Crane Tree Removal in Joliet, IL

Crane tree removal is for the trees that cannot come down any other way safely. Picture a 70-foot silver maple behind an 1890s house near the bluff, with a detached garage on one side, a neighbor's porch on the other and no way for a lift to reach it. A climber could take it apart, but every big piece would have to be lowered past roofs and wires. With a crane, the climber ties each section to the crane's line before cutting it, and the crane lifts it up and over the house to the street or driveway, where it is cut up and chipped. Nothing swings into the house and nothing drops on the yard.

When a crane is the right call

• The tree is very large and leans over the house or garage.
• The tree is dead or decayed, and climbers should spend as little time in it as possible.
• A backyard has no gate or path wide enough for a lift.
• A storm has left a trunk lying on a roof, and it needs to be lifted off rather than dragged.
• The ground is too soft or the yard too delicate for heavy machines.

It is not needed for most trees. A crane adds cost, and on many jobs a skilled climber with ropes can do the work just as safely. We recommend a crane only when it is the safer method or when it saves enough time to offset its cost.

Setting up on Joliet streets

A crane needs a solid, level spot close enough to reach the tree, usually the street, the driveway or an alley. On narrow streets in the older east side neighborhoods, that may mean parking the crane in the road for part of the day. Some work in the street can require permission from the City of Joliet, and we check what applies before the job is scheduled. We also look for overhead wires between the crane and the tree, and plan the lift path to stay clear of them; anything near ComEd lines may need the utility involved.

What happens on the day

The crane sets up and extends its outriggers on pads. A climber goes up the tree, or rides the crane's basket where the tree is too weak to climb. Each section is rigged to the crane line, cut free and swung away. The size of each pick depends on the crane's capacity at that reach, so the crew keeps sections within safe weights. On the ground, a second crew cuts the pieces down and feeds brush to the chipper. A tree that would take a full day or more to remove by climbing alone can sometimes be done in a few hours.

Protecting the yard

Because pieces are lifted out instead of dropped, a crane job usually leaves the lawn, beds and fences under the tree untouched. The crane itself stays on pavement where possible, with pads under the outriggers to spread the load. If we need to set up on a driveway, we check it first and talk with you about any risk to it.