lot removals generally don't need a permit; in Birmingham, trees in city rights-of-way fall under the city and its Tree Commission.
- [Oklahoma](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/oklahoma/): Oklahoma's trees face ice, wind and drought. The December 2007 ice storm left about 3 million cubic yards of debris in Tulsa alone, and the October 2020 ice storm hit central Oklahoma while trees still had leaves. Tornadoes and straight-line winds add spring damage. Private-lot removals generally don't need a permit; in Tulsa, owners are responsible for trees in the right-of-way next to their property.
- [Oregon](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/oregon/): In western Oregon, the tree emergencies people remember are ice storms: February 2021's, the worst in about 40 years, and January 2024's, which brought down hundreds of trees in Portland alone. Tall Douglas-firs on saturated winter soil are the main hazard. Rules depend on the city: Portland requires a permit for most private trees 12 inches and larger, while trees on state highway right-of-way need ODOT's written consent.
- [Utah](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/utah/): Utah's worst urban tree disaster in recent memory was the September 8, 2020 windstorm, when hurricane-force canyon winds toppled thousands of trees along the Wasatch Front; Salt Lake City alone lost about 1,500 public trees. Dry soil, heavy summer irrigation and east winds are the local recipe for failures. Utilities may trim trees to keep lines clear, and many cities manage park-strip trees.
- [Indiana](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/indiana/): Indiana's biggest tree problem for two decades has been emerald ash borer, first found in the state on April 21, 2004; dead ash are now one of the most common removals. Spring and summer storms, including tornadoes and derechos, and winter ice cause the emergencies. Utilities trim around lines on a cycle, and cities like Indianapolis require a permit for work on right-of-way trees.
- [Nevada](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/nevada/): In Las Vegas and Reno, strong spring and storm winds topple trees in dry, shallow soil, and NV Energy seeks at least 10 feet of clearance between high-voltage lines and branches; keeping trees off your own service line is your responsibility. At Lake Tahoe, removing a live tree over 14 inches in diameter needs a TRPA permit (6 inches between a lakefront house and the lake).
- [Iowa](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/iowa/): Iowa's defining tree event is the August 10, 2020 derecho, which brought winds up to 140 mph and destroyed an estimated 7.2 million trees, including about 4.5 million in cities, according to the Iowa DNR. Cedar Rapids lost roughly half its canopy or more. Today, most Iowa tree work is derecho-damaged survivors, dead ash from emerald ash borer, and ice and wind storms.
- [Arkansas](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/arkansas/): Arkansas tree emergencies come from ice storms and tornadoes. The January 27–28, 2009 ice storm, the second worst in state history, put one to two inches of ice on the northern counties and caused $80 million in damage. Storm-damaged trees keep declining for years as decay sets in. Southern pine beetle attacks stressed pines, and Entergy Arkansas trims lines on roughly a five-year cycle.
- [Mississippi](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/mississippi/): Mississippi's tree emergencies come from hurricanes on the Gulf Coast and tornadoes everywhere. Hurricane Katrina killed an estimated 54 million trees and damaged 521 million more statewide, per the Mississippi Forestry Commission. The March 24, 2023 EF-4 tornado through Rolling Fork uprooted decades-old trees onto homes. Tall pines and aging water oaks are the most common storm failures.
- [Kansas](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/kansas/): Kansas tree emergencies come from ice and wind. The December 10–11, 2007 ice storm put 1 to 2 inches of ice on much of the state and was the costliest in Kansas history. Pine wilt, spread by the pine sawyer beetle, has killed so many Scots pines that extension specialists no longer recommend planting them. Evergy generally prunes for at least 10 feet of clearance around its lines.
- [Connecticut](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/connecticut/): Connecticut's tree story is dominated by storms and utility lines. In 2011, Tropical Storm Irene and the October nor'easter caused outages for more than 671,000 and 831,000 customers. Utilities expanded tree trimming afterward, and Connecticut law requires adjoining property owners to approve before utility contractors prune or remove a tree, with an appeal process for disputes.
- [New Mexico](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/new-mexico/): New Mexico tree work is shaped by drought, beetles and fire. Piñon ips beetles have killed large numbers of drought-stressed piñons, and the state reported conifer deaths doubling between 2023 and 2024. In the wildland-urban interface, defensible-space guidance keeps conifers at least 30 feet from structures. In Albuquerque, Siberian elms are everywhere, and planting new ones has been illegal since 1996.
- [Idaho](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/idaho/): In Idaho, most urban tree emergencies are summer windstorms, like the outflow winds that topple trees across Boise's Bench, and most rural tree work is wildfire protection. Idaho Department of Lands guidance calls for removing ladder fuels and keeping tree canopies at least 10 feet apart. Idaho Power prunes for clearances that last at least three years and to avoid snow overloading.
- [Nebraska](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/nebraska/): Nebraska's biggest tree issues are emerald ash borer, first confirmed in Omaha's Pulaski Park on June 9, 2016, and pine wilt, which has killed many Scots and Austrian pines since 2000. Early snow is the storm Omahans remember: the October 25–26, 1997 storm dropped heavy wet snow on leafed-out trees and cut power to about 150,000 in Omaha.
- [Alaska](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/alaska/): Most Alaska tree work around homes comes from three things: spruce killed by the spruce beetle outbreak that has spread across Southcentral Alaska since 2016, windstorms that drop shallow-rooted spruce and birch, and heavy, wet snow that bends and breaks birch. Dead spruce near houses also add wildfire fuel, so removal often doubles as defensible-space work.
- [Delaware](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/delaware/): Delaware tree work is driven by coastal storms, nor'easters and the remnants of tropical systems that topple trees in wet, sandy and clay soils, plus emerald ash borer, which has killed untreated ash since it was found in the state in 2016. Tall loblolly pines and tulip poplars near houses in Sussex and Kent counties are frequent storm-removal calls.
- [Hawaii](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/hawaii/): In Hawaii, the most common hazard tree is albizia, a fast-growing invasive with brittle wood that drops large limbs and blocks roads in storms. Coconut palms need regular trimming so fronds and nuts don't fall on people, and hurricanes and strong trade winds test every large tree. Oahu also protects designated exceptional trees.
- [Maine](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/maine/): Maine's tree risk comes from ice and wind: the January 1998 ice storm damaged forests across much of the state, and nor'easters and heavy wet snow still bring down tall white pines and spruces onto homes and lines. Browntail moth caterpillars, whose toxic hairs cause rashes, have also made some oak and fruit trees a nuisance near homes in central and coastal Maine.
- [Montana](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/montana/): Montana tree work comes from wind, beetles and fire. Downslope and Chinook winds east of the mountains topple trees, mountain pine beetle killed huge areas of lodgepole and ponderosa pine, and dead or crowded trees near homes in the wildland-urban interface raise wildfire risk. Early and late snow on leafed-out trees breaks limbs in towns like Billings and Missoula.
- [New Hampshire](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/new-hampshire/): New Hampshire's tree risk is dominated by ice and wind. The December 2008 ice storm left a large share of the state without power after trees broke onto lines, and nor'easters, wet snow and summer storms still drop white pines on houses. Emerald ash borer, confirmed in Concord in 2013, is killing untreated ash statewide.
- [North Dakota](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/north-dakota/): North Dakota's trees live in one of the windiest, driest and coldest climates in the country, so most tree work involves wind and snow damage, aging shelterbelts that are dying from the inside out, and town trees heavy on ash and elm. Dutch elm disease still kills American elms, and the state is preparing for emerald ash borer because ash makes up a large share of community trees.
- [Rhode Island](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/rhode-island/): Rhode Island's coastline makes hurricanes and nor'easters the main tree risk, from the 1938 hurricane to Bob in 1991 and Sandy in 2012. Spongy moth caterpillars also defoliated oaks repeatedly in the late 2010s, and many oaks weakened by those outbreaks and drought have died, leaving dead trees near homes across the state.
- [South Dakota](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/south-dakota/): South Dakota's tree work splits by region. In the Black Hills, a mountain pine beetle epidemic killed ponderosa pine over hundreds of thousands of acres, leaving dead trees near homes around Rapid City. In the east, emerald ash borer was confirmed in Sioux Falls in 2018 and is killing ash, a major share of the city's trees. Blizzards, ice and hail affect the whole state.
- [Vermont](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/vermont/): Vermont tree work is shaped by ice, snow and water. The 1998 ice storm damaged forests across the state, heavy snow and wind still break maples and pines over homes, and the July 2023 floods undercut riverbank trees in many towns. Emerald ash borer, confirmed in Vermont in 2018, is spreading and killing untreated ash.
- [West Virginia](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/west-virginia/): West Virginia's steep terrain makes tree work harder and storm damage worse. The June 2012 derecho knocked out power to most of the state, heavy wet snow from storms like Sandy in 2012 brought down trees in the mountains, and many homes sit below wooded slopes where a falling tree can reach the house. Emerald ash borer is widespread and has killed most untreated ash.
