Emerald ash borer trees

Ash Tree Removal in Canton, OH

Dying and dead ash taken down while the wood still holds rigging, with a straight answer on whether yours can be saved.

We come out and look before we price, anywhere in Canton and Stark County
Each item on the estimate priced on its own
We confirm where the wood goes before work begins

Why So Many Ash Trees Around Canton Are Dying

Ash tree removal is a large share of tree work in Canton because emerald ash borer has been through every county in Ohio. The beetle was confirmed in Ohio on February 28, 2003, from larvae found at a home in Whitehouse near Toledo, and the U.S. Forest Service reports confirmed infestations in all 88 counties since 2016. Ash was a common choice for streets and yards in Stark County, so many neighborhoods still have dead or declining ash standing over houses, garages and tree lawns.

How to tell an ash is infested

Ohio State's early guidance lists the signs still used today: a thinning crown with dieback starting at the top, sprouts along the trunk and main limbs, vertical bark splits, S-shaped or zigzag tunnels packed with frass under loose bark, woodpeckers working the trunk in winter, and small D-shaped exit holes about an eighth of an inch across. Light patches where woodpeckers have flaked the outer bark are often the first thing homeowners notice. OSU noted that a heavy infestation can kill a tree in one season, though two to three years is more common.

Why waiting makes it harder

A dead ash does not stay the same. As it dries, the wood gets brittle, and limbs can snap off under a climber's weight or break unexpectedly when a section is roped down. Crews then have to work from a lift or a crane instead of climbing, which adds time and cost. An ash that is still alive, even if it is clearly declining, is usually a simpler and cheaper removal than the same tree three years later.

Treat or remove?

An ash with most of its crown intact can sometimes be protected with systemic insecticide; in Ohio that is work for a licensed commercial pesticide applicator, and it has to be repeated. Once a large part of the crown is gone, the bark is splitting and woodpeckers are feeding heavily, removal is the safer choice, especially over a roof, a driveway, the sidewalk or the street. If the ash is in Canton's tree lawn, remember the ordinance puts dead tree-lawn trees that threaten the street or sidewalk on the adjacent owner, and expects the stump removed and the ground restored.

What happens to the wood

Ash makes good firewood, and we can cut it to length for you. Keep it on your property or burn it close to home rather than hauling it to a cabin or campground in another county; moving firewood is how tree pests travel.

Ash Work We Do

Ash jobs range from one dead tree in a backyard to a row along a fence line.

Declining ash removal

Living but infested ash taken down while the wood is still sound to climb and rig.

Dead ash removal

Brittle, fully dead ash taken apart from a lift or with a crane when climbing is unsafe.

Tree-lawn ash

Ash between the sidewalk and curb removed along with the stump, per Canton's ordinance.

Multiple-tree jobs

Several ash on one property quoted together, one line per tree.

Firewood processing

Trunk and limbs bucked to firewood length and left where you want them.

Typical Ash Tree Removal Costs

Job	Published range
Ash tree removal (HomeAdvisor, national)	$250 to $1,800
Average removal, Canton OH (This Old House)	$632 (typical $308 to $1,354)
Ash 30 to 60 ft (HomeAdvisor height band)	$450 to $1,200
Ash 60 to 80 ft (HomeAdvisor height band)	$800 to $1,500
Dead tree needing a crane, 30 to 50 ft (ArboStar)	$2,000 to $4,500

Ranges from HomeAdvisor, This Old House's Canton page and ArboStar. Brittle dead wood, roofs underneath and tight access raise the cost. Your written estimate is the price.

How an Ash Removal Goes

1. Check the tree

We look at crown loss, bark splits, woodpecker damage and how sound the wood is.

2. Recommend

We tell you whether the tree is a candidate for treatment by an applicator or should come down.

3. Plan the method

Climb, lift or crane, chosen by how brittle the tree is and what is under it.

4. Remove and clean up

The tree comes down in sections; wood, brush and stump handled as quoted.

Crane-Assisted Tree Removal in Canton, OH

Why Choose Us for Ash Tree Removal

A straight read on the tree

If an ash still looks savable, we say so instead of quoting a removal.

Method matched to the wood

Brittle dead ash is not climbed like a live tree.

Ash Tree Removal Questions

My ash still has leaves. Does it need to come down?

Not necessarily. If most of the crown is full and there are few signs of borer, treatment may keep it alive. If the top is thinning, the bark is splitting or woodpeckers are flaking it, the tree is usually past saving, and taking it down while it is still alive is easier.

How fast does emerald ash borer kill a tree?

Ohio State's guidance says a heavy infestation can kill an ash in one season, but two to three years is more typical. By the time the crown looks bad from the ground, the tree is usually well along.

Is a dead ash tree dangerous?

It can be. Ash killed by the borer dries out and becomes brittle, and large limbs can drop without wind. A dead ash over a house, a driveway, a play area or the street should be dealt with soon.

Can the city make me remove a dead ash tree?

In Canton, Section 917.06 lets the city order removal of a private tree that is a hazard to life or city property, or that harbors insects or disease, with 30 days to comply. Dead tree-lawn trees that threaten the street or sidewalk are the adjacent owner's job under Section 917.05.

What should I plant instead of ash?

Something different from what already dominates your street, so one pest cannot take out the whole block again. For tree-lawn planting in Canton, the city requires a $5 permit and a species from the City Arborist's approved list.

Get an Ash Tree Removal Estimate

Dying ash in Canton or Stark County? Get a free on-site estimate.

Call (330) 433-8160 Free Estimate