Frequently Asked Questions

LawnStarter's Fort Wayne figures for 2026 put an average tree removal at about $730, tree trimming at about $375 and stump grinding at about $267. National guides such as HomeGuide put removals anywhere from about $200 for a small tree to $2,500 or more for one over 80 feet. Height, how close the tree is to buildings or wires, and access change the price most. Your written estimate is the price.

Usually not without the city. Fort Wayne treats trees planted in the right of way as street trees and says no one may do maintenance on a city-owned tree without permission from its forestry office. Submit a 311 request and a city arborist will inspect it. If you are unsure where your property line falls, we will tell you what we see when we visit.

No. Fort Wayne does not collect limbs or brush left at the curb, and the city has warned about contractors who leave piles and say the city will take them. Small bundled branches can go in your trash cart, and yard waste can be dropped at the Bio-Solids facility at 6202 Lake Avenue. Our quotes say up front whether we haul the brush away.

Not always. Purdue Extension says healthy ash can be kept alive with trunk injections every three years, and that treated trees should keep being treated. A tree that has already lost much of its canopy, or shows woodpecker damage and bark splits, is usually past saving. Dead ash gets brittle quickly, so a removal is easier and safer done sooner.

Get everyone out of the damaged part of the house and stay away from any downed wires; call AEP if lines are involved. Take photos for your insurance company, then call (260) 305-9252 to describe what happened. If a street tree fell, report it through 311, since the city handles public trees.

Late fall through winter suits most trees: the leaves are off, the structure is easy to see and the ground is often firm. Oaks should be pruned from December through February, which Purdue Extension recommends to avoid spreading oak wilt. Dead or broken limbs can come out any time of year.

Yes. We work across Allen County, including New Haven, Huntertown, Leo-Cedarville, Grabill, Woodburn and the Aboite area, and into nearby towns such as Auburn, Columbia City and Decatur. Rules on trees along the road differ from one town to the next, and we check what applies at your address.

LawnStarter's 2026 Fort Wayne data puts the average removal at about $730. HomeGuide's national ranges run from $200 to $500 for a tree under 30 feet up to $1,200 to $2,500 or more for one over 80 feet. Trees over the house, dead trees and tight access cost more. We give a written price after seeing the tree.

For a tree on your lot or in your alley, we have not found a city removal permit requirement; the city treats those as the owner's responsibility. Trees in the public right of way are different: the city requires permission from its forestry office for any work on them. Neighborhood associations and historic districts can have their own rules, so check if you live in one.

Only if the quote says so. Removal takes the tree down to a low stump; grinding is a separate line so you can choose. Many people grind right away, while others wait until they decide what to plant or build there.

Yes. We can cut it to stove length and stack it where you want, or leave larger rounds. Purdue asks people not to move firewood far from where it was cut, since it spreads emerald ash borer, so it is best burned at home or nearby.

Removing the whole tree needs the owner's permission, since it is their property. Trimming branches that cross the line is a common source of disputes, so talk with your neighbor first, and check with an attorney if you cannot agree. We are happy to quote either owner.

LawnStarter's 2026 Fort Wayne data puts average tree trimming at about $375. HomeGuide's national figures run from $250 to $700 for trees up to 30 feet and $1,000 to $2,500 or more for trees over 60 feet. The size of the tree, how much is removed and access change the price. We give a written price after seeing it.

Large silver maples near houses are usually worth checking every three to five years, since they grow fast and their weak wood breaks under wind and ice. The goal is to keep dead wood out and weight off the long limbs, not to cut the tree back hard. Younger maples benefit from structural pruning early on.

Topping leaves large stubs that decay, and the tree answers with dense, weakly attached sprouts that break more easily than the original limbs. ANSI A300 pruning shortens limbs by cutting back to a side branch instead. If a tree is truly too big for its spot, removal is often the better answer.

It is best to avoid it. Purdue Extension advises pruning oaks from December through February, because sap beetles that spread oak wilt are active from March through late November and are drawn to fresh cuts. If a limb breaks in a summer storm, it can be cleaned up, keeping the cut as small as possible.

