Frequently Asked Questions

It depends on the tree's height, its condition and how hard it is to reach. National guides from HomeGuide and Angi put most removals between about $200 and $2,000 and most trimming jobs between about $400 and $900, with large trees and difficult access running higher. A big tree on a steep Knoxville lot can cost more than a taller one on flat ground. We give a written price after seeing it.

For most single-family lots inside Knoxville, no city permit is needed to take down a tree that is fully on your own property: the private-property part of the city tree ordinance exempts parcels used for a single-family home or duplex. The rules change at the street. A tree on city property or in an improved right-of-way, including the treelawn between sidewalk and curb, is a public tree, and removing one needs written approval from the city's urban forester; topping public trees is not allowed. In historic overlays such as Fourth and Gill, design review generally does not cover landscaping that needs no building permit, but Historic Zoning Commission staff will advise if you ask. HOA covenants can add their own rules, and Knox County outside the city has its own offices.

It could be, and Knoxville is where that disease was first found in black walnut's native range, in 2010. Yellowing and thinning in the outer crown is often the first visible sign, and infected trees usually die within two to three years. Other things also stress walnuts, so a close look at the bark and branches helps. If it does have to come down, keep the wood local.

For most hardwoods, late winter while the tree is dormant is a good time: leaves are off, structure is easy to see and cuts have the whole spring to close. Dogwoods and other spring bloomers are often pruned right after they flower. Dead, broken or hanging limbs should come out whenever you notice them, especially before summer storm season.

Report it to the electric utility first; inside the city that is KUB, at (865) 524-2911. Stay well away from the tree and the wire. KUB clears its primary and shared lines, but if a tree or limb takes down the service line to your house, KUB's rules make clearing the tree the property owner's job, and damaged service equipment on the house has to be repaired before power is reconnected. Once the line is safe, we can take down the rest of the tree, cut up what is on the ground and clean up.

City crews collect household brush every two weeks from the first full week of March through the last full week of October, with pickup paused during fall leaf season. Brush goes next to the street, kept separate from trash, in a pile no larger than 6 by 6 by 6 feet, out by 7 a.m. on the Monday of your collection week. A whole removal usually makes far more than one pile, so most quotes include chipping and hauling. Your week is on the city's brush schedule page or through 311.

Ask for a written quote that lists every tree, the cleanup and whether stumps are included. Ask the company to have its insurer send you a current certificate of liability and workers' compensation coverage. If you want a formal diagnosis or a written risk assessment, ask whether an ISA Certified Arborist will do it; you can check that credential on the International Society of Arboriculture's website.

Yes. On hillside lots the tree usually comes down in pieces from the top, with limbs and wood lowered on ropes and moved uphill to the chipper by hand or winch. Where there is no safe way to rig a tree that leans over a house, a crane is sometimes the safest option. We explain the method in the quote.

National guides put most removals between about $200 and $2,000, with trees over 80 feet often above $2,500. On Knoxville lots, the slope, access and what is under the tree change the price as much as height does. We give a written price after seeing the tree.

Yes. Most yard trees here come down in sections from the top, with heavy pieces lowered on ropes. When there is no safe way to rig it, a crane can lift sections clear.

Often. Dead wood breaks unpredictably, so climbing and lowering take more care, and sometimes a lift is needed instead of a climber. Taking down a dying tree before it is fully dead is usually simpler.

Yes, as long as it stays local. Thousand cankers disease, first found in black walnut's native range in the Knoxville area, spreads when infested walnut wood is moved. Burn or use it close to home rather than hauling it to another county.

Not always. We need to agree on the work, the access and where the wood goes beforehand, and someone should keep pets and cars clear. Many homeowners are there at the start and the end.

HomeGuide puts the average trimming job at about $400 to $900, with trees over 60 feet often $1,000 to $2,500 or more. Height, access and how much deadwood there is decide the price. We quote each tree in writing after seeing it.

People use the words interchangeably. Some use trimming for routine clearance and shaping and pruning for cuts aimed at the tree's health and structure. Either way, the cuts should follow the same standard.

No. Topping causes decay and a mass of weak sprouts that become a bigger hazard. If a tree is too tall for its spot, crown reduction to strong side branches can bring it down somewhat; if that is not enough, removal and replanting may be the better answer.

