Serving Rochester, NY & Surrounding Areas
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Tree Removal Rochester NY by A One Tree Services

Dead ash trees, storm leaners, oversized maples and trees crowding the house. A One Tree Services handles tree removal across Rochester and Monroe County for homes and commercial properties, fully insured, with a free on site estimate.

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Tree Removal Rochester NY: What the Job Really Involves

Some trees have to come down. A silver maple with a split trunk, an ash killed by emerald ash borer, a white pine leaning toward the bedroom after the last lake effect storm. A One Tree Services handles tree removal in Rochester NY from a single backyard tree to a whole row along a property line, and we work to keep your lawn, fence and roof in one piece while we do it.

Most jobs begin with a phone call and a free estimate. Someone walks the property, studies the tree and its surroundings, and tells you plainly what the work involves. We are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at (585) 888-9232,.

Why Pay for Professional Removal

  • ✔ Controlled dismantling keeps limbs and logs off your roof, fence and flower beds.
  • ✔ Taking out a dead or diseased tree stops falling deadwood and keeps rot and pests from spreading toward healthy trees.
  • ✔ You free up room for a pool, an addition, a driveway or just more sun on the lawn.
  • ✔ A fully insured crew does the climbing, cutting and hauling so you never have to.
A One Tree Services crew performing tree removal in Rochester NY

When Does a Tree Need to Come Down?

A tree can look fine from the street and still be rotten at the base. The ones that worry us most are the trees people have lived under for years without a second look.

Signs a tree should be removed

  • ✔A dead tree, or a tree with large dead limbs and bark peeling off in sheets.
  • ✔A new lean, especially with soil heaving on the opposite side of the trunk.
  • ✔Mushrooms or soft, crumbly wood at the base, which often points to decay in the roots.
  • ✔Deep vertical cracks, or a trunk that splits into two heavy stems with bark squeezed between them.
  • ✔Ash trees thinning from the top, with D shaped holes in the bark. Emerald ash borer has hit this region hard.
  • ✔Roots lifting a driveway, a patio or the corner of a foundation.
  • ✔A tree struck by lightning or one that lost a major limb in a storm.

None of that has to mean an automatic removal. Some trees only need the dead wood pruned out, and we will say so. See our post on signs a tree needs removal and the comparison of tree removal versus tree trimming. If a good pruning can fix the problem, our tree trimming service in Rochester is usually the cheaper and kinder route.

A healthy oak or sugar maple with sound wood can ride out decades of Rochester winters, so one dead branch is rarely a reason to cut. The real question is whether the tree can hold its own weight in a storm. If you are not sure, read how to identify a hazardous tree or have us take a look during a free estimate.

Our Tree Removal Process, Step by Step

Every tree is a little different, but the order of the work stays the same. Here is what you can expect from the first phone call to the last rake stroke.

1

Free Assessment

We look at the tree's health, its lean, what it could hit and what stands in the way. You get a clear, no obligation quote and an honest opinion on whether it really has to go.

2

Access and Drop Zone

We decide where the equipment goes, how the wood gets out and what needs protecting, whether that is a septic area, a flower bed, a fence or a new patio.

3

Safety Setup

The crew arrives in orange high visibility gear, marks off the work area and asks everyone, pets included, to stay clear while cutting is underway.

4

Rigging and Dismantling

When there is no room to drop a tree whole, climbers or a spider lift take it down in sections, with each piece lowered on ropes instead of falling onto your property.

5

Chipping and Hauling

Brush feeds our high capacity chipper, and a bobcat loader moves trunk sections and heavy debris to where they can be hauled off.

6

Cleanup and Stump Options

We rake and blow the work area clean. If you want the stump gone too, we can grind it, or we can leave it if you plan to do something with it.

Want to know how long each stage takes? Our guide to how long tree removal takes has the details, but the short version is that most residential jobs run from a few hours to a day.

Equipment, Rigging and Safety Around Power Lines and Structures

We run spider lifts, bobcat loaders, high capacity chippers and a full set of climbing and rigging gear, so we can match the method to your yard instead of forcing your yard to fit the method.

A spider lift is a tracked aerial lift, narrow enough to fit in places a big truck never could. It is the reason we can reach a tree behind a house, past a fence or in a backyard with a small gate. Bobcat loaders do the heavy hauling, chippers handle the brush, and ropes and pulleys control every heavy piece that comes down.

Working near your house

The biggest risks on a removal are roofs, wires and people. When a tree overhangs a house or garage, we do not fell it in one piece. Sections are cut, roped off and lowered so nothing lands on shingles, siding or a parked car.

Power lines

If a branch is touching a power line, or a tree has pulled lines down, stay far back and call your utility company. Do not touch the tree and do not try to cut it yourself. During a free estimate we check for overhead lines and tell you how the job will be handled and whether the utility needs to be involved before the tree can come down.

For more on choosing and working with a tree care company, the International Society of Arboriculture runs a helpful consumer site at Trees Are Good, and it is worth a read before you hire anyone.

Cleanup, Hauling and What Happens to the Wood

A removal is not finished when the trunk is on the ground. The cleanup is where a good crew earns its reputation. Brush goes through the chipper, big logs get cut and hauled, and the area gets raked and blown clean.