- [Wyoming](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/wyoming/): Wyoming is one of the windiest states, and most tree damage there comes from wind, heavy spring snow and drought. Mountain pine beetle killed large areas of lodgepole pine in the state's forests, leaving dead trees near cabins and homes, while planted cottonwoods, ash and spruce in towns like Cheyenne and Casper struggle with dry, windy conditions.

## Cities

- [Dallas](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/texas/dallas/): Most Dallas tree calls follow spring storms (hail, downbursts and tornadoes) or come from long-term stress in the area's expansive clay soils. For a house on a lot under two acres, Dallas's Article X tree rules generally don't require a removal permit. Vacant lots, larger lots and demolition projects are different, as are trees in the street right-of-way.
- [Houston](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/texas/houston/): Houston's tree emergencies are driven by wind on waterlogged ground: hurricanes, tropical storms and derechos. The May 2024 derecho and Hurricane Beryl in July 2024 brought down trees across the city. Removing a tree on your own residential lot generally doesn't require a city permit, but any tree on city property or the street right-of-way does.
- [Austin](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/texas/austin/): In Austin, check two things before any tree work. First, size: trees 19 inches in diameter and larger are protected and need a city permit to remove, and heritage trees of certain species at 24 inches or more face much stricter rules. Second, timing: oaks shouldn't be pruned from February through June because of oak wilt.
- [San Antonio](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/texas/san-antonio/): In San Antonio, oak wilt and drought are the main reasons trees decline, and spring storms and occasional ice cause most emergency calls. The city's tree preservation ordinance is aimed at development: trees on lots with completed single-family homes are exempt from its preservation requirements, so most homeowners don't need a city permit to remove a yard tree.
- [Miami](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/florida/miami/): In Miami, tree decisions revolve around hurricane season and county permits. Miami-Dade County requires a permit for most tree removals under Chapter 24, though certain non-specimen trees in single-family yards are exempt. Florida's §163.045 also lets homeowners remove a tree without a local permit if an ISA Certified Arborist documents that it poses an unacceptable risk.
- [Orlando](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/florida/orlando/): Orlando's most common tree problem is aging laurel oaks: fast-growing mid-century trees that are now decaying and failing, especially in storms. Hurricane Ian in 2022 and Milton in 2024 brought down trees across Central Florida. The City of Orlando regulates removal of trees 6 inches in diameter and larger, but Florida's §163.045 exemption applies on single-family lots with an arborist's risk documentation.
- [Tampa](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/florida/tampa/): Tampa has some of Florida's strictest tree rules. Removing most trees 5 inches in diameter or larger requires a city permit, and grand trees (32 inches and larger) may need a public process. After Hurricanes Helene and Milton hit the region in 2024, those rules sit alongside Florida's §163.045 exemption for residential trees an ISA Certified Arborist documents as an unacceptable risk.
- [Los Angeles](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/california/los-angeles/): In Los Angeles, check whether the tree is protected before anything else. Native oaks, western sycamore, California black walnut and California bay laurel measuring 4 inches or more in cumulative diameter need a permit from the city's Urban Forestry Division to remove. Beyond that, most tree work here is palm trimming, drought-stressed trees, and wind and fire preparation.
- [San Diego](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/california/san-diego/): San Diego's tree work centers on large eucalyptus and tall palms in a dry climate, with Santa Ana winds and wildfire risk along canyon edges. Trees on private lots are mostly the owner's responsibility, but street trees in the public right-of-way are managed by the city, and removing one requires a city permit.
- [Sacramento](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/california/sacramento/): Sacramento, which calls itself the "City of Trees," regulates trees on private property. Native oaks, California buckeye and California sycamore 12 inches in diameter or more are protected, as are trees 24 inches and larger on undeveloped, commercial and multifamily properties. Most tree emergencies come from winter storms on saturated soil and from drought-weakened elms and oaks.
- [Phoenix](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/arizona/phoenix/): Phoenix tree emergencies peak during the monsoon, June 15 through September 30, when microburst winds push over top-heavy, shallow-rooted trees. Most private-yard removals don't need a City of Phoenix permit. But native palo verde, mesquite and ironwood fall under the Arizona Native Plant Law, which requires notice to the Arizona Department of Agriculture before they're destroyed, and right-of-way trees and HOA rules add their own approvals.
- [Atlanta](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/georgia/atlanta/): In the City of Atlanta, you need a permit to remove any tree 6 inches in diameter or larger on private property, including dead trees. Permits come from the Office of Buildings' Arborist Division, and approved removals usually require replacement planting or payment into the Tree Trust Fund. Emergencies have a process too, so contact the city before cutting whenever you can.
- [Charlotte](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/north-carolina/charlotte/): Charlotte's older neighborhoods are shaded by large willow oaks, many planted around a century ago and now declining, so limb failures and removals of aging oaks are common. Ice storms and tropical-storm remnants cause most emergencies. On an existing single-family lot, removing a private tree generally doesn't require a city permit, but street trees in the right-of-way are the city's.
- [Raleigh](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/north-carolina/raleigh/): Raleigh, the "City of Oaks," deals with two main tree hazards: ice storms that snap pines and hardwoods, and tropical storms reaching inland from the coast. Most homeowners don't need a permit for a private tree on a single-family lot, but a Tree Impact Permit is required for work affecting trees in the city right-of-way, and historic or conservation overlays can add rules.
- [Seattle](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/washington/seattle/): Since July 30, 2023, Seattle has regulated most trees 6 inches in diameter and larger on private property, and removing one generally requires a permit from the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections, with stricter limits on larger trees. Physically, the risk is tall conifers in saturated winter soil during Pacific windstorms, often with hidden root rot.
- [Minneapolis](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/minnesota/minneapolis/): In Minneapolis, dying ash trees (from emerald ash borer) and storm damage from snow, ice and straight-line winds make up much of tree removal demand. Boulevard trees between the curb and sidewalk belong to the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board: residents can't remove them. Private trees are generally the owner's to manage, though the MPRB can condemn diseased or hazardous private trees.
- [New York City](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/new-york/new-york-city/): In New York City, the first question is who owns the tree. Street trees in the sidewalk strip belong to the city: any pruning, removal or work within 50 feet requires an NYC Parks permit, and fallen or hazardous street trees are reported to 311. Trees in private backyards are the owner's responsibility and are usually removed piece by piece through tight row-house lots.
- [Denver](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/colorado/denver/): Denver's trees break most often under heavy, wet snow in fall and spring, while leaves are still on. Anyone paid to do tree work in the city needs a Denver tree license, and removing or planting a tree in the public right-of-way needs a free City Forester permit.
- [Chicago](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/illinois/chicago/): In Chicago, the parkway tree between the sidewalk and curb belongs to the city: request inspection, trimming or removal through 311, and a Bureau of Forestry arborist decides. Trees in your yard are yours, and most private removals involve dead ash, storm-damaged silver maples, or big trees between garages and alleys.
- [Columbus](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/ohio/columbus/): In Columbus, any work on a public tree, or within its critical root zone, needs a Forestry permit. That includes street trees between the sidewalk and curb, whatever their condition, and the permit is applied for by an ISA Certified Arborist from the tree company. Trees on your own lot don't need a city permit. Most private removals in Columbus are dead ash, split Callery pears, and storm-damaged maples.
- [Cleveland](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/ohio/cleveland/): Cleveland's trees take a beating from lake-effect snow and Lake Erie wind. Tree-lawn trees between the sidewalk and street are city-managed, and any pruning, removal, root pruning or stump grinding on them needs an Urban Forestry permit. Private-yard removals need no city permit.
- [Philadelphia](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/pennsylvania/philadelphia/): In Philadelphia, Parks & Recreation's Street Tree Management Division prunes street trees and removes dead or hazardous ones at no cost, and a private contractor needs its permit before touching one. Backyard trees are the owner's, and rowhouse removals often mean carrying every piece out through the house.
- [Pittsburgh](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/pennsylvania/pittsburgh/): Pittsburgh tree work is hillside work. Steep lots, retaining walls and long staircases limit equipment access, and removing big trees on slopes can affect how the hillside holds together after heavy rain. Street trees belong to the city: you request work through 311, and removing or cutting a street tree yourself needs a Department of Public Works permit, with private-contractor work supervised by an ISA Certified Arborist.
- [Detroit](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/michigan/detroit/): Many Detroit tree calls involve trees nobody has maintained for years: dead ash left from the emerald ash borer outbreak and fast-growing volunteers on vacant lots next door. The city runs a Dead, Dangerous and Diseased Tree Program for qualifying private-property trees, and work on public trees must be done by the city or under a city permit. For your own healthy-but-unwanted tree, no city permit is needed.
