Climber roped into a large oak beside a brick house, cut rounds stacked on plywood on the lawn

03 · Tree Removal

Tree removal in Nashville for dead, leaning and in-the-way trees

We take down “trees of all sizes … from the cut to the cleanup.” The method depends on the tree, what’s under it, and what you want done with the stump.

Call (615) 209-7643 or send the estimate form

Keep it or take it down

A tree is worth a second look when the crown is full of dead wood, mushrooms or shelf fungus grow at the base, the lean has changed since last year, bark is falling away in sheets, or the soil on one side has heaved up. Any one of these can mean rot or root failure. Dead, diseased and risky trees are the ones to deal with before a storm makes the decision for you.

A healthy tree in the way of a driveway, an addition or a sunny garden is a different call. Nothing is wrong with it, so the only question is whether the project needs that spot. Sometimes shifting the driveway a few feet saves an old oak. Sometimes it doesn’t.

Felled whole or taken down in sections

With open ground around it, a tree can be felled in one piece. A notch is cut on the side it should fall toward, a back cut from the other side leaves a strip of wood as a hinge, and the hinge steers the tree down along the line of the notch. Then it’s limbed and cut into lengths on the ground.

Near a house, a fence, a shed or service lines there’s no room to drop it. The tree comes down from the top in pieces: limbs first, then the trunk in sections, each piece cut and lowered on a rope or swung clear. It takes longer and costs more, and it’s how a big tree beside a house comes out without touching the roof.

The stump: ground down or dug out

Grinding chews the stump down below the surface and leaves the roots to rot in place. It’s quick, and it’s right for a lawn or a bed where you just want the stump gone. Pulling the stump and its root ball leaves a hole to backfill, and it’s the choice when a slab, a driveway or a foundation is going over that spot.

Trees on land headed for development

If the lot is being developed, Metro Nashville’s tree density rules can apply. Under BL2018-1416, in effect since September 2019, the required density stays at 14 trees per acre for one- and two-family residential and rises from 14 to 22 per acre for multifamily and non-residential sites. On those projects, which trees come down is settled with the site plan before anyone cuts.

For one tree in an established yard, what applies depends on the property, and we won’t guess at it here. Ask at the estimate and we’ll talk it through.

What this covers

Trees of all sizes
Dead, diseased or risky trees
Cut to cleanup

Talk it through

(615) 209-7643

Free, no-obligation estimates. You get the schedule before the work starts.

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Answers

Questions about tree removal

Why is tree removal so expensive?

Most of the cost is labor and risk. A tall tree that can be felled in one piece across open ground costs far less than the same tree beside a house, where it has to come down in sections lowered by rope. Trunk size, rot, nearby power lines, equipment access, the stump and hauling the wood all add to the price.

Can you remove a large tree that is close to my house?

Yes. A large tree next to a house is taken down from the top in sections, with limbs and trunk pieces lowered on ropes or swung clear instead of dropped. It is slower than felling a tree whole, and the rigging is planned around the roof, the gutters, the windows and anything else under the canopy.

How can I tell if a tree is dangerous?

Look for dead branches through the crown, mushrooms or shelf fungus at the base, cracks or cavities in the trunk, a lean that has gotten worse, and soil lifting on one side of the roots. Any of these can point to decay or root failure. A tree showing them over a house, a driveway or a play area should be looked at soon.

What is the difference between stump grinding and stump removal?

Grinding cuts the stump down below ground level and leaves the roots to decay where they are. Removal pulls the stump out with its root ball and leaves a hole to fill. Grinding suits lawns and garden beds. Removal is the choice when a driveway, a slab or a foundation will be built over the spot.

Is winter a good time to take down a tree?

Often, yes. With the leaves off, the branch structure is easy to see and the pieces are lighter to rig and lower. Frozen or dry winter ground also carries equipment across a lawn with less rutting. A dead or hazardous tree should not wait for a season, though; it should come down when the problem is found.

Is it worth paying to have a stump removed?

It is when the stump is in the way. A stump left in a lawn gets mowed around for years, can send up sprouts, and slowly rots into a soft hollow. If the spot will hold a patio, a driveway or a building, the stump has to go. At the edge of the woods, leaving it costs nothing.

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