Hazardous, leaning and dangerous tree removal

Most of the calls in this category start the same way. Something changed. The lean got worse over a winter, a big limb came out of the crown on a still day, the ground on one side of the trunk lifted, or a tree that has always been there suddenly has bark falling off it. People tend to wait, partly because they hope it settles and partly because the first company they called did not want the job.

A compromised tree is a different job from a healthy one and it gets treated as one. We look at where the weight is now rather than where it was, whether the root plate has moved, whether the trunk is sound where we would need to rig off it, and what is inside the fall zone. Sometimes the answer is that the tree has to come out and the only safe way is from a bucket or with a crane rather than from a climbing line, because nobody should be tied into a stem we do not trust.

Dead and dying trees are their own problem. A dead conifer that has stood for two seasons is brittle in a way a live one is not, and pieces let go without warning. Those come down in smaller sections than a live tree would, worked from outside the stem wherever we can, and the drop zone is kept bigger than it looks like it needs to be.

We are honest when a tree does not need to come out. Not everything that looks alarming is dangerous, and a tree that has always leaned is often fine. If reducing the end weight, taking the deadwood out or clearing the target underneath solves it, we will say so, even though it is a smaller job for us. What we will not do is tell you a tree is safe when we cannot see inside it. Nobody honest can promise a tree will never fail.

There are jobs we turn down, and we say so at the estimate rather than on the day. Work we cannot reach safely with the equipment it needs, sites where the access does not allow a controlled take down, and anything that would require a permit we do not have. If that is your situation we will explain why and what would have to change. Estimates are free, and if the tree is worrying you enough to read this page, call and get somebody to look at it.

Time matters more on these than on ordinary work. A tree that has started moving does not go back, and every wind event between now and the day it comes out is another roll of the dice. If you have something you are genuinely worried about, call or text and tell us what you are looking at. We reply fast, usually the same day, and we will tell you honestly whether it sounds like something that should wait for a scheduled visit or something somebody should come and look at sooner.

The other thing worth knowing is what a difficult removal actually needs. A tree that has to come out over a house, off a slope or out of a back garden with no access is a planned operation with the right equipment on site, not a crew turning up with saws and improvising. That is what we quote and that is what turns up. It is also why we would rather turn a job down than take one on with equipment that does not suit it.