- [Nashville](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/tennessee/nashville/): Nashville has been hit by two destructive tornadoes in four years: March 2020 through North Nashville, Germantown and East Nashville, and December 2023 through Madison and on toward Hendersonville. Storm damage, uprooting on thin limestone soils, and aging hackberries and Bradford pears drive most calls. Homeowners on single-family or duplex lots usually don't need a Metro permit, but right-of-way, protected and heritage trees do.
- [New Orleans](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/louisiana/new-orleans/): New Orleans tree emergencies follow hurricanes. Hurricane Ida in 2021 brought down trees and limbs across the city. Saturated, low-lying ground keeps roots shallow, and Formosan subterranean termites hollow out living trees from the inside. Trees on neutral grounds, sidewalks and other public property can't be cut or removed without written approval from the Department of Parks and Parkways; trees in your own yard are your responsibility.
- [St. Louis](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/missouri/st-louis/): In the City of St. Louis, pruning, spraying or removing a city tree needs a Permit to Maintain from the Division of Forestry, issued only to tree services with an ISA Certified Arborist on staff. Trees on your own lot need no city permit.
- [Kansas City](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/missouri/kansas-city/): Kansas City trees face winter ice and spring and summer wind, hail and tornadoes. Pruning or removing a street right-of-way tree needs KC Parks Forestry authorization, with no permit fee. Trees on your own lot need no city permit; dead ash, silver maples and Callery pears are the common removals.
- [Fort Worth](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/texas/fort-worth/): Fort Worth's native post oaks and blackjack oaks, plus spring hail, downbursts and ice, drive most tree calls. Single-family lots under an acre are exempt from the city's private tree-removal permit, and owners may remove one dead, dying, diseased or hazardous tree a year without notifying the city.
- [Jacksonville](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/florida/jacksonville/): Jacksonville's tree emergencies come from hurricanes, nor'easters and aging laurel oaks that decay inside. Owners of an occupied single-family home on a lot that can't be subdivided can remove trees after getting an exemption permit, and Florida's §163.045 exempts a tree an arborist documents as dangerous.
- [Virginia Beach](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/virginia/virginia-beach/): Virginia Beach tree emergencies come from hurricanes and nor'easters pushing tall pines over in wet, sandy soil. Single-family homeowners generally don't need a permit to remove a tree on their own lot, except in Chesapeake Bay Resource Protection Areas (the buffers along water and wetlands), in tree preservation areas on approved site plans, and in the city right-of-way, where any work needs a permit.
- [Baltimore](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/maryland/baltimore/): In Baltimore City, removing a street tree needs a written permit from Recreation and Parks, the work must be done by a Maryland Licensed Tree Expert, and the tree is replaced inch for inch or with a fee. Trees entirely on your property, away from the street, need no city permit.
- [Jersey City](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/new-jersey/jersey-city/): In Jersey City, planting, pruning, removing or otherwise disturbing a City tree (street trees and trees in public spaces) requires a tree work permit from the Division of Parks and Forestry, and removing one without a permit is illegal. Trees in your own backyard are generally your responsibility. Most private jobs involve tight lots between attached homes, with wood carried out to the street.
- [Boston](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/massachusetts/boston/): In Boston, street trees are public shade trees under Massachusetts law. They can't be removed without a request to the Tree Warden at Parks and Recreation, a public hearing, and, if approved, removal at the requester's expense plus a per-inch payment into the parks fund. Trees on your own lot are a separate matter. Nor'easters and heavy wet snow cause most of the city's tree damage.
- [Milwaukee](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/wisconsin/milwaukee/): Milwaukee's Forestry Services manages about 190,000 street and boulevard trees, inspecting them on a five-year pruning cycle and handling removals and stump grinding. If the tree is on the boulevard or street, call the city first. Trees in your yard are yours, and the common private jobs are dead ash, storm-broken maples and oaks with oak wilt.
- [Louisville](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/kentucky/louisville/): In Louisville Metro, any tree in a public right-of-way, including the green verge between sidewalk and street, can't be planted, pruned or removed without an Urban Forestry permit, requested through Metro311, and removed trees must be replaced within a year. Trees on your own lot don't need a permit. Ice storms and windstorms, like Ike's remnants in 2008, cause most emergency work.
- [Charleston](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/south-carolina/charleston/): In the City of Charleston, trees 24 inches or more in diameter, except pines and sweetgums, are grand trees, and they can't be removed without city approval. Hazardous, diseased or irreparably damaged trees are approved after a city inspection; healthy grand trees may need Board of Zoning Appeals review. Hurricanes, flooding and saltwater are the main threats to the Lowcountry's live oaks and pines.
- [Birmingham](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/alabama/birmingham/): Birmingham's worst tree damage comes from tornadoes. The April 27, 2011 outbreak tore through Pratt City and surrounding neighborhoods. Steep ridge lots around Red Mountain and Shades Mountain make access and rigging harder. For trees in the street right-of-way, contact the city's Horticulture and Urban Forestry Division; a 2025 ordinance gave the Tree Commission authority and a permit process for right-of-way trees.
- [Tulsa](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/oklahoma/tulsa/): In Tulsa, property owners are responsible for trees in the right-of-way next to their property, including removing dead or damaged ones, which isn't the case in many cities. The December 2007 ice storm left about 3 million cubic yards of debris and took around 18 months to clean up, and ice remains the city's biggest tree threat, along with spring tornadoes and straight-line winds.
- [Cincinnati](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/ohio/cincinnati/): In Cincinnati, steep clay hillsides prone to landslides and city-owned street trees shape most tree jobs. Any work on a public tree, including the street tree in front of your house, needs a Cincinnati Parks Urban Forestry permit. Trees fully on private property generally need none.
- [Memphis](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/tennessee/memphis/): Memphis tree removal is driven by two kinds of storms: summer straight-line winds, like the 2003 "Hurricane Elvis" derecho that uprooted trees across Midtown, and ice storms, like February 2023's, that broke limbs onto power lines across the city. Trees near MLGW lines are pruned or removed by MLGW's contract crews; trees on your property are yours to manage.
- [Richmond](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/virginia/richmond/): In Richmond, the tree between the sidewalk and the street belongs to the city. Pruning or removing it needs a permit approved by a City Arborist, with the work done by an insured tree company at your expense, or a request through RVA311. Private trees generally need no city permit.
- [Fort Lauderdale](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/florida/fort-lauderdale/): On a developed single-family lot in Fort Lauderdale, removing a tree 8 inches or more in diameter (measured 4.5 feet up) needs a city permit unless an ISA Certified Arborist or landscape architect documents that it's an unacceptable risk, which Florida law exempts. Mangroves on canal and waterfront lots fall under separate state trimming rules. Hurricane readiness drives most tree work here.
- [Tucson](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/arizona/tucson/): In Tucson, most tree removals follow monsoon storms, which run from mid-June through September and snap or topple mesquite, palo verde and non-native shade trees. Removing a tree from an existing home's yard generally needs no city permit; Tucson's Native Plant Preservation rules apply to development. Keep trees at least 10 feet from power lines.
- [Portland](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/oregon/portland/): In Portland, removing a private tree 12 inches or more in diameter generally needs a Title 11 tree permit. Removing a single tree 20 inches or larger, or five or more trees 12 inches and up, goes through a Type B permit with review, a public notice and possible inch-for-inch replacement. Dead, dying and dangerous trees are handled under their own permit category. Ice storms are the city's biggest emergency driver.
- [Salt Lake City](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/utah/salt-lake-city/): In Salt Lake City, trees in the park strip between the sidewalk and street are public trees managed by the city's Urban Forestry program, so contact the city before pruning or removing one. Trees in your yard are yours. The September 2020 canyon windstorm, which toppled about 1,500 public trees, showed how irrigated shade trees fail in rare but violent east winds.
- [Indianapolis](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/indiana/indianapolis/): In Indianapolis, any planting, pruning, removal or treatment of a tree in the public right-of-way, usually the lawn strip between the street and sidewalk, requires a permit, and street trees can't be removed without one. Trees in your yard are yours. Dead ash killed by emerald ash borer are the most common removal, and spring storms cause most emergencies.
- [Las Vegas](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/nevada/las-vegas/): In Las Vegas, most tree removals involve big pines, mulberries or mesquite that blew over or broke in a wind storm, or declined from heat and poor irrigation. Removing a tree from your own yard generally needs no city permit, though HOAs often have rules. NV Energy trims around high-voltage lines, seeking 10 feet of clearance; the service line to your house is your responsibility.
- [Tacoma](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/washington/tacoma/): In Tacoma, any pruning, removal or planting of a street tree in the public right-of-way needs a Right-of-Way Tree (RTRE) permit from the city. Pruning permits are free and only the adjacent property owner or their designee can apply; removals must fit an approved category, such as a hazardous tree. Trees on private lots outside the right-of-way follow different rules.
