Frequently Asked Questions

This Old House's Canton figures put an average removal at about $632, with a typical range of $308 to $1,354 and emergency removals around $1,625. National guides such as HomeAdvisor list $150 to $450 for trees under 30 feet and $450 to $1,200 for trees 30 to 60 feet. Access, wires and what sits under the tree move the price most. Your written estimate is the price.

Canton's Chapter 917 does not describe a removal permit for a tree on private property. It does regulate trees in the tree lawn and other public trees, puts care of tree-lawn trees on the adjacent owner, and bans topping of public trees. If your tree stands between the sidewalk and the curb, call the city's Engineering Department before work starts.

Under Section 917.05, the owner of the adjacent property must remove dead trees and dead parts of trees in the tree lawn that threaten the street or sidewalk, and keep branches pruned 20 feet above both. If a whole tree is removed, the stump must also be removed and the ground restored. The city can do the work after 10 days' written notice and bill the owner.

It depends on how far along it is and where it stands. Ash with a full, healthy crown can sometimes be kept with insecticide treatment, which in Ohio is done by a licensed commercial pesticide applicator. Once the crown is thinning badly, the bark is splitting and woodpeckers are stripping it, removal is usually the safer route, especially over a house, driveway or street.

Often, if the tree hit a covered structure such as the house, garage or a fence. This Old House notes standard policies typically cover trees that fall in a storm but generally do not pay to remove healthy trees or dead trees that were neglected. Call your insurer, take photos before anything is moved, and keep the written quote and invoice for the claim.

Not near energized lines. AEP Ohio, which serves most of Canton, says only trained utility-line professionals should trim or remove trees near power lines, and asks customers to report tree problems online or at 614-883-6987, and hazards to 911 or 800-672-2231. Once the line is clear or de-energized, we can take down the rest of the tree.

Yes. We look at trees in Canton and the nearby Stark County communities for free and leave a written price. Call (330) 433-8160 or send the form with a few photos, and we will set a time to see the tree in person.

Often, yes. Frozen ground carries equipment with less rutting, the branch structure is easy to see with the leaves off, and there is no garden underneath to trample. Deep snow, ice on limbs and very cold days can slow a job or make climbing unsafe, so winter work gets scheduled around the weather.

A medium tree with open access can be down and cleaned up in a few hours. A large maple over a house, with everything lowered on ropes and carried out through a side yard, can take most of a day or more. We give you an expected time with the quote.

Sometimes, when limbs hang over the fence or the only path for lowering a section is on their side. It helps to let your neighbor know beforehand. We work to keep everything on your side whenever the tree allows it.

Yes. Tell us at the estimate and we will cut the trunk and larger limbs to the length you want and leave them where you can reach them. Burning it locally, rather than hauling it far away, is the safer habit with ash and oak wood.

Usually. Dead wood can snap where a climber or a rope expects it to hold, so crews often use a lift or a crane instead of climbing, and the job takes longer. That is why removing a dying ash or maple before it is fully dead tends to cost less.

Some marks are hard to avoid, but planning cuts most of it. We place equipment on the driveway where we can, use plywood or mats on soft ground when needed, and may suggest waiting for drier or frozen ground in spring.

Get everyone out of the damaged part of the house. If wires are involved, stay away and call 911 or AEP Ohio at 800-672-2231. Take photos, call your insurer, then call (330) 433-8160 to describe the tree and what it hit.

A tree lying flat on open lawn is not urgent, though it can kill the grass under it. A tree resting on a structure, hung up in another tree, or still partly attached at a split is under stress and can move suddenly. Those should be handled soon.

Generally your own homeowners policy covers damage to your house or garage, and your insurer may pursue the neighbor if the tree was obviously dead or neglected. Policies differ, so call your insurer and keep photos and invoices.

Only after the utility has cleared or de-energized the line. AEP Ohio and Ohio Edison crews handle trees in contact with their lines. Once the line is safe, we remove the rest of the tree and clean up.

This Old House's Canton page puts emergency removals around $1,625, and national guides run from about $450 to $5,000 for complex jobs. A tree on a roof that needs a crane is at the high end. We give a written price before the work.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Mostly for safety and to protect the house. Dead or decayed wood may not hold a climber or rigging, and a large tree over a roof may have nowhere to lower pieces. A crane takes the weight of each section before it is cut.

The total is usually higher. ArboStar puts most residential crane removals at $3,500 to $8,000. On a very large tree it can take less time than lowering everything by rope, which offsets part of the crane cost.

Usually on the street or the driveway, on firm, level ground with room for its outriggers and no wires in the way. If it blocks a Canton street, the city requires notice at least one business day ahead.

Outrigger pads spread the load, and mats or plywood go down where needed. Driveways and streets are the usual setup spots because they carry the weight best. We look at the surface at the estimate.

Lawn Love's guide suggests every three to five years for most mature trees. Young trees benefit from lighter, more frequent structural work. Dead or broken limbs should come out whenever you see them.

Section 917.05 calls for the lowest branches to be at least 20 feet above the street, state routes and the sidewalk where they overhang. The city can prune after 10 days' written notice if an owner does not.

We do not top trees. Topping causes weak regrowth and decay, and Canton bans it on public trees. A crown reduction to strong side branches or a removal are the real options.

People use the words interchangeably. Pruning usually means selective cuts for health and structure, and trimming often means cutting back for clearance or appearance. Done right, both follow the same standards.

During the dormant season, roughly late fall through winter. Fresh wounds in spring and early summer can attract the beetles that spread oak wilt, which the Forest Service reports has been increasing in Ohio since 2019.

Yes. Section 917.05 says that when an entire tree is removed from the tree lawn, the stump must also be removed and the ground restored. Grinding is the usual way to do that.

Not quite. Grinding cuts the stump down below grade and leaves the deeper roots to rot. Full removal digs or pulls the root ball out, which is more work and more disturbance, and is rarely needed unless something is being built on the spot.

You can, but it is usually better to plant a few feet to one side, away from the decaying roots and wood chips. If you want to replant in the same spot, ask for deeper grinding and have the chips removed and replaced with soil.

This Old House's Canton page puts stump removal at $68 to $497, around $316 on average. HomeAdvisor's national guide lists $2 to $5 per inch of diameter with a $100 to $150 minimum. Your written estimate is the price.