You also have choices about the wood. Want firewood length logs or a pile of wood chips for your beds? Tell us at the estimate. Otherwise, it all goes with us.

Stumps are the next question. We offer stump grinding in Rochester NY on the same visit when you want it, and it is often easier and cheaper to do while the equipment and crew are already on site.

What Affects the Price of Tree Removal

Anyone hunting for affordable tree removal in Rochester NY wants a number before calling. But two trees that look identical from the road can need very different work, so here is what moves the price.

  • ✔Size and height: a small ornamental tree is a very different job from a tall silver maple.
  • ✔Condition: dead and decayed wood is brittle and unpredictable, which slows careful rigging.
  • ✔Access: an open front yard is easier than a backyard reached only through a narrow side gate.
  • ✔Obstacles: houses, wires, pools, fences and neighboring properties all change the method.
  • ✔Extras: stump grinding, firewood cutting or extra hauling are priced on top of the removal.
  • ✔Urgency: a tree down after a storm is a different job from a scheduled removal.

We never give flat prices over the phone because they are usually wrong. A free on site estimate costs nothing and lets you compare real numbers. When you compare quotes, ask what is included, because cleanup, hauling and stump work vary the most. Our breakdowns of tree removal cost and fallen tree removal cost in Rochester NY explain what typically drives a quote up or down.

Tree Removal in Rochester and Monroe County: Local Conditions

Rochester sits on the south shore of Lake Ontario, and our trees take a beating for it. Lake effect snow piles on branches, ice storms coat limbs until they snap, and spring and summer thunderstorms roll in with strong winds. Add heavy clay soil in many neighborhoods, which turns to soup in a wet spring and lets shallow rooted trees tip, and you get the calls we hear every year.

Silver maples, willows and poplars grow fast and break easily, and Callery pears split in storms. Ash trees across Monroe County are still dying from emerald ash borer; the emerald ash borer information network is a good place to read about the pest. If you have a dying ash near the house, it is worth taking it down before the wood turns brittle and dangerous.

The kind of property changes the job too. Shoreline towns such as Greece, Irondequoit and Webster deal with lake winds that push on big trees. Older neighborhoods in Pittsford, Brighton and Fairport have mature trees that tower over houses built decades ago.

Rules about tree removal can vary from one town or village to the next, and some trees along roads or in protected areas may need approval first. Check with your town code enforcement or building department, and read our post on whether you need a permit to remove a tree in Rochester NY. For general information about trees and forests in the state, the New York State DEC forests and trees page is a good resource.

Why Rochester Homeowners Choose A One Tree Services

Local Crew, Straight Answers

We work in and around Rochester every week, so we know which trees give out under heavy wet snow and which backyards are tough to get equipment into. We tell you what we see and let you decide.

  • ✔ Fully insured
  • ✔ Open 24 hours, 7 days a week for emergencies
  • ✔ Spider lifts, bobcat loaders and high capacity chippers
  • ✔ Free on site estimates
★★★★★

"Thank you to the crew at A One Tree Services for doing such an excellent job! They were fast, efficient, and left the yard absolutely spotless after taking down our trees."

Shiamalee V., Rochester NY

Related Services, Helpful Reading and Nearby Towns

Related tree services

Helpful reading

Nearby towns we serve

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does tree removal cost in Rochester NY?

It depends on the tree. Height, trunk size, how close it stands to the house or a fence, how hard it is to get equipment in and whether you want the stump ground and the wood hauled all change the price. The only reliable number comes from a free on site estimate, so call (585) 888-9232 and we will look at the tree in person.

Are you fully insured for tree removal?

Yes, A One Tree Services is fully insured. If you have questions about the job or about your own homeowner policy, ask when we come out for your free estimate.

Can you remove trees close to my house?

Yes. Trees next to houses, garages, fences and pools are a big part of our work. We take them down in sections on ropes, and when a backyard is tight we can bring in a spider lift, a tracked aerial lift made to fit where bigger trucks cannot go.

Do you remove the stump as well?

Stump grinding is a separate service that we can do on the same visit. We grind the stump below the soil line so you can lay sod or replant, and we will quote it right alongside the tree removal if you ask.

Are there affordable tree removal services in Rochester NY?

Affordable usually means a clear, itemized quote and no surprises, not the lowest number on the page. We give free estimates and spell out what is included, such as cleanup, hauling and stump work, so you can compare quotes on equal terms.

How long does a typical tree removal job take in Rochester NY?

Many residential removals finish in a few hours to a full day. A large tree over a roof or a stand of several trees can take longer. We will give you a realistic time frame with the estimate.

Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Rochester NY?

Rules vary by town, village and even by the type or location of the tree. Before you schedule, check with your town code enforcement or building department. If a permit is needed, it is much easier to sort out before the crew arrives.

What happens to the logs and branches after the tree is down?

Branches go through our high capacity chipper and the trunk is cut into manageable pieces. We haul the debris away, or we can leave firewood length logs or wood chips for you if you want them. Just tell us during the estimate.

Ready to Take Down That Tree?

For tree removal Rochester NY homeowners can book any hour of the day, call A One Tree Services or ask for a free, no obligation estimate. We will look at the tree and quote the job before any work starts.

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Call us 24/7 or fill out the quote form at the top of the page, and we’ll get back to you quickly.

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