Indiana Michigan Power, part of AEP, does its own line clearance trimming. Questions about that work go to AEP at 1-800-377-4634. Tree companies should not work near energized lines; we prune the rest of the tree.

LawnStarter's 2026 Fort Wayne data puts average stump grinding at about $267. HomeGuide's national figures run about $2 to $6 per inch of diameter, with a minimum charge of $80 to $160 and $30 to $60 for each additional stump. Size, wood type and access matter most.

No. Grinding chips the stump down below the surface and leaves the deeper roots to rot in place. Full removal digs out the stump and root ball, which takes heavier equipment and leaves a large hole. For most yards, grinding is enough.

Fort Wayne's forestry FAQ says street-tree stumps are inventoried and usually removed within a year, and the city does not reseed afterward. If the stump is in the right of way, check with 311 before hiring anyone.

You can, but it is usually better a few feet to one side, where roots and wood chips are not in the way. If you want the same spot, we grind deeper and wider and remove the chips so you can backfill with topsoil.

Yes, public lines should be marked first through Indiana 811, which is free. It does not mark private lines, so tell us about anything you have buried yourself, like a line to a shed or an invisible fence.

HomeGuide says same-day or next-day emergency removal often runs 2 to 3 times the standard rate, and This Old House puts the upper end of emergency jobs at around $5,000. A tree on a house that has to be taken apart carefully costs more than one lying in open yard. We give a written price once we see it.

Often, if the tree damaged a covered structure such as the house or a fence; coverage for trees that fall without hitting anything is more limited. Policies differ, so check yours and take photos before anything is moved. We provide a written quote and invoice for your claim.

If it was a city street tree or is blocking a public road, report it through 311. The city says storm cleanup of public trees can take weeks or months after a big storm. If the tree came from your yard, the debris on your property is yours to clear.

Small limbs on the ground, yes, carefully. Trees bent under tension, trees resting on a roof, or anything near wires is dangerous work; cut wood can spring or roll unexpectedly. Leave those to a tree company and the utility.

Call Indiana Michigan Power (AEP) and stay well away from any downed line. Do not touch branches that are touching wires. We start on the tree once the utility has made the line safe.

Not if it is still healthy or only lightly damaged. Purdue Extension says trunk injections every three years can keep ash alive. A tree with a badly thinned crown, heavy woodpecker damage and bark splits is usually too far gone.

HomeGuide's national range for ash removal is $650 to $2,000. Purdue's example puts a 30-inch ash at about $1,800, or about $3,600 when it stands near buildings. Dead ash often cost more because the wood is brittle. We give a written price after seeing it.

Over the short term, usually yes. Purdue's example compares about $300 per three-year treatment for a 30-inch ash with $1,800 to $3,600 for removal, plus the cost of a replacement tree. Purdue also offers a free online cost calculator to compare the two over 25 years.

Yes, at home or nearby. Purdue asks people not to move firewood far, since that is how emerald ash borer spreads to new areas. We can cut it to firewood length or haul it to a local yard waste site.

Fort Wayne finished removing its ash street trees in 2014 and treats a remaining group of ash. A dead tree in the right of way should be reported through 311. Ash on your lot, in your alley or along a back fence are yours to deal with.

HomeAdvisor's 2026 guide puts tree cabling at about $200 to $400 on average, around $175 for a small tree and $400 or more for medium and large trees. Brace rods, several cables and pruning add to that. We give a written price after seeing the tree.

It greatly lowers the chance by limiting how far the stems can move apart, but no hardware makes a tree failure-proof. Cabling works best on a tree that is otherwise sound, combined with pruning to reduce weight at the ends of limbs.

The anchors make small wounds, which a healthy tree seals over. Installed to ANSI A300 standards in sound wood, the benefit of support usually outweighs that. Wrapping cables around a trunk, an older method, girdles the tree and should not be done.

Steel cables can last many years, but the tree keeps growing around them. Have the hardware checked every few years and after big storms, and adjusted or replaced as needed.

Often, if it has two or three main stems joined at a tight fork and no serious decay at the base. If the fork already has a long open crack, or the trunk is hollow low down, removal may be the safer choice. We look at both before recommending either.