Tree trimming and pruning in Georgetown, on the oak wilt calendar
Good pruning makes a tree safer in ice, healthier in drought and better-looking all year; bad pruning — topping, lion-tailing, oaks cut in April — does the opposite. We do the first kind, to the ANSI A300 standard, and we know which month it is.
Trees in Georgetown get pruned for four reasons: to take dead wood out before it falls on someone, to raise and clear the canopy off the roof, the driveway and the service drop, to reduce end weight on the long flat live oak leaders that fail in ice, and to give a young tree the structure that will keep it out of trouble for fifty years. Every one of those is a set of specific cuts — at the branch collar, never flush, never a stub, never more than the tree can seal — made by a climber or a bucket operator who knows what a live oak's included-bark fork looks like from the inside.
What we won't do is top a tree, lion-tail a live oak (stripping the interior so only tufts of foliage remain at the ends, which makes ice failure more likely, not less), or cut an oak between February and June. Oak wilt is active in Williamson County; the beetles that carry it are drawn to fresh wounds in exactly those months, and a single April pruning cut can cost you a live oak grove. We schedule oak work from July through January, paint every cut on every oak the minute it's made — storm damage in March included — and sterilize tools between trees. Crape myrtles don't get knuckled either; they get a proper thinning.
What's included
Crown cleaning
Dead, diseased, crossing and rubbing limbs removed so wind and ice move through the canopy.
Clearance pruning
Canopy raised off the roof, gutters, driveway and sidewalk; service-drop clearance with GUS coordination.
End-weight reduction
Long live oak and pecan leaders shortened back to a lateral so they carry ice and wind.
Structural pruning
Young live oaks, cedar elms, Shumard and chinquapin oaks trained to one leader and good spacing.
Oak wilt protocol
Oaks pruned July–January only, every cut painted immediately, tools sterilized between trees.
Cleanup
Brush chipped, wood hauled or left, lawn raked, driveway blown.
Tree trimming & pruning cost in Georgetown, TX
| Job | Typical price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Small ornamental or crape myrtle | $150 – $400 | Proper thinning, never knuckled |
| Medium tree crown cleaning (25–45 ft) | $450 – $1,100 | Every 3–5 years |
| Large live oak or pecan (50–70 ft), full prune | $900 – $2,400 | Painted cuts, July–January |
| Roof, gutter or driveway clearance | $300 – $900 | Per tree |
| Ice-load reduction on a spreading live oak | $700 – $1,900 | End weight off the long leaders |
| Structural pruning, young tree | $120 – $300 | Best money you'll spend on a tree |
These are 2026 Williamson County ranges so you can budget. Your written price is itemized — removal, rigging or crane, hauling, stump grinding, any permit paperwork — and good for 30 days.
Recent work
Questions we get about tree trimming & pruning
When is the best time to trim trees in Georgetown?
Oaks: July through January, never February through June, because of oak wilt. Everything else: most pruning is best in the dormant season, but deadwood and clearance can be done any time. Crape myrtles in late winter. Storm damage whenever it happens — on an oak we paint the cuts immediately and do the shaping later in the safe window.
Do you really paint every cut on an oak?
Yes, every one, every month of the year, within minutes. It's the Texas A&M Forest Service recommendation and it's the cheapest oak wilt insurance there is. Any tree company that prunes your live oak in spring and leaves the cuts bare is gambling with your trees and your neighbors'.
Do you top trees?
No. Topping leaves stubs that rot, forces weak sprouts that break in ice, and shortens the tree's life. A tree that's too tall for its spot gets reduced properly to laterals, or replaced. If a company offers to top your live oak, hire someone else.
Can you trim branches near the power line?
Near your service drop, yes — Georgetown Utility Systems doesn't prune branches touching the drop to your meter, but they'll disconnect or relocate it on request so we can. Anything within ten feet of GUS's primary distribution lines is theirs, on a three-year cycle; call 512-930-3640 and they'll clear it.
How often should a live oak be pruned?
A mature live oak, every three to five years for deadwood and end weight; a young one, every two or three years for structure until it's established. More often than that is usually a sign someone is selling you pruning you don't need.