Frequently Asked Questions

For a tree on your own property in the City of St. Louis, no permit is needed, and the city's Forestry Division says privately owned ash trees can be removed or treated without one. Trees in the tree lawn between the curb and the sidewalk belong to the city, and pruning or removing one requires a Permit to Maintain from Forestry. Suburbs in St. Louis County each set their own rules, so we check yours before quoting.

Angi's 2026 St. Louis cost guide puts the average at about $713, with most removals between $190 and $1,902; a tree under 30 feet typically runs $150 to $350 and one over 80 feet $800 to $1,650. Tight access, a tree leaning over a house, dead wood and a crane all add to the cost. Your written estimate is the price.

Leave it to the utility. Ameren Missouri allows only qualified line clearance contractors to work within 10 feet of its higher-voltage lines. The line from the pole to your house, the service drop, is the homeowner's responsibility to keep clear, and Ameren can schedule a temporary disconnect so that a tree near it can be worked safely.

In the City of St. Louis, trees in the tree lawn, typically within 10 feet of the curb, are city trees managed by the Forestry Division. You can report a dead or damaged one through the Citizens' Service Bureau at 314-622-4800 or online. In St. Louis County suburbs, ownership and responsibility depend on the municipality.

In the city, a private ash that dies or becomes hazardous can be treated as a nuisance under the tree ordinance, and the owner can receive a notice to remove it. Even where no rule applies, the Missouri Department of Agriculture advises removing an untreated ash before it dies, because dead ash gets brittle and the job gets riskier. Healthy ash with less than half the canopy dying back may be worth treating instead.

Policies vary, so check with your insurer. Coverage commonly depends on whether the tree hit a covered structure, such as the house or a garage, rather than simply falling in the yard. Take photos before anything is moved, and we will put the work in writing so you have it for your claim.

Yes. We visit properties across the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County to look at the tree in person and give you a written quote at no charge. Call (314) 668-1571 or use the form, and include photos if you can.

Late fall through winter often works well: leaves are off, so the structure of the tree is easier to see, and frozen ground carries equipment with less damage to the lawn. Dead and hazardous trees should not wait for a season, though, especially going into spring storm season.

A medium tree with open access can often be removed in a few hours. A large oak or sycamore over a house, with every piece lowered on ropes, can take most of a day or longer. We give you an expected time frame with the quote.

Usually, yes, as long as the tree is yours. We may need to stand in or lower pieces into the neighbor's yard, so it helps to let them know ahead of time. If the trunk sits on the property line, both owners should agree before anything is cut.

Not necessarily, as long as we have access to the yard and the scope is settled in writing. Many homeowners like to be there at the start to walk the job once more, and that is always welcome.

In the City of St. Louis, residents can bundle limbs in six-foot lengths for monthly bulk pickup, and yard waste carts are collected weekly in season. A whole tree is far more than that system is set up for, so our quotes include chipping and hauling unless you choose to keep the wood.

No. A tree resting on a house is often under tension, and a cut in the wrong place can drop the trunk further into the roof or swing it at whoever is cutting. Stay out of rooms under the damage and call (314) 668-1571.

That is usually a question for both homeowners' insurers. Many policies look at whether the tree hit a covered structure and whether the tree was obviously dead or neglected before the storm. Photograph everything, then call your insurer.

We can come look, but no cutting happens near an energized line. Ameren Missouri or its line clearance crews have to clear or de-energize it first, and then we remove the rest of the tree.

Look for fresh cracks where trunks or big limbs join, limbs hanging in the canopy, soil heaved up on one side of the base, and a new lean. Any of those is worth a look before the next storm.

A crane is set up on firm ground, usually the street, alley or driveway, with pads under its outriggers to spread the load. Soft lawns, septic areas and thin driveways are avoided. We point out any risk to surfaces before the job.

Blocking a street or alley can require permission or parking restrictions, depending on the city and the block. We check what is needed for your address and plan the setup around it.

On many trees climbing is fine, and we will tell you so. A crane makes sense when the wood is too weak to tie into, the pieces are too heavy to lower safely over a house, or the job would take days of rigging.

Many crane removals are finished in a day, including cleanup, because large pieces come out quickly. Setup time, the number of picks and weather all affect it.

Ash has compound leaves with usually five to nine leaflets, branches that grow in opposite pairs, and on older trees bark with a diamond-shaped pattern of ridges. The City of St. Louis has an identification guide for green and white ash, and we can confirm the species at the estimate.

It varies with how heavily the tree is infested and how healthy it was, but decline usually shows first at the top of the crown and spreads over a few years. Once more than half the canopy is dying back, the state's guidance is that treatment is unlikely to save it.

Yes, as long as it stays on your property or nearby. The state guide says to dispose of ash wood locally so the beetle does not spread. Burn it where it was cut.

The city's interactive ash street tree map shows whether a given tree is planned for treatment or removal. Forestry handles its own trees; you can apply for an Ash Permit if you want a city ash next to your property treated instead.

Industry guidance is to remove only as much live growth as the tree needs, and in most cases well under a quarter of the canopy in one season. Taking more stresses the tree and invites decay and weak sprouts.

Reducing heavy limbs can take weight off a narrow fork for a few years, but the Missouri Department of Conservation notes these trees tend to split under ice and wind as they get large. If yours has already split once, removal is usually the better long-term choice.

The service drop from the pole to your house is the homeowner's responsibility to keep clear. Ameren Missouri can schedule a temporary disconnect at 800-552-7583 so the branches can be cut safely.

Generally a homeowner may cut back branches that cross onto their property, as long as the cuts do not damage or kill the tree. Talking with the neighbor first avoids disputes, and we prune to the property line cleanly at a branch union when possible.

Typically several inches below the soil surface, enough to cover with topsoil and grass. If you plan to plant a new tree or build over the spot, tell us and we will grind deeper or discuss full removal.

It is better to plant a few feet away. The ground where the stump was is full of chips and decaying roots, which settle and can tie up nitrogen while they break down.

Grinding removes the part of the stump most likely to sprout, but species such as Callery pear can still send up shoots from roots. Cut them back as they appear and they usually stop within a season or two.

Only if you want it. We list it as its own line on the quote so you can do it the same day, schedule it later, or leave the stump cut low.