When a tree should come down
Most trees are worth keeping. Removal makes sense when the tree has become a real risk or a real problem. These are the situations we hear about most around Big Rapids:
- The tree is dead or mostly dead. No leaves in June, bark sloughing off in sheets, or mushrooms growing at the base are all signs the wood is decaying from the inside.
- It is leaning more than it used to. A tree that has always leaned is usually fine. A tree that has started leaning, especially with cracked or heaved soil on the opposite side, is not.
- It split in a storm. Ice, wet snow and summer wind regularly split maples and Bradford-type pears in Mecosta County. A split trunk rarely heals well enough to trust.
- It is an ash tree. Emerald ash borer has killed ash trees across Michigan. Dead ash becomes brittle quickly, which makes it more dangerous and more expensive to take down the longer it stands.
- Roots are lifting the driveway or foundation, or the tree is growing into the roof, a chimney or the service line.
- You are building. A garage, pole barn, addition or new drive often means one or two trees have to go first.
How tree removal works
- Estimate. We walk the property, looks at the tree, what is under it and how equipment can reach it. You get a firm price, not a range, once we've seen it.
- Taking it down. Open-yard trees can often be felled in one piece. Trees over a house, garage or power line are taken down in sections, with limbs roped and lowered. Very large or tight removals may use a crane or bucket truck.
- Cleanup. Brush is chipped or hauled. You can usually choose whether the wood is hauled away, cut to firewood length and left, or left in log lengths for you to split.
- The stump. Most removals leave a stump a few inches above grade. Grinding it below the surface is usually a separate line item — see stump grinding.
What affects the price of a removal
Every quote comes down to time, risk and equipment. The biggest factors:
- Size. Height and trunk diameter drive almost everything else.
- What it could hit. A tree in an open field costs far less than the same tree leaning over a roof.
- Access. Can a truck, chipper or lift get to it, or does everything have to be carried out by hand?
- Condition. Dead and brittle wood can't be climbed safely, which can mean a lift or crane.
- Cleanup choice. Leaving the wood on site is cheaper than hauling it.
For typical price ranges, see our tree service cost guide for Big Rapids.
Trees near power lines
If a tree is touching or leaning on a power line, stay away from it and call the utility first. Around Big Rapids that is usually Consumers Energy or Great Lakes Energy, depending on where you live. We can work near the service line to your house, but the high-voltage lines along the road belong to the utility.
Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Big Rapids?
A tree on your own property generally does not need a permit. Trees in the strip between the sidewalk and the street in the City of Big Rapids are typically city trees — check with the city before touching those. If you are in a lake association or a community like Canadian Lakes, check your association's rules as well.
Questions about tree removal
How long does a tree removal take?
A small to medium tree in an open yard is often done in a few hours. A large tree over a house, done in sections, can take most of a day. Stump grinding is usually quick once the tree is down.
Will tree removal damage my lawn?
Some marks from equipment are normal, especially in spring when the ground is soft. We'll talk through how to protect your lawn at the estimate — ground mats, or waiting for firmer ground when that makes sense.
Can I keep the firewood?
Usually, yes. Ask for the wood to be cut to stove length and left on site. That often lowers the price because there is less to haul.
Is it cheaper to remove a tree in winter?
Sometimes. Frozen ground makes it easier to get equipment in without rutting the yard, and scheduling is easier outside of storm season.