Frequently Asked Questions

The biggest factors are the tree's height, what it would hit if it fell, the slope and access, and whether the wood is sound. National guides from HomeAdvisor and HomeGuide put most single-tree removals between about $150 and $2,000, Homeyou puts a typical medium tree in Chattanooga at about $492 to $671, and HomeAdvisor notes a tricky location can add 25% to 50%, which describes many hillside lots here. We give a written price after seeing the tree.

For a tree clearly on your own lot, yes. Chattanooga's 2025 tree ordinance says it does not stop homeowners from removing trees on private property, including backyards; its replanting rules aim at new development. A tree on city property or in the public right-of-way is different: removing or disturbing it needs a Tree Ordinance Permit from the city's Urban Forestry staff. A shared tree also needs your neighbor's agreement, and many subdivisions have their own HOA rules. We point out any of those situations when we visit.

Stay away from the tree and the wire, and call EPB, which runs the electric system for most of Chattanooga. Once EPB has made the line safe, we can cut up and remove the rest of the tree and clean up the yard.

It may have hemlock woolly adelgid. Turn a branch over and look for small white tufts like cotton at the base of the needles. Infested hemlocks can often be treated with a systemic insecticide such as imidacloprid, which can protect a tree for several years, but a tree that has already lost most of its needles may be past saving. We can look at it and tell you which side of that line it is on.

Late winter, while most hardwoods are dormant, is a good time for structural pruning: the branches are easy to see and the cuts have all of spring to start closing. Spring-flowering trees such as dogwoods and redbuds are best pruned right after they bloom. Dead or broken limbs over a house or driveway should come off whenever you find them.

We can include stump grinding on the same quote as the removal and do both on the same visit, or come back later if you would rather wait. Grinding is listed as its own line so you can decide.

Ask for a written quote that lists each tree, the cleanup and whether the stump is included. Ask for a current certificate of liability insurance and workers' compensation coverage sent from the insurer. If the question is whether a tree is healthy or safe, ask whether an ISA Certified Arborist will look at it; you can check that credential on the International Society of Arboriculture's website.

National guides put a tree up to 30 feet at about $150 to $450 and a 30 to 60 foot tree at about $450 to $1,200 (HomeAdvisor), with 60 to 80 foot trees around $850 to $2,000 (HomeGuide). Slopes and tight access push prices up, and HomeAdvisor says a tricky location can add 25% to 50%. We give a written price after seeing the tree.

Yes. Most removals near houses are done in sections from the top down, with limbs and logs lowered on ropes. For a very large tree hanging over a house, lifting sections out with a crane is sometimes the safest option.

White, popcorn-like lumps of pitch on a pine are a common sign of southern pine beetle attack. A tree with many fresh tubes and fading needles is usually beyond saving, and removing it promptly can help protect nearby pines. A single old tube on an otherwise healthy tree may not mean much; we can look at it with you.

That is usually a question for your homeowner's insurance company, and the answer often depends on whether the tree was healthy before it fell. We can remove the tree and give you a written, itemized invoice to send to your insurer.

Only if you want it to be. Stump grinding is a separate line on the quote so you can choose to grind it the same day, later, or leave it.

As a general rule, mature trees should lose only a modest share of their live canopy in one pruning, often cited as no more than about a quarter. Removing too much at once stresses the tree and triggers weak sprouts. Dead wood does not count against that limit.

Almost never. Topping cuts main stems back to stubs, and the tree responds with fast, weakly attached sprouts that break easily, while the large wounds invite decay. Reducing a tree's height properly means cutting back to a lateral branch big enough to take over, which is a slower, more careful job.

Late winter suits most hardwoods for structural pruning. Spring-flowering trees such as dogwood and redbud are best pruned right after they bloom. Dead or broken branches can be removed any time, and should be if they hang over a house or driveway.

Homeowners can generally trim branches that cross onto their side of the line, as long as the work does not harm or kill the tree. It is courteous, and wiser, to talk with your neighbor first. Cutting too much from one side of a tree can unbalance it, so we prune those limbs back to proper cut points.