- [San Jose](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/california/san-jose/): In San Jose, removing an ordinance-size tree, one with a trunk 38 inches or more in circumference at 4.5 feet (or multiple trunks adding up to 38 inches), needs a city permit on single-family and duplex lots, even if the tree is dead. Street trees and heritage trees always need a permit, and on multifamily, commercial and common-area property any tree does.
- [San Francisco](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/california/san-francisco/): Since July 1, 2017, San Francisco Public Works has been responsible for maintaining all of the city's street trees and the sidewalk damage they cause, under Proposition E. Removing a street tree, or a significant or landmark tree on private property, still needs a Public Works permit. Trees in your backyard that aren't significant or landmark trees are yours to manage.
- [Buffalo](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/new-york/buffalo/): In Buffalo, a free Tree Work Permit is required to plant, prune or remove any tree in the city right-of-way, and the city's Bureau of Forestry maintains street, park and city-lot trees; call 311 for inspections, removals or trimming. Trees on your own lot are yours. Buffalo's tree emergencies come from lake-effect snow, like the October 2006 storm that damaged about 85% of area trees.
- [Cedar Rapids](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/iowa/cedar-rapids/): Cedar Rapids lost at least half its tree canopy in the August 10, 2020 derecho, when winds equal to a Category 2 hurricane tore through the city. Today, most tree work here is dealing with damaged survivors, removing dead ash and replanting. A tree that made it through 2020 with cracks, twists or lifted roots can still fail years later.
- [Wichita](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/kansas/wichita/): Wichita's tree emergencies come from ice and Plains wind. The December 10–11, 2007 ice storm coated the area with heavy ice and was the costliest in Kansas history. Pine wilt has killed many Scots and Austrian pines, which should be removed and destroyed before spring. Evergy generally prunes for at least 10 feet of clearance around its lines.
- [Albuquerque](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/new-mexico/albuquerque/): In Albuquerque, the most common removal is the Siberian elm: brittle, weedy, allergenic and illegal to plant since the city's 1996 pollen ordinance. Big cottonwoods along the Rio Grande drop heavy limbs, spring winds break weak trees, and drought has left piñons and pines vulnerable to bark beetles in the foothills and East Mountains.
- [Boise](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/idaho/boise/): Boise's tree emergencies come from summer thunderstorm outflows, with gusts around 55 mph that topple trees across the Bench and drop limbs on houses and lines. Public trees are handled by Boise Community Forestry, the Ada County Highway District and Idaho Power; trees on your property are yours. Foothills homes also need wildfire-ready trees.
- [Omaha](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/nebraska/omaha/): Omaha is where emerald ash borer was first confirmed in Nebraska, in Pulaski Park on June 9, 2016, and dead ash are now a common removal. The city's most remembered tree storm is October 25–26, 1997, when more than a foot of heavy wet snow on leafed-out trees shredded the canopy and cut power to about 150,000 people. Pine wilt also kills Scots and Austrian pines here.

## Local service pages

- [Storm damage tree removal in Houston](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/texas/houston/storm-damage-tree-removal/): After a Houston storm, deal with trees on houses, cars and lines first, then hangers over walkways, then everything else. Trees blocking public streets and trees on the city right-of-way are the city's to clear (report them to 311). Trees on your property are yours. The city often runs separate storm-debris collection for cut vegetation placed at the curb.
- [Tree trimming in Austin](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/texas/austin/tree-trimming/): In Austin, trim oaks outside February through June, and paint every oak wound immediately. Oak wilt spreads through fresh cuts in spring and then through connected live-oak roots. For protected (19-inch-plus) and heritage (24-inch-plus) trees, heavy pruning can also require City of Austin review, so check before major work.
- [Monsoon tree damage and removal in Phoenix](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/arizona/phoenix/storm-damage-tree-removal/): After a Phoenix monsoon storm, fallen trees on houses, walls, cars and lines come first. Partly uprooted trees are the next priority, because they can go over in the next storm, and monsoon storms come in waves. Small, recently planted trees that tipped over can sometimes be reset and staked; large uprooted trees almost always need removal.
- [Dead and dying ash tree removal in Minneapolis](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/minnesota/minneapolis/dead-tree-removal/): In Minneapolis, most dead-tree removals are ash killed by emerald ash borer. Dead ash dry out and become brittle quickly, which makes them dangerous to leave and harder to remove safely over time. If the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board has condemned a private tree, the notice sets a deadline for removal.
- [Emergency tree removal in Minneapolis](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/minnesota/minneapolis/emergency-tree-removal/): Most Minneapolis tree emergencies come from summer straight-line winds and from wet snow or ice in fall, winter and spring. If a tree touches a wire, call Xcel Energy or 911 and stay back. Fallen boulevard trees are the Park Board's; report them to 311.
- [Tree and palm trimming in Miami](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/florida/miami/tree-trimming/): In Miami, trimming is hurricane preparation: thin dense crowns, remove deadwood and coconuts, and clear roofs in the dry season, December through May. Don't over-prune: stripped palms and topped trees are weaker, and Miami-Dade treats pruning that destroys a tree as unpermitted removal.
- [Stump grinding in Dallas](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/texas/dallas/stump-grinding/): In Dallas, most stumps are ground 6 to 12 inches below grade, then filled with soil and sodded. Texas law requires an 811 call two business days before grinding; a hired company makes it. City brush pickup won't take stump wood or pieces over 8 inches thick.
- [Emergency tree removal in Houston](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/texas/houston/emergency-tree-removal/): If a tree in Houston is on wires, call CenterPoint Energy at 713-207-2222, not your electricity retailer, and stay 35 feet away. A tree from your yard is yours to have removed. A fallen street right-of-way tree is the city's: file a 311 request.
- [Tree trimming in Denver](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/colorado/denver/tree-trimming/): In Denver, trimming is mostly about getting weak limbs out before wet fall and spring snow. Denver also makes you responsible for pruning the street tree in front of your house, with 13.5 feet of clearance over the street and 8 feet over the sidewalk. Pruning it needs no permit.

## Services by state and county pages

- [Storm damage tree removal in Florida](https://treeremovalservices.net/services/storm-damage-tree-removal/florida/): After a Florida hurricane, get trees off houses, cars and lines first, then deal with leaning and split trees before the next storm. Under Florida Statute 163.045, a city or county can't require a permit, fee or replanting to remove a tree on a single-family lot if an ISA-certified arborist or a Florida licensed landscape architect documents that it poses an unacceptable risk.
- [Emergency tree removal in Texas](https://treeremovalservices.net/services/emergency-tree-removal/texas/): If a tree in Texas is on a power line, call the company that owns the wires, not the retailer on your bill: Oncor, CenterPoint Energy, AEP Texas or TNMP in the deregulated market, or your city utility or co-op elsewhere. Stay at least 35 feet away. A tree from your yard that's on your house is yours to have removed; trees from the street right-of-way are the city's.
- [Dead tree removal in Michigan](https://treeremovalservices.net/services/dead-tree-removal/michigan/): In Michigan, most dead trees near homes were killed by an invasive pest or disease: emerald ash borer, first found in the U.S. near Detroit in 2002, oak wilt in red oaks, and more recently beech leaf disease. Dead trees get brittle and dangerous to climb, so remove them before they fail, and don't cut or wound oaks from April 15 to July 15.
- [Tree trimming in California](https://treeremovalservices.net/services/tree-trimming/california/): In much of California, tree trimming is wildfire prevention. State law (Public Resources Code 4291) requires 100 feet of defensible space around homes in designated fire hazard areas, including removing branches within 10 feet of a chimney. Many cities and counties also protect oaks, so check before heavy pruning, and leave branches near power lines to the utility.
- [Tree removal in Los Angeles County](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/california/counties/los-angeles-county/): In unincorporated Los Angeles County, you need an oak tree permit to remove, cut or even encroach on any oak 8 inches or more in diameter (25 inches around) measured 4.5 feet above the ground. The protected zone runs 5 feet beyond the drip line or 15 feet from the trunk, whichever is greater. Cities in the county, including Los Angeles, have their own tree rules.
- [Tree removal in Miami-Dade County](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/florida/counties/miami-dade-county/): Miami-Dade County protects trees under Chapter 24 of its code, and removing most trees needs a permit from the county or your city. The big exception is Florida Statute 163.045: on a single-family lot, a tree documented by an ISA-certified arborist or Florida licensed landscape architect as an unacceptable risk can be removed without a local permit or replanting. Severe pruning can count as removal.
- [Tree removal in Montgomery County, Maryland](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/maryland/counties/montgomery-county/): In Montgomery County, any tree growing in a street right-of-way is a county-owned tree, and work on it needs a Maryland Roadside Tree Permit plus a county permit, done by a Maryland Licensed Tree Expert. Request inspection, pruning or removal of a county tree through 311. Trees fully on your own lot are yours to manage.
