Frequently Asked Questions

National guides put most removals between about $200 and $2,000, with Angi listing $150 to $450 for trees up to 30 feet and $450 to $1,200 for trees 30 to 60 feet. Access is the biggest variable around Joliet: a tree over a house on a narrow east side lot costs more than the same tree at the back of an open subdivision yard. We give a written price after seeing it.

It depends on where the tree stands. Parkway trees, in the strip between the sidewalk and the curb, are City of Joliet property, and the city's Forestry Division (815-724-3650) handles their removal; residents should not cut them. The city's forestry pages do not describe a permit for removing a tree on your own lot, and the city says it does not remove private or alley trees. Two other things can apply: a homeowners association, since many west side subdivisions have landscape rules, and the city's Historic Preservation Commission, which reviews exterior changes to designated local landmarks. We raise all of this at the visit.

If the ash stands where it could hit the house, the garage, a fence or the street, taking it down while the wood is still sound is usually safer and simpler. Emerald ash borer kills ash over a few years, and dead ash becomes brittle, so a routine climb can turn into a lift or crane job. Some healthy, valuable ash can be protected with insecticide treatment instead; we tell you which situation your tree is in.

Late fall through winter. Oak wilt spreads through fresh wounds when sap beetles are active, and the common guidance for the Midwest is to avoid cutting oaks from April through October. If an oak is dangerous in summer, it comes down anyway, and fresh cuts are sealed right away.

Get everyone out of the damaged part of the house, stay clear of any downed lines, and call ComEd if wires are involved. Then call (779) 324-4241 to leave details and photos. Take pictures for your insurance claim before anything is moved if it is safe to do so.

Branches touching an energized line are a job for ComEd's crews, not a tree company working for a homeowner. Do not touch the tree or try to pull limbs off the wire. Once the line is clear or switched off, we can remove the rest of the tree and clean up.

Get a written quote that lists each tree, the cleanup and whether the stump is included. Ask for a certificate of liability insurance and workers' compensation sent straight from the insurer, and if the job involves judging whether a tree is safe, ask whether an ISA Certified Arborist will look at it; that credential can be checked on the International Society of Arboriculture's website.

Yes. We can leave logs in rounds, cut them to firewood length, or haul everything away. Burn firewood close to where it was cut, since moving it spreads pests like emerald ash borer.

Joliet's yard waste goes out with your regular trash day during the collection season. Branches have to be tied in bundles no longer than 4 feet and no heavier than 50 pounds, with no piece over 3 inches thick, or placed in 32-gallon Yard Waste Only cans or paper yard waste bags; loose brush is left behind. Whole trees, stumps, big limbs and dirt are not part of weekly pickup, and the city points residents to Will County's Land Use Division at 815-727-8834 for those. When we do a removal, hauling the wood is a line on the quote.

A small tree in an open yard can be done in an hour or two. A large tree over a house on a tight lot can take most of a day, sometimes more if a crane is needed. The quote gives you an idea of the time involved.

Not always. Many backyard trees on Joliet's older lots are removed with climbers and ropes, and brush is carried or dragged to a chipper on the street or in the driveway. If a lift or a loader is needed, we plan the route with you and protect the lawn where we can.

Some disturbance is normal where logs land or equipment rolls. We lower pieces instead of dropping them near beds, use mats on soft ground, and avoid wet spring weeks for non-urgent jobs. Ruts on clay soil are the main thing we try to prevent.

Yes, if it is on your property and no local or HOA rule says otherwise. We will mention it if pruning could solve the problem for less, but it is your decision.

Only if you want it. The stump is listed separately on the quote so you can choose to grind it now, later, or not at all.

Yes, call (779) 324-4241 any time to leave details, your address and what was hit. After large storms calls are handled in order of danger, with trees on occupied homes first.

Often when it falls on a covered structure such as the house or garage, depending on your policy. A tree that falls in the yard without hitting anything is often not covered. Call your insurer, and we give you an itemized invoice to send them.

Not while the line is energized. Call ComEd first; their crews clear lines. Once the line is safe, we remove the rest of the tree and clean up.

If it could fall on the house, a car, a sidewalk or the street, treat it as urgent. A split trunk rarely heals in a way that makes it sound again. If it leans away from everything, it can usually wait a few days for a planned removal.

