Most calls we get start with some version of the same sentence: "I'm worried about a tree in my yard." The worry is almost always warranted, but the conclusion isn't always removal. Sometimes the tree just needs pruning. Sometimes it needs to come down yesterday. Knowing the difference can save you a few thousand dollars in either direction.
Signs that usually mean removal
- The tree is more than 50% dead. Once a hardwood is half-gone, the remaining structure is rarely worth the cost of trying to save it.
- Major fungal conks at the base. Solid woody mushrooms on the trunk or root flare are a sign of internal decay. Some species (oaks especially) can hold up structurally for years; others (maples, ash) cannot.
- A new lean that wasn't there last year. Trees naturally lean. Sudden lean is different — it means root failure.
- Vertical splits in the trunk. Especially on co-dominant trunks where two leaders rub. These rarely heal.
- Root damage from construction. Trenching, grade changes, or soil compaction within the drip line can kill a mature tree slowly over 3–5 years.
- Significant lean toward a structure with no way to anchor the failure direction. Sometimes removal is just the cheapest insurance.
Signs that look bad but usually aren't fatal
- Surface scars from a lawnmower or string trimmer. Cosmetic in most cases. Mulch the root zone and protect from future damage.
- A few dead branches in an otherwise healthy canopy. Normal — it's what pruning fixes.
- Holes in the trunk where birds nest. Often cosmetic on otherwise solid wood. We'd want to look, but don't panic.
- Leaves dropping in mid-summer. Could be drought stress, leaf scorch, or anthracnose — almost always recoverable.
- One side of the canopy thinner than the other. Could be light competition or selective dieback. Often correctable with pruning.
If you're going to spend money one way or the other, get the estimate. A free, honest estimate is the cheapest information you can buy — and we'd rather tell you to keep the tree than to take it down if keeping it is the right answer.
What we look at on the visit
When we walk a property, we check the trunk (decay, cavities, scars, splits), the root flare (heave, fungal bodies, soil compaction), the canopy (deadwood percentage, structural balance, signs of disease), and the target below — what would the tree hit if it failed, and how badly? A 60-foot oak with 30% deadwood standing over an open backyard is a very different conversation than the same tree standing over a child's bedroom.
Removal isn't the default recommendation. But when it's the right one, we'll tell you — and we'll explain why.