- [Tree removal in Fairfax County, Virginia](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/virginia/counties/fairfax-county/): In Fairfax County, you generally don't need a county permit to remove a tree on your own property. Exceptions: land disturbance over 2,500 square feet needs a permit, HOAs often restrict removals, and timber harvesting is regulated by the state. Trees along most roads are in VDOT's right-of-way, so report those to VDOT at 800-367-7623.
- [Tree removal in Cook County, Illinois](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/illinois/counties/cook-county/): In unincorporated Cook County, removing larger trees from unimproved or partly improved land needs a county Tree Removal Application under the Tree Preservation, Landscaping and Screening Ordinance. Chicago and the suburbs each set their own rules: Chicago's parkway trees belong to the city, and many suburbs require permits even for private trees.
- [Tree removal in King County, Washington](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/washington/counties/king-county/): In unincorporated King County, you need a clearing permit to remove trees in or near a critical area, such as a steep slope, wetland or stream buffer, or on property under urban clearing standards. Clearing more than 7,000 square feet on rural (RA) land, or cutting 5,000 board feet of merchantable timber, also needs a permit. Cities like Seattle, Bellevue and Sammamish have their own tree codes.
- [Tree removal in Broward County, Florida](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/florida/counties/broward-county/): Broward County's Tree Preservation and Abuse Ordinance requires a Tree Removal License to remove or relocate trees 3 inches or more in trunk diameter, except nuisance trees. Companies that trim trees in Broward must hold a county Tree Trimmer License and be overseen by a certified arborist. Many cities run their own programs, and Florida's 163.045 exemption still applies to documented dangerous trees.
- [Tree removal in Palm Beach County, Florida](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/florida/counties/palm-beach-county/): Palm Beach County regulates native vegetation removal through its Unified Land Development Code (Article 14.C), mainly for development: schools, utilities, road right-of-way, large agricultural parcels and projects that go through county development review. A homeowner removing a tree from an existing single-family yard generally deals with their city's rules, HOA, or Florida's 163.045 dangerous-tree exemption instead.
- [Tree removal in Gwinnett County, Georgia](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/georgia/counties/gwinnett-county/): In unincorporated Gwinnett County, homeowners can generally remove trees from their own residential lot without a permit, unless the tree is in a zoning buffer, stream buffer, conservation or open space, the Chattahoochee River Corridor, a designated tree save area, or is a street tree. You must also keep at least two live trees on the lot. Cities in Gwinnett have their own rules.
- [Tree removal in Harris County, Texas](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/texas/counties/harris-county/): Much of Harris County is unincorporated, served by precincts, MUDs and HOAs rather than a city. There, tree rules usually come from deed restrictions and HOAs rather than a county permit, while Houston and the other cities enforce their own codes. After hurricanes, county precincts collect storm debris placed on the easement in unincorporated subdivisions.
- [Tree trimming in Houston](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/texas/houston/tree-trimming/): In Houston, the main reason to trim is to get trees through hurricane season: thin dense crowns, remove deadwood and reduce limbs over roofs in winter and spring, before June 1. Trimming a tree on city property or the street right-of-way needs a city permit; trees on your own lot don't. Leave branches near lines to CenterPoint.
- [Hazardous tree removal in Houston](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/texas/houston/hazardous-tree-removal/): In Houston, the trees most likely to fail are aging water oaks with internal decay, tall pines on waterlogged clay, and weak-wooded Chinese tallow. A new lean, mushrooms at the base, a large dead limb or a crack in the trunk all mean the tree should be assessed and often removed before hurricane season. Right-of-way trees go through the city.
- [Stump grinding in Houston](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/texas/houston/stump-grinding/): In Houston, most stumps are ground 6 to 12 inches below grade, then the grindings are removed and the hole backfilled with soil for new St. Augustine sod. Texas law requires an 811 call at least two business days before grinding; a hired company makes it. Grind tallow and other sprouting stumps deep, and expect wet clay to slow the job after rain.
- [Emergency tree removal in Miami](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/florida/miami/emergency-tree-removal/): If a tree in Miami falls on a power line, stay back and call FPL and 911. A tree from your yard on your house is yours to have removed right away; deal with permits afterward with photos and, ideally, an arborist's documentation. Trees from the swale or right-of-way belong to the city or county, so report them before paying anyone.
- [Stump grinding in Miami](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/florida/miami/stump-grinding/): Stump grinding in Miami is shaped by the limestone just under the soil: grinders often hit rock within inches, so the depth you can reach is limited. Call Sunshine 811 before grinding, grind ficus stumps and roots thoroughly because they resprout and invade pipes, and fill the hole with soil, not chips, on small lots.
- [Dead tree removal in Chicago](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/illinois/chicago/dead-tree-removal/): In Chicago, dead parkway trees belong to the city: request removal through 311, and the Bureau of Forestry prioritizes dead and damaged trees. Dead trees in your yard are yours to remove, and most are ash killed by emerald ash borer. Dead ash become brittle fast, so remove them before they drop limbs on garages, alleys and neighbors.
- [Emergency tree removal in Chicago](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/illinois/chicago/emergency-tree-removal/): If a tree in Chicago is on a power line, stay away and call ComEd and 911. A fallen parkway tree is the city's: report it to 311. A tree from your own yard on your house, garage or car is yours to have removed, and most Chicago emergencies come from summer derechos and downbursts or winter ice on silver maples and dead ash.
- [Hazardous tree removal in Atlanta](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/georgia/atlanta/hazardous-tree-removal/): In the City of Atlanta, even a dead or hazardous tree 6 inches in diameter or larger on private property needs a permit from the Arborist Division before removal, though dead and hazardous trees are handled differently from healthy ones. In a true emergency, contact the city as soon as you can and document everything. Aging water and red oaks and tall pines cause most hazards.
- [Tree trimming in Dallas](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/texas/dallas/tree-trimming/): In Dallas, trim oaks outside February through June and paint every oak cut right away, because oak wilt spreads through fresh wounds. Other trees can be pruned year-round. Thin pecans and cedar elms to reduce ice and wind breakage, prune weak Bradford pear forks or plan to replace them, and leave lines to Oncor.
- [Emergency tree removal in Atlanta](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/georgia/atlanta/emergency-tree-removal/): If a tree in Atlanta lands on your house or a power line, safety comes first: get people out of the affected rooms, call 911 for injuries or fire and Georgia Power for any line, then have the tree removed. Atlanta requires a permit for trees 6 inches and larger, even dead ones, but has an emergency process, so contact the Arborist Division as soon as you can and keep photos.
- [Tree trimming in Atlanta](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/georgia/atlanta/tree-trimming/): In Atlanta, good trimming keeps big in-town oaks safe for longer: remove deadwood, reduce heavy limbs over roofs and thin dense crowns. Be careful with heavy cuts, because Atlanta's ordinance requires a permit to injure a protected tree, not just to remove one; light, standard pruning doesn't count, but topping or severe cutting can. Leave limbs near lines to Georgia Power.
- [Stump grinding in Atlanta](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/georgia/atlanta/stump-grinding/): In Atlanta, stump grinding usually follows a permitted removal, so plan it around the replacement trees the city may require. Contact Georgia 811 before grinding, expect red clay to be sticky after rain, and ask how the grinder will reach stumps on steep or narrow in-town lots. Grind sweetgum and oak surface roots where they're a trip hazard.
- [Storm damage tree removal in Dallas](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/texas/dallas/storm-damage-tree-removal/): Dallas storm damage comes in three forms: spring hail and downbursts that strip and snap limbs, tornadoes like October 2019's that wreck whole blocks, and ice storms like February 2021 and 2023 that split cedar elms and live oaks. Clear trees on houses and lines first, then hangers and split trees. Oncor handles anything touching a line.
- [Emergency tree removal in Dallas](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/texas/dallas/emergency-tree-removal/): If a tree in Dallas falls on power lines, call Oncor at 888-313-4747 and 911 for sparks, and stay well back; your retail electric provider can't help. A tree from your yard on your house is yours to have removed right away. In alley-served neighborhoods, lines often run along the back of the lot, so tell the tree company before they arrive.
- [Hazardous tree removal in Orlando](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/florida/orlando/hazardous-tree-removal/): In Orlando, the most common hazardous tree is an aging laurel oak: fast-growing mid-century trees that decay from the inside after 50 to 70 years and fail in storms. The city regulates removal of trees 6 inches and larger, but on a single-family lot, Florida's §163.045 lets you remove a tree an ISA-certified arborist documents as an unacceptable risk without a city permit.
- [Tree trimming in Tampa](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/florida/tampa/tree-trimming/): Tampa is one of the few Florida cities that regulates pruning, not just removal: pruning a tree 24 inches DBH or larger needs a city permit. That covers many of the grand live oaks people want thinned before hurricane season, so plan ahead. Smaller trees can be pruned without a permit; leave lines to TECO.
