Tree service questions, answered short
Insurance, arborists, permits, oak wilt, prices, storms, stumps. Brief answers below. If yours isn't here, call.
Do you charge for an estimate?
No. The site visit and the itemized written price are free, and the price holds for 30 days. A written arborist report, for oak wilt or for the city, an HOA or an insurer, has a small fee. It's credited toward any work.
What does a removal usually cost?
Small tree: $300 to $800. Medium tree on an open lot: $700 to $1,800. Big pecan, elm or live oak over a house: $1,800 to $4,500. With a crane: $3,000 to $8,000. A dead post oak costs more than a living tree its size, because no one can climb it. You get the price in writing on site.
Is a deposit required?
Not before you approve the written price and the job is on the schedule. Most home jobs get paid once the work is done.
Are you licensed? Insured?
Texas has no license for tree services, so insurance is the real question. Our crews carry general liability and workers' compensation written for tree work. The certificate reaches you before work starts. Ask every company for the same thing.
Is there a certified arborist?
Yes. An ISA Certified Arborist looks at every tree that needs a judgment call. The same arborist writes any risk assessment, oak wilt evaluation or letter that the city, an HOA or an insurer asks for.
Will I need a permit in Georgetown?
For some trees. Heritage Trees need a Tree Removal Permit on any lot in the city or ETJ. That's 13 species, among them pecan, live oak, cedar elm and post oak, at 26 inches or more across at 4½ feet. Smaller trees on a single-family lot need nothing. Lots platted before February 13, 2007 are exempt. So are dead trees that a certified arborist confirms. We measure and check before any cut.
What months do you prune oaks?
July to January only. February through June is when oak wilt spreads, so we stay off oaks then. Each oak cut gets painted as soon as it's made, in any month. Limbs broken by storms get cut and painted whenever the storm hits.
Will you top my tree?
No. Topping wrecks a tree and makes it more dangerous within a few years. A topped live oak turns into a mop of weak shoots that snap in the next ice storm. Instead, we prune to ANSI A300, reduce end weight the right way, cable, or advise removal.
Is my post oak worth saving?
Sometimes. If it has lost under a third of its crown, and one bad summer caused the decline, try deep watering, mulch, and no root disturbance. If half the crown or more is dead from the top down, it's a removal. Sooner is better. Dead post oak turns brittle fast.
Where do the wood and debris go?
Chipped on site and hauled off. Or left as chips or firewood rounds, if you'd like. Oak and pecan burn well. If the tree came out because of oak wilt, we'll say so. That wood must be covered or burned by spring.
Do you grind stumps too?
Yes. After a call to Texas 811, we go 8 to 12 inches below grade where the limestone allows, chase the roots and backfill the hole. Priced per inch. West of I-35 the rock sometimes stops us shallower, and we'll tell you if it does.
What about power lines?
Close to your service drop, yes. Georgetown Utility Systems will disconnect or drop the line when we need to work near it. Anything within ten feet of GUS primary lines is the utility's job. Call them at (512) 930-3640 and they'll take care of it.
After a storm, how quickly can you come?
When a tree is on a house or blocking a driveway, usually within hours, at any time. After a county-wide event like the 2023 ice storm, we triage. Structures and driveways come first, then hangers, then yard cleanup.
Do you deal with insurance?
We hand you what the adjuster asks for: photos, an itemized invoice and a written description of the hazard. We don't bill insurers directly. We don't waive deductibles.
Do you work in Sun City?
Every week. It's 4,750 acres of live oaks and plenty of ball moss, and we know the HOA's rules. We also work in Leander, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Hutto, Liberty Hill, Taylor, Jarrell, Florence, Weir and Walburg.