In the words of Cher… “If I could tuuuuuuuuurn back tiiiiiiiime. If I could fiiiiiiiiiind a waaaaaaaay. I’d plant this pretty oak tree not on top of the house.”
That oak must have started out small, but over the years it grew into a threat. After the home inspector examined the roots and checked how close the trunk was to the foundation, his verdict was clear: the tree had to go. It wasn’t just roots we worried about — roughly half of the canopy hung directly above the house. Even if root growth could somehow be controlled, a single falling limb in a storm could damage our new roof, and a full collapse could be catastrophic.
We’ve seen severe weather around here — plenty of storms that make you nervous about big trees close to structures. In fact, Hurricane Irene in 2011 dropped a tree onto the house right behind ours, so this wasn’t a hypothetical risk.
Once we accepted that the deck tree needed removal, we took the chance to inspect the rest of the property with an arborist friend and the inspector’s notes. That review turned up several other problematic trees: three in the front yard and one behind near the deck. Some were too close to the house, others were large with rot or holes at the base, and a few were partially hollow — all conditions that make them much more likely to fail in a storm.
We hired a crew we’d worked with before back in 2007 when we lived in our first house. They handled a massive, split tree that was dead at the core. The company, Shady Tree Service, is run by William, who’s been a steady presence over the years. It’s always nice hiring people you trust — and William’s skill and care made this a smoother process than it could have been.
Tree removal is intense work. One of the crew members climbs higher than the roofline and works with a chainsaw from the canopy, carefully controlling each cut so branches swing away from the house. There’s a surprising amount of physics involved — angles, momentum, and trajectory all matter to make sure nothing impacts the home.
Here’s William in the bucket, trimming the lower section of the deck tree. From the guest room window you could see just how close the canopy was — no zoom needed. Watching the crew work that close to the house made you realize how precise and cautious they had to be.
Some of the trees were shockingly hollow inside. The hollows were large enough that a couple of kids and a dog could have fit into them — a clear sign those trees were structurally compromised and dangerous to keep.
After the crew finished, the backyard looked noticeably different: fewer trees directly over the house and a lot less risk. It’s still leafy, but the “tree-on-house” factor is gone.
Comparing the front view from when we bought the house to now shows a dramatic change. We had hoped to save at least one of the front trees, but removing all three was the safer choice. The benefits are immediate: more daylight inside the house, better conditions for growing grass in the previously patchy front yard, and a drier roof and siding — which helps prevent further rot.
Removing five trees cost a few thousand dollars — a sting, but worth the peace of mind. Tree removal pricing depends on tree size, accessibility (cranes or special equipment needed), and local rates. In our area, taking down a medium-sized oak near a house runs roughly $1,000–$2,000. If you need several trees removed, the total can be significantly less per tree because the crew and equipment are already on site. For example, what might be $1,000 for a single tree could be negotiated to around $3,000 for five trees if some are smaller or easier to handle.
My tips for negotiating with tree services:
- Get multiple estimates unless you already have a trusted tree service.
- Confirm the company is licensed and insured — this job is dangerous and you want protection.
- If you’re a repeat customer, remind them — loyal customers often get a better price.
- Keep competitor coupons; some companies will honor them to win the job.
- When negotiating, smile after they give a price and ask, “Is that your best price?” Then stay quiet and listen — you’ll often get a discount, free stump grinding, or another perk.
This project was especially entertaining for our daughter, Clara. She loved watching the wood chipper, spotting the crews in the trees, and standing on the stumps. We considered leaving part of the stump as a table base on the deck, but its location would have made the table impractical, so we asked the crew to cut a few rounds for stepping stones before chipping the rest into mulch.
Those stepping stones look like they could be lifted by hand, but each was extremely heavy and had to be moved with the crew’s tractor. It was fun to watch them position the slices with heavy machinery.
As an epilogue: we’ve noticed deer around the new house, and one afternoon John pointed out a deer lurking behind me while I was photographing the cleared yard. I didn’t see it at first, but snapped a picture once I realized it was there — wildlife photographer Sherry Petersik, apparently.
After Burger barked, the deer ran off — another reminder that we live in a leafy, semi-wild neighborhood, and why keeping a safe buffer of healthy trees is important. We still have plenty of trees to keep the place feeling like a forest, but now we can relax a little more when a storm rolls in.
Anyone else having trees trimmed, limbed, or removed? I could watch crews take big trees down all day — their pulley systems, careful cuts, and heavy equipment are impressive to see in action.