- [Hurricane and storm tree damage in Tampa](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/florida/tampa/storm-damage-tree-removal/): After a hurricane in Tampa, clear trees on houses and TECO lines first, then hangers and leaning trees. Tampa's permit rules still apply to damaged trees, but a tree an ISA-certified arborist documents as an unacceptable risk on a single-family lot can be removed without a permit under Florida law. Watch surge-flooded trees for salt damage over the following months.
- [Hazardous tree removal in Jacksonville](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/florida/jacksonville/hazardous-tree-removal/): In Jacksonville, the trees most likely to fail are aging laurel and water oaks with internal decay and tall pines weakened by lightning and beetles. Owners of an occupied single-family home on a lot that can't be subdivided can remove trees after getting an exemption permit, and Florida's §163.045 exempts trees an arborist documents as dangerous.
- [Hurricane and storm tree damage in New Orleans](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/louisiana/new-orleans/storm-damage-tree-removal/): After a hurricane in New Orleans, clear trees on houses and lines first. Trees on neutral grounds, sidewalks and other public property belong to the city: don't cut them without written approval from the Department of Parks and Parkways. Trees in your yard are yours. Waterlogged ground and termite-hollowed trunks make post-storm trees less stable than they look.
- [Tornado and storm tree damage in Nashville](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/tennessee/nashville/storm-damage-tree-removal/): Nashville has had two destructive tornadoes in four years, in March 2020 and December 2023, and severe thunderstorms in between. After a storm, clear trees on houses and NES lines first, then split, twisted and leaning trees. Thin soil over limestone means trees uproot easily in saturated ground. Right-of-way trees need Metro Urban Forestry approval.
- [Hazardous tree removal in Charlotte](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/north-carolina/charlotte/hazardous-tree-removal/): Charlotte's signature willow oaks, many planted around a century ago in Myers Park, Dilworth and Eastover, are now declining, and decay and limb drop make them the city's most common hazard trees. On an existing single-family lot, removing a private tree generally needs no city permit, but street trees in the right-of-way are the city's, so confirm ownership first.
- [Storm damage tree removal in Raleigh](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/north-carolina/raleigh/storm-damage-tree-removal/): Raleigh storm damage comes mostly from ice storms that snap tall loblolly pines and hardwoods, and tropical storms reaching inland, with Fran in 1996 still the benchmark. Clear trees on houses and lines first. Work affecting right-of-way trees needs a city Tree Impact Permit; private trees on single-family lots generally don't.
- [Tree trimming in Chicago](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/illinois/chicago/tree-trimming/): In Chicago, the parkway tree between the sidewalk and curb is city property: request trimming through 311 and the Bureau of Forestry handles it. Trees in your yard are yours to prune, and the usual jobs are silver maples and Callery pears over garages, alleys and service drops. Late winter is a good time for structural pruning; lines along the alley are ComEd's.
- [Storm damage tree removal in Chicago](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/illinois/chicago/storm-damage-tree-removal/): Chicago's worst tree storms are summer derechos and downbursts, like August 2020's, which uprooted and split trees across the city and suburbs. After a storm, report fallen parkway trees to 311, call ComEd for lines, and have private trees on garages and houses removed first. Split silver maples and dead ash are the usual casualties.
- [Dead tree removal in Houston](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/texas/houston/dead-tree-removal/): Most dead trees in Houston yards are loblolly pines killed by bark beetles after drought or storm stress, water oaks that reached the end of their life, or trees that declined after root damage. Dead trees get brittle quickly in Houston's heat and humidity, so remove them before hurricane season. No city permit is needed on your own residential lot.
- [Hazardous tree removal in Miami](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/florida/miami/hazardous-tree-removal/): In Miami, the hazard trees are usually overgrown ficus and black olives with heavy crowns on shallow roots over limestone, mahogany with failing limbs, and palms with damaged trunks. Miami-Dade exempts non-specimen trees (under 18 inches) in single-family yards from its removal permit, and Florida's §163.045 lets you remove any dangerous residential tree with an arborist's documentation.
- [Dead tree removal in Philadelphia](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/pennsylvania/philadelphia/dead-tree-removal/): In Philadelphia, a dead street tree is the city's job: Parks & Recreation's Street Tree Management Division removes dead or hazardous street trees free of charge, so report it rather than paying a contractor. Dead trees in your backyard are yours, and in rowhouse blocks they're usually removed piece by piece and carried out through the house or lifted over it.
- [Emergency tree removal in New York City](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/new-york/new-york-city/emergency-tree-removal/): If a street tree falls on your car, house or the sidewalk in New York City, report it to 311; street trees are city property, and cutting one without an NYC Parks permit can mean fines. Trees in your backyard are yours, and emergency removals there usually mean rigging pieces down and carrying them out through the house or lifting them by crane.
- [Storm damage tree removal in Boston](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/massachusetts/boston/storm-damage-tree-removal/): Boston's tree damage comes mostly from nor'easters and heavy wet snow, which break Norway maples and split Callery pears. After a storm, report fallen street trees to the city, since they're public shade trees under Massachusetts law, call Eversource for lines, and have private trees on houses removed first. Triple-decker lots mean most private cleanup is rigged and carried out.
- [Hazardous tree removal in Seattle](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/washington/seattle/hazardous-tree-removal/): In Seattle, most hazardous trees are tall Douglas-firs or bigleaf maples with root rot, decay or a new lean, and they fail during October–March windstorms on saturated soil. Since July 2023, most private trees 6 inches and larger need an SDCI permit to remove, but hazardous trees have their own documented process. Steep slopes add environmentally critical area rules.
- [Emergency tree removal in Denver](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/colorado/denver/emergency-tree-removal/): Most Denver tree emergencies happen when heavy, wet snow lands on trees still in leaf in fall or spring and limbs break onto houses, cars and Xcel Energy lines. Call Xcel and 911 for anything on a line. Anyone you pay to do tree work in Denver must hold a city tree license, even in an emergency, and right-of-way trees need a City Forester permit.
- [Tree trimming in Phoenix](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/arizona/phoenix/tree-trimming/): In Phoenix, trim to get trees through the monsoon (June 15–September 30): lightly thin dense mesquite and palo verde crowns in spring so wind passes through. Don't over-prune: stripping interior branches (lion-tailing) concentrates weight at branch tips, and exposing bark in 110°F summers causes sunscald. Palms need dead fronds and fruit removed.
- [Tree and palm trimming in Los Angeles](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/california/los-angeles/tree-trimming/): In Los Angeles, most trimming is palms (dead fronds are a fire and falling hazard) and pruning before Santa Ana wind and fire season. Protected native trees, including oaks, sycamores, black walnut and bay laurel 4 inches and up, need an Urban Forestry permit for harmful work, so avoid heavy cuts on them. Parkway trees are the city's.
- [Storm damage tree removal in Sacramento](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/california/sacramento/storm-damage-tree-removal/): Sacramento's tree storms are winter atmospheric rivers: days of heavy rain followed by wind, which uproots big trees on saturated soil, as in January 2023. Clear trees on houses and SMUD lines first. Protected trees, native oaks and others 12 inches and up, and any tree 24 inches or more on commercial or apartment property, still need city permits outside a true emergency.
- [Tree trimming in Minneapolis](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/minnesota/minneapolis/tree-trimming/): In Minneapolis, don't prune oaks from April through July, when oak wilt spreads through fresh wounds. Boulevard trees between the curb and sidewalk belong to the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, and significant pruning on them needs MPRB permission. Winter is the best time to trim most trees here: frozen ground, bare branches and no oak wilt risk.
- [Dead tree removal in Detroit](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/michigan/detroit/dead-tree-removal/): Many dead trees in Detroit are ash left from the first U.S. emerald ash borer outbreak or neglected volunteers on vacant lots. Before paying for removal, check the city's Dead, Dangerous and Diseased Tree Program: residents can request an inspection of a qualifying private-property tree, and the city schedules a contractor to trim or remove it. Your own unwanted trees need no city permit.
- [Ice storm and storm tree damage in Tulsa](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/oklahoma/tulsa/storm-damage-tree-removal/): Ice is Tulsa's biggest tree threat: the December 2007 ice storm left about 3 million cubic yards of debris and took 18 months to clean up. Spring tornadoes and straight-line winds add more. Unlike many cities, Tulsa makes property owners responsible for trees in the right-of-way next to their property, including removing damaged ones after a storm.
- [Emergency tree removal in Memphis](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/tennessee/memphis/emergency-tree-removal/): If a tree in Memphis falls on a power line, call MLGW and 911 and stay away; MLGW's contract crews handle trees endangering lines. A tree from your yard on your house is yours to have removed. Memphis emergencies come from summer derechos, like the 2003 "Hurricane Elvis," and ice storms, like February 2023's, often involving aging Midtown oaks.
