Which trees need to come down
Most people who call us already know. The tree is dead, or half of it is. It leans further over the garage every year. A big limb came off in the last storm and now you look at the rest of it differently. Or it is healthy and you need the space: for solar, an addition, a septic system, a lawn that finally gets sun.
The ones people are unsure about are usually these:
- White pines that have outgrown the yard. They are the tallest trees in most Bolton and Stow neighborhoods, they shed limbs in wet snow, and they snap rather than bend in a windstorm.
- Oaks and maples with dead tops, mushrooms at the base, or bark falling off in sheets. The rot you can see is usually less than the rot you cannot.
- Ash trees. Emerald ash borer has been through most of Worcester and Middlesex County. A dead ash gets brittle fast, which makes it more dangerous and more expensive to remove the longer it stands.
- Trees with two trunks that meet in a tight V. That joint is where they split.
If you are not sure, ask for a tree inspection. Adam will tell you which ones need to go now and which can wait, and customers say so in their reviews: he does not sell work that is not needed.
How we take a tree down beside a house
In an open field you notch a tree and drop it. Almost nothing we do is in an open field. Most of our removals are a few feet from a roof, a fence, a pool, a septic field or the service wire to the house, so the tree comes down in pieces.
A climber goes up on ropes and spikes, takes the limbs off from the bottom up, then works back down the trunk cutting it into sections. Pieces over anything breakable are tied off and lowered on a rope by the ground crew instead of dropped. Where a truck can reach, the bucket truck does the same job faster. For the biggest trees over houses we bring the crane, which lifts each section straight up and sets it down by the chipper. That is its own page: crane tree removal.
“The crew was excellent, taking both down without touching the wire lines or arborvitae trees that were right next to the trees.”
Your lawn, and the cleanup
Before equipment crosses grass, plywood goes down. Wood is carried or lifted out, not dragged. Brush goes through the chipper, logs go on the truck, and the yard is raked and blown off before anyone leaves. If you want to keep firewood, tell us the length and where to stack it. If you want the chips for garden beds, we will leave them where you point.
“Good price, efficient and did a good job preserving new grass in the backyard without leaving holes. Laid boards down to avoid tearing up the lawn removing the wood as well.”
What tree removal costs
Four things set the price: how big the tree is, what is underneath it, how close a truck can get, and whether the wood is staying or going. A small ornamental in the front yard and a 90 foot pine hanging over a roof are not the same job, and nobody can price either one honestly from a phone call.
So the estimate is in person, and it is free. Adam looks at the tree, tells you how he would take it down, and gives you a number on the spot. If you have several trees, ask for them priced together. Bringing the crew and the equipment once is cheaper than bringing them three times, and that saving is yours.
Questions about tree removal
Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Bolton?
For a tree entirely on your own land, usually no. A tree in the strip along a public road is a public shade tree under Massachusetts law and belongs to the town Tree Warden's decision, not yours. Trees close to wetlands, ponds or streams can need a sign off from the Conservation Commission. We will flag it if your tree looks like one of those.
The tree is on the property line. Who pays?
If the trunk straddles the line, both owners own it and both should agree before it comes down. If the trunk is on your side, it is yours. We are happy to talk to your neighbor with you. It often ends with both yards getting work done the same day.
Can you take down a tree near power lines?
The service wire from the pole to your house, yes, we work around those all the time. For trees in contact with the main lines along the street, the utility has to be involved first. Call us and we will tell you which one you have.
Is the stump included?
Removal leaves a low stump. Stump grinding is priced separately so you only pay for it if you want it. Most people have it done the same visit.
How many trees can you do in a day?
It depends on the trees. One customer in Boylston had about fifty problem trees removed from a back yard. Another had seven large ones down in six hours with no damage to the fence. Tell us what you have and we will tell you how long it takes.