We have an oak tree in our backyard that has been concerning us. An arborist looked at it and said it is hanging by a thread, and it would be best to remove it. It’s over 200 years old, so I am looking for any reason to keep it. The issues:
Soft ground around tree indicating roots are rotting
Vertical stress cracks in tree
Bark falling off in a few places
Hollow sound when struck
At a glance, are these issues worth taking down the tree? The lean is away from the house, but a lot of the branches are towards the house, so can’t be sure it won’t fall on house.
He quoted us $4,600 to remove. The tree is easy to access, but is taller than our house and only 50 to 100 feet.
Is that a reasonable price for a large tree removal? This guy was supposed to be “the cheaper one”. In a midwestern city in the US.
by NoncompliantGnome
5 Comments
Edit: The tree is 50 to 100 feet from the house, not in height.
Get 2 more quotes and compare seems pricey but the logistics and responsibility of taking such a large tree down that close to someone’s home jack’s the price up. If done correctly obviously
Given that it is a hazard tree with potential root rot and decay It likely cannot be felled from the ground so someone will have to be accessed with a lift or removed with a crane. This is skilled work with very expensive equipment and ferocious insurance premiums. That price is not on its face out of the realm of reasonable pricing.
Maybe. Need to see the canopy, access (path to chipper), targets (things in the drop zone) etc. to guess at a price.
If your ground is soft back there, it will probably be hard for them to get trucks and equipment to it unless you want your yard ripped up. But always get 3 quotes at least