Some trees need a haircut. Some need to go.
If you’re reading this page, you probably already know which kind you’ve got.
Signs it’s time
You don’t need an arborist’s degree to spot most of these. You just need to go stand in the yard and look up.
- It’s leaning, and the lean is new.
- There’s a big crack or split where the trunk forks.
- It’s an ash and the top third has no leaves in July.
- Mushrooms are growing out of the base. That’s rot, and rot doesn’t get better.
- Big limbs are hanging over the roof, the driveway, or the neighbor’s pool.
- The roots are heaving the driveway or getting into the sewer line.
One of these is worth a look. Two or three, call somebody.
What a removal actually involves
Taking down a tree in an open field is simple. Taking one down in a Syracuse backyard, eight feet from the house, with a power drop running through it, is not. That’s where good crews earn their money.
Depending on the spot, a crew might climb it and take it down a piece at a time, lowering each section on ropes. They might use a bucket truck. For the really big ones with no room to drop anything, some companies bring in a crane. You don’t have to pick the method. That’s their call, and it’s a big part of what you’re paying for.
Most crews haul the wood and brush away. Some leave the firewood if you ask. The stump is usually a separate line on the quote. Stump grinding is worth asking about while they’re already there.
Getting a fair price
Price depends on the tree’s size, what it’s near, how the crew can get to it, and how much cleanup there is. Nobody can give you an honest number over the phone without seeing it. Be suspicious of anyone who tries.
What we do is get a local crew to your house to look at it. You get a real quote, in writing, before anybody starts a saw.
Questions people ask
Can you tell me what my removal will cost?
Not honestly, not without someone seeing the tree. Size, location, access and cleanup all change the price. The crew we connect you with will look at it and give you a written quote.
Will they take the stump out too?
Stump grinding is usually priced separately. Ask for it on the same quote. It’s cheaper to do while the crew is already there.
The tree is on the property line. Whose problem is it?
Usually whoever owns the land the trunk sits on. If it’s in the strip by the street, it may belong to the city, town or village. Sort that out before anyone cuts.
Can they do it in winter?
Yes. Plenty of crews work all winter, and frozen ground can actually make it easier to get equipment into the yard without tearing up the lawn.
Tree’s got to go? Let’s get somebody out to look at it.
More: Stump grinding · Storm damage · Trimming instead · Get a quote
Syracuse Tree Pros is a free referral service. We connect homeowners with independent, insured local tree service companies. We don’t perform tree work ourselves, and the crew you’re connected with sets its own prices and is responsible for its own work.