- [Storm damage tree removal in Kansas City](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/missouri/kansas-city/storm-damage-tree-removal/): Kansas City trees take winter ice and spring and summer wind, hail and tornadoes. Ice splits silver maples, pears and elms onto lines; spring storms uproot trees on rain-softened clay. After a storm, call Evergy for lines and report right-of-way trees to KC Parks Forestry, which must authorize work on them. Trees on your lot are yours.
- [Tree removal in Travis County, Texas](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/texas/counties/travis-county/): Outside Austin's city limits, Travis County homeowners deal with the same Hill Country trees without Austin's protected-tree permits, but with the same oak wilt and ice. After Winter Storm Mara in February 2023, the county collected storm debris curbside in unincorporated areas. Oak wilt disease centers in western Travis County make pruning timing and wound paint essential, and Texas A&M Forest Service offers cost-share for suppression.
- [Tree removal in Maricopa County, Arizona](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/arizona/counties/maricopa-county/): In Maricopa County, the main rule on tree removal is the Arizona Native Plant Law: protected natives like palo verde, mesquite and ironwood need notice to the Arizona Department of Agriculture before they're destroyed. Other private yard trees generally need no permit. Once a tree grows within 10 feet of SRP's lines, it's SRP's to prune; APS serves other parts of the Valley. Monsoon storms cause most emergencies.
- [Tree removal in Hillsborough County, Florida](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/florida/counties/hillsborough-county/): In unincorporated Hillsborough County, removing a tree may need a county permit under the Land Development Code, and grand oaks, native oaks 34 inches DBH or larger, can't be removed without administrative authorization and replacement. Even pruning a grand oak requires a certified arborist's pruning affidavit filed with Natural Resources first. Florida's dangerous-tree exemption still applies on single-family lots.
- [Tree removal in Orange County, Florida](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/florida/counties/orange-county/): In unincorporated Orange County, removing trees from an occupied single-family lot of two acres or less doesn't require a county tree removal permit. Larger and non-residential properties need one, with a tree survey of regulated trees 8 inches DBH and up, and specimen and heritage trees get extra protection under rules updated effective March 15, 2024. Cities like Orlando and Winter Park have their own codes.
- [Ice storm and storm tree damage in Austin](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/texas/austin/storm-damage-tree-removal/): Austin's most damaging tree storms are ice storms: the February 2023 storm split thousands of live oaks and pecans across the city. Clean up broken limbs with clean cuts and paint every oak wound, even in winter, because of oak wilt. Protected trees (19 inches and up) and heritage trees (24 inches and up of listed species) still involve the City Arborist for removal, though storm hazards are handled differently from healthy trees.
- [Hazardous tree removal in San Antonio](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/texas/san-antonio/hazardous-tree-removal/): In San Antonio, hazardous trees are often red oaks killed by oak wilt, live oaks declining in a disease center, drought-stressed trees on thin north-side soils, and decaying hackberries. Lots with completed one- to three-family homes are exempt from the city's tree preservation requirements, so most homeowners don't need a permit, though historic districts can add review.
- [Tree trimming in Fort Worth](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/texas/fort-worth/tree-trimming/): In Fort Worth, careful trimming matters most for native post oaks, which decline after root disturbance, and for live and red oaks, which shouldn't be pruned February through June because of oak wilt. Thin pecans to reduce heavy limbs that break in storms, and after spring hail, prune only what's broken. Trees on city property and rights-of-way are overseen by Park & Recreation.
- [Dead tree removal in Columbus](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/ohio/columbus/dead-tree-removal/): In Columbus, most dead trees are ash killed by emerald ash borer, which moved through Franklin County years ago. A dead street tree between the sidewalk and curb is a public tree: removing it, or even grinding its stump, needs a Forestry permit applied for by an ISA Certified Arborist, whatever its condition. A dead tree entirely on your lot needs no city permit.
- [Storm damage tree removal in Cleveland](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/ohio/cleveland/storm-damage-tree-removal/): Cleveland's storm damage comes from lake-effect snow, especially early-season storms on leafed-out trees east of downtown, and strong winds off Lake Erie. Tree-lawn trees between the sidewalk and street are city-managed, and pruning, removing or grinding them needs an Urban Forestry permit, so report storm damage to them. Private-yard storm cleanup needs no city permit.
- [Hazardous tree removal in Pittsburgh](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/pennsylvania/pittsburgh/hazardous-tree-removal/): In Pittsburgh, hazardous trees are often on steep hillsides, where limited access means climbing, rigging and crane work, and where removing trees and stumps can change how a slope drains and holds after heavy rain. Fast-growing volunteers like tree-of-heaven and black locust lean over houses from vacant lots. Street trees need a DPW permit and ISA Certified Arborist supervision.
- [Tree trimming in St. Louis](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/missouri/st-louis/tree-trimming/): In the City of St. Louis, pruning a city tree, like the street tree in front of your house, needs a Permit to Maintain from the Division of Forestry, issued only to tree services with an ISA Certified Arborist on staff. Trees on your own lot need no permit. Common pruning jobs are silver maples over alleys and garages and pin oaks with yellowing, declining crowns.
- [Dead tree removal in Milwaukee](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/wisconsin/milwaukee/dead-tree-removal/): In Milwaukee, dead yard trees are usually ash killed by emerald ash borer or oaks lost to oak wilt. Boulevard and street trees are the city's: Forestry Services inspects them on a five-year cycle and handles removals and stump grinding, so report dead ones. Dead trees in your yard are yours, and winter is a good time to take them down.
- [Tree trimming in Louisville](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/kentucky/louisville/tree-trimming/): In Louisville Metro, pruning a tree in the public right-of-way, including the green verge between sidewalk and street, generally needs an Urban Forestry permit through Metro311, but not for pruning less than 10% of the canopy or for visibility, pedestrian or traffic clearance. Trees on your own lot need no permit. Prune silver maples and pears before ice season.
- [Tree trimming in Charleston](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/south-carolina/charleston/tree-trimming/): In Charleston, trimming is mostly about getting grand live oaks through hurricane season: thin dense crowns, remove deadwood and reduce long limbs over roofs in winter and spring. Grand trees, 24 inches and larger except pines and sweetgums, can't be removed without city approval, so pruning well is how most owners manage them. Palmettos need only fully brown fronds removed.
- [Tornado and storm tree damage in Birmingham](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/alabama/birmingham/storm-damage-tree-removal/): Birmingham's worst tree damage comes from tornadoes, like the April 27, 2011 outbreak that tore through Pratt City. After a storm, clear trees on houses and lines first, then twisted and split survivors. Steep ridge lots around Red Mountain and Shades Mountain complicate access, and right-of-way trees go to the city's Horticulture and Urban Forestry Division.
- [Tree and mangrove trimming in Fort Lauderdale](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/florida/fort-lauderdale/tree-trimming/): In Fort Lauderdale, trimming covers palms and dense shade trees before hurricane season and, on canal lots, mangroves, which follow state rules: homeowners may trim riparian mangroves up to 10 feet tall to no lower than 6 feet; those 10 to 24 feet need a professional mangrove trimmer, and taller ones need a permit. Broward requires tree trimmers to be county-licensed.
- [Hazardous tree removal in San Diego](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/california/san-diego/hazardous-tree-removal/): In San Diego, the most common hazard trees are large eucalyptus with heavy limbs prone to sudden failure, and Canary Island date palms killed by the South American palm weevil, which become falling hazards. Santa Ana winds topple old eucalyptus and pines, and canyon-edge homes need fire-safe trees. Street trees need a city permit through Get It Done.
- [Monsoon tree damage in Tucson](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal/arizona/tucson/storm-damage-tree-removal/): In Tucson, most storm damage comes during the monsoon, mid-June through September, when microbursts snap or topple mesquite, palo verde and non-native shade trees. Over-watered trees with shallow roots go over most easily. Call TEP for anything on a line, and keep trees at least 10 feet from power lines. Removing a damaged tree from an existing home's yard generally needs no city permit.

## Tree problems

- [A tree fell on my house](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-problems/tree-fell-on-house/): Get everyone out of the damaged part of the house. Call 911 if anyone is hurt, you smell gas, or a power line is down. Shut off gas and electricity only if it's safe to reach them. Photograph the damage from a safe distance, call your insurer, then call a tree service for emergency removal. Don't try to cut or move the tree yourself.
- [A tree is leaning toward my house](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-problems/tree-leaning-toward-house/): A lean that has been there for years, with the trunk curving back upward, is usually the tree's natural growth and not an emergency. A lean that's new or getting worse, especially with cracked or lifted soil on the side away from the lean, means the roots are failing. Keep people out of the area and get it assessed right away.
- [There's a dead tree near my house](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-problems/dead-tree-near-house/): If a dead tree is tall enough to reach your house, driveway, a road or a neighbor's property, plan to have it removed soon. Dead wood dries out and loses strength, so dead trees shed limbs and eventually fail, often in the first strong wind. They also get harder and more expensive to remove safely the longer they stand.