It helps. Removing dead wood, shortening long heavy limbs and correcting weak forks reduces the parts most likely to fail in wind or wet snow. No pruning makes a tree storm-proof, but it lowers the odds of a limb on your roof.

Not quite. Grinding chews the stump and upper roots into chips below the surface and leaves the deeper roots to rot in place. Full stump removal pulls the stump and root ball out of the ground, which leaves a large hole and disturbs much more of the yard. For most yards, grinding does the job.

For lawn, a few inches below grade is usually enough. If you want to plant a tree or set a patio in the same spot, we grind deeper and remove larger surface roots. Tell us what the spot will become and we grind to suit it.

It is a good idea. Tennessee 811 marks public utility lines at no charge before digging, and a grinder works below the soil surface. Private lines such as irrigation and lighting are not marked, so show us where yours are.

Pine stumps will not. Some hardwoods, such as sweetgum, maple and Callery pear, may push up root sprouts for a season or two. Mowing or clipping them as they appear usually wears out the roots.

Rake out most of the chips and fill the hole with topsoil first. Fresh wood chips break down slowly and tie up nitrogen in the soil, so grass seeded straight into them tends to struggle. Expect to add a little soil as the spot settles.

Call EPB, which runs the electric system for most of Chattanooga, and stay well away from the tree and the wire. The utility makes the line safe; once it has, we can remove the tree and clean up.

Often, when a tree damages a covered structure such as the house, a garage or a fence, though limits and deductibles vary. A tree that falls in the yard without hitting anything is often not covered. Check your policy or call your agent; we provide an itemized invoice either way.

You can call (423) 206-3918 any time to leave details about a storm-damaged tree. We will get back to you, and calls are worked in order of danger. If anyone is hurt or a line is down, call 911 or EPB first.

A tree lying flat on open ground is a reasonable chainsaw job for an experienced owner. A tree on a house, bent under another tree, split at the base or touching a wire stores energy that can release suddenly, and those are the jobs that injure people. Leave those to a tree crew.

Have dead limbs removed, long heavy limbs over the house shortened and weak forks checked, especially on Bradford pears and large trees close to the house. Pines that are leaning, thin or showing pitch tubes are worth a look, since stressed pines are both weaker and more attractive to bark beetles.

Often, if it still has most of its needles. Systemic insecticides such as imidacloprid, applied to the soil or injected into the trunk, can protect a hemlock for several years. A hemlock that has lost most of its foliage usually cannot recover, and if it stands near a house or path it may need to be removed.

White, popcorn-like lumps of resin on the bark are pitch tubes, a common sign of southern pine beetle or other bark beetle attack. Many fresh tubes plus fading needles usually mean the tree is dying. One or two old tubes on a healthy tree may mean the tree fought the beetles off.

It can be, if it is healthy, valuable to you and still has most of its crown. Systemic treatments last one to three years depending on the product, so it is an ongoing cost. Ash that has already lost a large part of its crown is usually better removed while the wood is sound.

Yes. Buyers often want to know whether big trees near the house are sound before closing, especially on wooded or hillside lots. Tell us what you need it for, and we will look at the trees and tell you what we see.

Mushrooms or shelf-like conks at the base or on the trunk usually mean wood decay inside. How far it has gone matters, and that takes a closer look. A tree with decay at the base that leans toward a house or street deserves prompt attention.

No. Cutting removes the vines and lets you see the ground, but kudzu regrows from its root crowns. Mowing every month or two through the growing season, digging out crowns, or herbicide in summer and early fall are needed for a few seasons to wear it out.

For ordinary yard work on your own lot, usually not. Chattanooga's tree ordinance says it does not stop homeowners from removing trees on private property. Development is another matter: a building project must account for 36 inches of tree caliper per acre, and the Tree Ordinance Permit is often handled along with a land disturbing permit. Any tree on city property needs a permit too. Outside the city, check with your town or county before clearing for construction.

Yes, and on most residential lots we recommend it. We flag the trees worth keeping first, then remove brush, vines and weak or dead trees around them, taking care not to damage the keepers' trunks and roots.

If you are not grading, stumps can be ground below the surface so the ground can be mowed or planted. If a builder will grade the site, it is often better to leave stumps for the grading contractor to pull. We plan this with you before the job.