A Tree City USA community with more than 30,000 trees

Tree Removal in University City, MO

Big trees on streetcar-era lots in the south, post-war yards in the north, and clear rules about who handles what.

We come out and look before we price, anywhere in City of St. Louis and St. Louis County
Each item on the estimate priced on its own
We confirm where the wood goes before work begins

Two Cities in One

Tree Removal in University City looks different depending on which side of Olive Boulevard you are on. The southern core was built as a streetcar suburb in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, after E. G. Lewis bought 85 acres northwest of Forest Park in 1902 and broke ground on the Magazine Building, now City Hall. Those blocks have large, old trees on modest lots, many of them within a few feet of a house or garage. The northern part of the city was mostly built after World War II, and its yards are a bit roomier, with trees that are now 60 to 75 years old and reaching the age when silver maples and pin oaks start shedding big limbs.

What the city expects from owners

University City's tree code, Chapter 12.08, is unusually clear about owner duties, and it is worth reading before you decide whether to remove a tree. According to the city's brochure, owners must prune private limbs that overhang streets or rights-of-way, keep branches from blocking streetlights at intersections, and remove diseased, decayed or dead trees that could endanger people or a neighbor's property. If an owner ignores a hazardous tree, the City Forester can issue a removal notice, and if that fails the city can remove the tree and bill the owner, with the charge becoming a lien. You do not need a permit to prune or remove a tree on your own lot unless it is part of a larger development project.

Private streets are a separate case

University City has many private subdivisions run by their own trustees. The city's FAQ says its forestry crews do not care for trees along private subdivision streets; the subdivision maintains everything in its right-of-way. If the tree in question stands along one of those streets, talk to your trustees before you hire anyone. On a public street, the city owns the right-of-way trees and maintains them.

After a storm

City crews remove limbs only from public trees. Debris from your own trees is yours to deal with. Small limbs under three inches across can be cut into four-foot lengths, bundled and set out for the Sanitation Division. Anything larger, or anything still attached and hanging, is where we come in. Our approach after a storm is the same every time: make the hangers safe, clear the driveway and walkways, then deal with the trunk.

Neighbor trees

The city's FAQ also answers a question we hear constantly: the city will not order a neighbor to prune a tree that overhangs your house. Under a Missouri Court of Appeals ruling cited by the city, the affected owner may cut overhanging branches back to the property line. We can do that pruning for you, cleanly and without damaging the tree. Call (314) 668-1571 or request an estimate online. Get a free estimate

University City Tree Rules in Brief

Owner duty to remove hazards. Under Chapter 12.08, owners must remove diseased, decayed or dead private trees that could endanger people or neighboring property. If they do not, the city may remove the tree and charge the owner, and the charge can become a lien.
No permit for your own trees. No permit is needed to prune or remove a tree on your own property. A Forest Activity permit applies only to development projects needing special use approvals, not to home additions, decks, garages, fences or pools.
Long-time Tree City. The city's brochure reports more than 30,000 trees and a Tree City USA Growth Award, and the Missouri Department of Conservation listed University City in 2018 among communities in the program for more than 30 years.
Bundled brush pickup. Limbs under three inches in diameter, cut to four-foot lengths and bundled, can be set out for Sanitation Division collection. Debris from private trees is otherwise the owner's responsibility.

Tree Trimming & Pruning in St. Louis, MO

Our Services in University City, MO

University City Questions

The city sent me a notice about a dead tree. What now?

Read the deadline on the notice and call us soon. Under the city code, the next step if nothing happens is a city removal billed to you. We can look at the tree, give you a written estimate and schedule the work so you can show the city it is handled.

We live on a private street. Will the city take care of the tree out front?

No. The city's FAQ says subdivisions maintain the trees along their own streets. Your trustees decide what happens to those trees, so check with them first.

Can I cut my neighbor's branches that hang over my roof?

According to the city, Missouri case law lets you cut overhanging branches back to the property line. Doing it well matters, because a badly made cut can damage the whole tree. We prune at proper branch junctions on your side of the line.

Free Estimates in University City, MO

Free estimates from the Loop to the north end of University City.

Call (314) 668-1571 Free Estimate