Safe and efficient tree removal in Eugene, OR

You can take down a small ornamental tree yourself if you have a good saw and a wide-open landing zone. Anything tall enough to hit your roof is best left to a pro, though. Eugene yards are full of towering Douglas firs and bigleaf maples, and one misjudged cut can send a tree into a house, fence, or power line.

Most crews can take down an average-sized tree in a few hours, cleanup included. A giant fir squeezed between houses or hanging over power lines can stretch into a full day, especially if the job calls for climbing or a crane. Soggy winter ground can slow things down too, since crews have to protect your lawn from heavy equipment.

If the trunk and roots are healthy, pruning away the dead or problem branches often saves the tree and keeps your shade. Removal makes more sense when a tree has serious trunk rot, root damage, a dangerous lean, or roots crowding your foundation. A certified arborist can look it over and help you weigh the options, and keeping a good tree standing should always be the first goal.

Crews usually run the branches through a chipper and either haul the chips away or leave them for you to use as garden mulch. Your crew can also cut the trunk into firewood rounds or load it into a dump truck, whichever you'd prefer. Oregonians love a good woodpile, so plenty of homeowners keep the rounds and let them season over the summer.

Everything starts with an assessment of the tree's size, lean, health, and whatever it could land on. If there's room, the crew fells the whole tree in one piece. Otherwise, they climb up and lower it section by section using ropes, a bucket truck, or a crane, then chip the branches, haul the wood, and rake up so your yard looks tidier than before.