Local Tree Service in Johnson City, TN

Why trees around Johnson City end up too close to the house

Most of the housing here isn't old, but the trees around it have had time to grow. The median home was built in 1983. Nearly two-thirds of the city's homes went up after 1970, and the biggest building wave was the 1980s. A tree that stood a sensible distance from the roofline when the house was new may be hanging over it now.

Most homes are single-family houses, with apartments and mobile homes mixed in. Over a mobile home or an apartment carport there's little room to drop anything and more to damage underneath, which a backyard tree rarely has.

Seasonal temperature swings add stress to limbs that were already weak. Moisture in the ground also changes through the year in ways that affect foundations, so when a large tree stands close to a house we look at the ground and roots near the foundation as well as the canopy.

The work we take on

Most of what we do is removing trees that are dead, leaning, or too close to a structure, and pruning or taking down damaged limbs before they come down on their own. Some jobs are a single limb over a garage. Others are a whole tree taken down piece by piece because a fence, a roof and a neighbor's yard are all within reach.

We also clear lots of brush, overgrowth and trees that have to go so a property can be built on or used again. When a storm drops a tree or a big limb on something, call us. The first questions we ask are what was hit and whether anyone is at risk.

Not every tree needs us. A tree that looks rough but is healthy and sound can often stay, and sometimes pruning is the right answer instead of removal. If the damage is to the roof once the limb is off, that's a roofer's job, not ours.

Do you have to grind the stump and keep the wood?

No. Whether to grind the stump depends on what you plan to do with the spot. If you're replanting, building or just want grass, grind it so you're not mowing around a knee-high obstacle. If it's tucked in a back corner where nobody walks, it can wait, and we'll say so.

The logs are the other leftover. If you want them for your own stove or fire pit, tell us when we walk the site so we know what gets hauled and what stays.

Apartment grounds, rentals and commercial lots

We work on commercial and rental properties as well as single-family lots. On apartment grounds the trees sit near parked cars, walkways and buildings other people use, so alongside the usual look at the tree we plan how to keep the area clear while the cutting is going on.

If you manage a property, you'll get the quote in a form you can hand to an owner or board for approval: what's being cut, what's being hauled, what happens to the stumps, and what the site looks like when we leave.

How we check a tree before we quote

Before we quote anything we walk the site. We note overhead lines, damaged limbs, how much the tree leans, nearby structures, traffic and unstable ground. Next we look at the tree's health and structure, because that tells us whether it can take a climber, rigging lines or the load of cutting. From the street a tree can look solid and still be hollow or cracked. If it is, we may not put anyone in it and will reach it another way.

The job then goes in order. We decide how the tree comes down or gets pruned, set up around whatever's in the way, do the cutting and rigging, and clear the debris. Sometimes dead wood or a weak union shows up once we're in the canopy. Any change to the plan gets explained to you first.

We try to avoid the quick cut that takes off the obvious problem and leaves the cause. Taking off a single hanging limb is a reasonable job on a sound tree. If the tree itself is failing, trimming the limb just buys a few months.

What does tree work cost, and is a permit needed?

Several things about the tree and the site build the price. Size and height matter, as does how close it is to the house or power lines, whether we can get equipment to it or have to climb and lower pieces by rope, how much wood has to be hauled, and whether you want the stump ground. A leaning tree over a roof costs more than a tidy one in an open yard because it takes more care and more rigging. We confirm the exact number after we've seen the job, and you have it in writing before we start. Stump and wood arrangements go in that same quote, so there's nothing to argue about afterward.

Whether a permit or inspection applies depends on the property and the kind of work. We raise it when we walk the site, and anything that applies goes into the quote so it doesn't surprise you later.

What to do first

Take a photo or two from where you can see the whole tree, and note what concerns you: a dead limb, a lean, a crack, roots lifting near the foundation. If it looks like it could drop something, keep people and cars out from under it. That's all you need to do.

Then call. We'll ask where the tree is, how big it is, what's near it and what you've noticed, then arrange a visit to look at it in person. The call costs nothing and doesn't commit you to a job. You don't have to decide on removal, pruning or stump grinding on that call. After the site walk you'll have our written quote and a plain read on whether the work is needed now, can wait, or isn't needed at all.