Young trees benefit from structural pruning every few years. Mature trees often need attention every three to five years, or after a storm, depending on species and what is underneath them.

Generally a homeowner may cut back branches that extend over their property line, as long as the cuts do not damage or kill the tree. It is wise to talk to the neighbor first. We make proper cuts that do not harm the rest of the tree.

Not without permission. Under Knoxville's Trees on Public Property ordinance, planting, pruning or removing a tree on city property or in an improved right-of-way requires authorization from the urban forester, and topping those trees is prohibited. The city has an application for this work on its tree ordinance page. If the tree is clearly on your side of the property line, no city sign-off is needed.

HomeGuide puts the first stump at about $120 to $400 and each additional stump at $30 to $60, with very large stumps $300 to $800. Diameter, species, rock and access matter most. We quote each stump in writing.

Usually about 4 to 6 inches below the surface for lawn. If you want to replant or build in the same spot, we can go deeper; tell us at the estimate.

Most trees will not regrow once the stump is ground. Some species, like Bradford pear and tree-of-heaven, can send up sprouts from roots for a while; cutting them back as they appear usually finishes them off.

Grindings can be raked back in and covered with topsoil and seed. They settle as they decay, so a little extra soil later may be needed. We can haul grindings away if you would rather start with clean fill.

Yes. Old stumps from storms, earlier removals or a previous owner are a regular part of the job.

Often, when a tree falls on a covered structure like the house or a garage, removal is part of the claim, usually up to a set limit. A tree that falls in the yard without hitting anything is often not covered. Check your policy and call your insurer early.

Yes. You can call any time and leave the details. We return calls as soon as we can and schedule storm work by how dangerous each situation is.

Not until the utility has made the line safe. Stay away from the tree and the wire and report it to KUB at (865) 524-2911, or to your own electric provider outside KUB territory. If the tree pulled down only the service line to your house, KUB treats clearing the tree as the owner's job and needs damaged service equipment repaired before reconnecting, so call us once the line is de-energized.

Usually your own homeowners policy handles damage to your house, even when the tree was your neighbor's, unless the tree was obviously dead or neglected beforehand. Talk to your insurer; we provide an itemized invoice either way.

Small limbs on the ground, maybe. Trees under tension, on a structure or tangled with wires are dangerous to cut, because wood can spring back or shift without warning. Leave those to a crew with the rigging to handle them.

There is no reliable cure once a walnut is badly infected, and susceptible trees are almost always killed within two to three years of the first yellowing. If the tree is near the house, plan its removal and keep the wood local so the beetle is not spread.

For a healthy, valuable ash with little damage, systemic insecticide can protect it for one to three years per treatment, applied by a licensed applicator where required. If much of the crown is already dead, removal is usually the safer choice.

Turn over a few branch tips and look for small white, cottony tufts at the base of the needles, most visible in late fall through spring. Grayish needles and thinning are later signs. Treatment is most effective before the tree has lost much of its foliage.

A new or increasing lean with soil lifted on one side, large cracks, a hollow or decayed base, fungus on the trunk or roots, and a large dead top are all warning signs. A tree with several of these over a house or driveway should be looked at soon.

HomeGuide puts a quarter-acre lot at about $800 to $3,000 and heavily wooded land at $4,500 to $8,000 per acre. Slope, rock, tree size and hauling make the biggest difference. We price each job in writing after walking it.

On a single-family or duplex lot inside Knoxville, the private-property tree rules in Chapter 14 of the city code do not apply. They do apply to commercial, multifamily and subdivision property: destroying more than 25% of the trees on such a parcel within five years needs prior approval, and new construction generally has to keep at least six trees per acre. Grading, erosion-control and stream-buffer rules can apply separately, HOAs often have their own covenants, and outside the city Knox County handles permits. Ask your builder or the permit office before a big project.

Yes. We flag them first and keep equipment off their roots where possible. We will also tell you if a tree close to the footprint is unlikely to survive construction.

A machine grinds brush and small trees in place into a layer of mulch. It is fast, leaves the ground covered against erosion and avoids burn piles, but it does not remove stumps below grade.