- [A fallen tree is blocking my driveway](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-problems/tree-blocking-driveway/): If the tree is touching any wires, stay back and call the utility. If it's blocking a public street, report it to your city or county road department (often through 311). If it's on your property and only blocking your driveway, clearing it is your responsibility. Call a tree service unless it's small, on the ground, not under tension, and you're experienced with a chainsaw.
- [Branches are broken or hanging](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-problems/broken-tree-branches/): A broken branch still caught in the tree (a "hanger") can drop without warning, days or weeks after a storm. Keep people and cars out from under it and have it removed professionally. Broken branches already on the ground and small enough to handle can be cleaned up yourself. Torn stubs left on the tree should be cut back properly so they don't decay.
- [My tree was damaged in a storm](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-problems/storm-damaged-tree/): A storm-damaged tree can usually be saved if the trunk is sound, the main branch unions aren't split, the roots didn't lift, and it lost less than roughly a third of its crown. Trees that uprooted, split down the trunk, or lost most of their crown usually need to come down. Deal with hangers and anything on structures first.
- [Roots are damaging my property](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-problems/tree-roots-damaging-property/): Tree roots commonly lift sidewalks and driveways and enter sewer lines that already have cracks or loose joints. They rarely break a sound foundation directly, but in shrink-swell clay soils large trees can dry the soil and add to foundation movement. Options include root pruning, root barriers, pipe repair and redesigning hardscape. Removal is a last resort, and cutting big roots can make a tree unstable.

## Guides and costs

- [Signs a tree may be dangerous](https://treeremovalservices.net/guides/signs-a-tree-is-dangerous/): A tree becomes dangerous when a defect makes failure likely and something valuable is within reach. The warning signs to look for are large dead branches, cracks or splits in the trunk, mushrooms or conks at the base, cavities, a new or increasing lean, lifted soil, and damaged roots. One sign near your house is reason to get an arborist's opinion.
- [Can a leaning tree be saved?](https://treeremovalservices.net/guides/can-a-leaning-tree-be-saved/): A tree that grew with a lean and has stable roots can often be kept, sometimes with crown reduction to take weight off the leaning side. A large tree whose lean is new, with root-plate movement, usually can't be saved and should be removed. Young trees that tipped in a storm can sometimes be straightened and staked.
- [Who pays when a tree falls? Neighbors, insurance and liability](https://treeremovalservices.net/guides/who-pays-when-a-tree-falls/): In most cases, your own homeowners insurance pays for damage to your property from a falling tree, no matter whose tree it was. That's especially true when the fall is an "act of nature" like wind or ice. The tree's owner is more likely to be liable when they knew, or should have known, that the tree was dead or dangerous and did nothing.
- [Tree removal permits: do you need one?](https://treeremovalservices.net/guides/tree-removal-permits/): Whether you need a tree removal permit depends on where you live; there's no national one. Common triggers are trunk size (often 6 to 24 inches in diameter), protected native species, trees in the street right-of-way, historic districts, and development projects. Some cities regulate nearly every tree; many regulate none on existing single-family lots. Check with your city or county before cutting.
- [How to hire a tree service](https://treeremovalservices.net/guides/how-to-hire-a-tree-service/): Get at least two written quotes. Verify liability and workers' compensation insurance directly with the insurer. Ask whether an ISA Certified Arborist is involved, and make sure the quote spells out exactly what's included: cleanup, wood, stump, and permits. Walk away from anyone who wants full payment up front, suggests topping, or climbs healthy trees with spikes for pruning.
- [What to do about trees after a storm](https://treeremovalservices.net/guides/what-to-do-after-a-storm/): Start with safety: treat every downed line as live, and look up for hanging branches before walking under trees. Then triage. First, trees on structures, lines or blocking exits. Next, hangers and split trees near where people walk. Last, everything else. Photograph damage before cleanup, check whether your city runs storm-debris pickup, and be careful who you hire.
- [Preparing trees for hurricane season](https://treeremovalservices.net/guides/preparing-trees-for-hurricane-season/): Prepare trees in the months before hurricane season (June 1 in the Atlantic): remove dead wood and hangers, have weak or decayed trees near the house assessed, and have dense crowns structurally pruned by a qualified arborist. Don't top trees or strip palms. Over-pruned trees fail more, not less.
- [Tree trimming vs. pruning: is there a difference?](https://treeremovalservices.net/guides/tree-trimming-vs-pruning/): In everyday use there's no real difference. Most people and most tree companies use the words interchangeably. When a distinction is made, "trimming" usually means shaping hedges and small trees for appearance, and "pruning" means selective removal of branches for a tree's health, safety or structure. What matters is the stated objective and whether the cuts follow the ANSI A300 standard.
- [What happens after a tree is removed?](https://treeremovalservices.net/guides/what-happens-after-a-tree-is-removed/): After a tree is removed, you're left with a stump cut a few inches above ground, the root system underground, and usually some lawn wear. Most people grind the stump, fill the hole with topsoil, and reseed or re-sod. Roots decay over several years, which can cause slight settling. Replant a few feet away from the old stump for best results.
- [When should a dead tree be removed?](https://treeremovalservices.net/guides/when-should-a-dead-tree-be-removed/): Remove a dead tree as soon as practical if it could hit a house, driveway, road, play area, fence or a neighbor's property. Dead wood gets brittle quickly, and the longer a dead tree stands, the more dangerous and expensive it is to take down. A dead tree far from anything people use can be left as wildlife habitat.
- [Stump grinding vs. stump removal: which do you need?](https://treeremovalservices.net/guides/stump-grinding-vs-stump-removal/): For most yards, stump grinding is enough: a machine chips the stump to 6 to 12 inches or more below grade and the roots decay in place. Full stump removal digs out the stump and main roots, leaving a large hole; it's mainly needed when you're building, paving or installing a pool where the stump was.
- [Tree near power lines: what to do and who to call](https://treeremovalservices.net/guides/tree-near-power-lines/): If a tree or limb is touching a power line, stay away, treat the line as live and call your electric utility, or 911 if there are sparks or fire. Utilities clear trees from their primary lines; the service drop from the pole to your house is often the owner's responsibility to keep clear. Only line-clearance-qualified workers may work close to energized lines.
- [How tree risk assessments work](https://treeremovalservices.net/guides/how-tree-risk-assessments-work/): A tree risk assessment is an arborist's structured evaluation of how likely a tree is to fail, what it would hit, and how bad that would be. Most assessments are visual from the ground; advanced ones add tools like resistance drilling or sonic tomography. The result is a risk rating and recommendations: prune, monitor, cable or remove.
- [Preparing trees for wildfire season](https://treeremovalservices.net/guides/preparing-trees-for-wildfire/): Wildfire-ready trees are about keeping fire from reaching your house: clear the first 5 feet around the house of anything burnable, remove dead trees and branches, prune lower limbs so fire can't climb into crowns, space canopies apart and keep branches off the roof and away from chimneys. In California, 100 feet of defensible space is required in designated fire hazard areas.
- [Can storm-damaged trees recover?](https://treeremovalservices.net/guides/can-storm-damaged-trees-recover/): Many storm-damaged trees recover if the trunk is sound, the roots are anchored and at least half the crown remains. Broken limbs can be pruned back to sound wood, and hail-stripped trees usually releaf. Trees with split trunks, lifted root plates, or more than half the crown lost are usually removal candidates.
- [Tree removal cost: what sets the price](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-removal-cost/): Tree removal cost depends mostly on the tree's size, what it could hit, and how equipment can reach it. A small tree in an open yard is a short job. A large tree over a house, taken down in rigged sections or with a crane, can cost many times more. Stump grinding, wood hauling and permits are often priced separately.
- [Tree trimming cost: what sets the price](https://treeremovalservices.net/tree-trimming-cost/): Tree trimming cost depends on the tree's height, the type of pruning (removing deadwood is quicker than detailed structural work), how the crew reaches the canopy, and how many trees are done in one visit. Work near power lines requires specially qualified crews or the utility itself.
- [Stump grinding cost: what sets the price](https://treeremovalservices.net/stump-grinding-cost/): Stump grinding is commonly priced by stump diameter at ground level, with adjustments for hard wood, surface roots, access, and how deep you want it ground. Hauling the chips away and backfilling with soil are often extra. Several stumps in one visit usually cost less per stump.
- [Emergency tree removal cost: what changes](https://treeremovalservices.net/emergency-tree-removal-cost/): Emergency tree removal usually costs more than planned removal because the work is slower and riskier (trees resting on structures, under tension, or tangled in lines), often needs a crane, and happens when demand spikes after storms or outside normal hours. When a tree falls on a covered structure, homeowners insurance commonly covers removal up to a limit.