How a crane removal works
The crane sets up in the driveway or on the street, on pads that spread its weight. The climber goes up the tree and rigs a sling around the section to be cut. The crane operator takes up the weight of that section before the saw touches it. The climber makes the cut, and the piece does not fall: it lifts, swings clear of the roof and comes down next to the chipper, where the ground crew takes it apart.
Then the climber moves down and does it again. A pine that would take most of a day to rope down in small pieces comes out in a few large ones, and nothing ever passes over your house on a rope.
When a tree needs the crane, and when it does not
The crane earns its place on four kinds of job:
- Large trees directly over a house, a pool, a deck or a septic field, with no open ground to lower wood into.
- Dead and badly rotted trees that are not safe to climb or to load with rigging.
- Storm damaged trees lying on a structure, where cutting them in place would drop more weight onto the roof.
- Back yards with no equipment access, where the crane can reach over the house from the street.
On a tree with room around it, a good climber or the bucket truck is just as safe and costs you less, and that is what we will recommend. Adam prices the job both ways if it is close.
“They have a crane, but only use it when needed to keep costs down.”
“They safely removed two enormous trees that were very close to our house using a crane, and the entire job was completed quickly with impressive precision.”
What we need from your property
A place to stand the crane, usually the driveway or the edge of the road. Cars moved out the night before. The crane stays off septic tanks, leach fields and buried lines, so if you know where yours are, point them out at the estimate. If the setup has to be in the street, we will tell you up front whether your town wants a police detail for it.
Questions about crane removals
Does a crane make the job more expensive?
The crane has a cost, and it also cuts the hours on site. On a large tree over a house it is often the cheaper way to do the job as well as the safer one. On a tree with open ground around it, it is not, and we will not bring it.
Will the crane damage my driveway?
The outriggers sit on wide pads that spread the load. Tell us if the driveway is new, is pavers, or has a culvert or tank under it, and we will set up somewhere else.
How long does a crane removal take?
Most single large trees are down and cleaned up in well under a day. Several big pines in one yard is usually still a one day job with the crane.
Can you reach a tree in my back yard from the street?
Often, yes. It depends on the distance and the weight of the pieces. Adam measures it at the estimate.