Small limbs on the lawn, maybe. Anything bent, pinned, resting on a structure or near wires is dangerous to cut, because wood under tension can spring back. Leave those to a crew with rigging.

Usually not after an ordinary storm. The city's Roadways Division clears limbs that fall from parkway trees and private debris that blocks a street or alley, but wood that falls in your yard is yours to cut and bundle for yard waste pickup. After a major storm, when the city declares an Emergency Event, crews may collect debris that residents move to the parkway for a set number of days. Large trunks and stumps are never part of curbside pickup, which is why hauling is a separate line on our quotes.

Often, yes. Dead wood breaks unpredictably, so the work goes slower, and a lift or crane may be needed. Angi notes poor tree health can add up to about 15%. Removing a tree soon after it dies keeps the cost down.

Possibly, if it is still mostly healthy. Insecticide treatment, repeated on a schedule, can protect valuable ash. Once a large share of the crown is gone, treatment rarely brings it back, and removal is the safer path.

In late spring, compare it with similar trees nearby. A tree with no leaves when its neighbors have leafed out, bark falling off in sheets, or twigs that snap dry instead of bending is likely dead. A light scratch on a twig showing brown instead of green under the bark is another clue.

Talk to your neighbor first, since the tree is theirs to remove. If it stands in the parkway between the sidewalk and the curb, it is a city tree: report it to Joliet's Forestry Division at 815-724-3650, and the city will inspect it and schedule removal. We can look at a private tree and give the owner a written quote.

It means Joliet's Forestry Division has put that parkway ash on its removal list; the number reflects the trunk's circumference, and the color means nothing. The city warns that with so many infested ash, removal can take five to seven years after marking. If you would rather keep a healthy parkway ash, the city allows residents to treat it at their own cost with a permit, but Forestry must tag it for non-removal first and wants receipts each year the treatment is repeated. Ash in your own yard is a separate matter, and we can tell you whether it is still worth treating.

The crane and its operator cost money by the hour or day, and setup takes time. On the right tree, though, a crane can cut the job time sharply and reduce the risk of damage, so the total difference may be smaller than expected.

We set up on the street where possible and use pads under the outriggers to spread the load. If the driveway is the only spot, we look at it first and talk with you about the risk before scheduling.

Some street use can need city permission, and rules vary by town. We check what the City of Joliet or your village requires before the job is scheduled.

Usually, if the crane can set up close enough on the street or driveway. Reach depends on the crane and the weight of the pieces. We measure during the estimate visit.

Young trees benefit from structural pruning every few years while they grow. Mature shade trees often do well with a pruning every three to five years, or after storm damage. Trees over roofs may need clearance work more often.

People use the words interchangeably. Some use trimming for clearance and shaping cuts and pruning for work aimed at the tree's health and structure. Either way, cuts should follow the ANSI A300 standard.

In general you can trim branches back to your property line, but the work should not kill or seriously damage the tree. Talking with your neighbor first avoids disputes. We keep cuts at sound branch points, not ragged stubs at the fence line.

Fresh wounds on oaks attract the sap beetles that spread oak wilt, which can kill red oaks within weeks. Waiting until late fall or winter greatly lowers that risk.

No. Topping leaves large stubs that decay and triggers dense, weakly attached sprouts. Crown reduction, cutting limbs back to strong side branches, makes a tree smaller while keeping it sound.

HomeGuide puts most stumps at about $2 to $6 per inch of diameter, with a first stump at about $120 to $400 and each additional stump around $30 to $60. Large hardwood stumps and tight access cost more. We price each stump in writing after measuring it.

Not quite. Grinding takes the stump down below the surface and leaves the deeper roots to rot in place. Full removal pulls out the stump and root ball, which leaves a big hole and is rarely needed for a lawn or garden bed.

Yes, locates are required before digging in Illinois, and grinding goes underground. We make sure lines are marked through JULIE before starting, and ask you about private lines that utilities do not mark.

Right away, once grindings are removed and topsoil is added. Grass seed does better in soil than in fresh wood chips. Expect some settling as the leftover roots break down.

Plan on no. The city lists stumps and dirt among the things weekly yard waste pickup does not take, and grindings are mostly wood chips mixed with soil. Most people keep some as mulch or fill. If you want them gone, hauling is priced as its own line on the estimate.