Tree removal is NOT a do it yourself type of task and often best left to professionals. When cutting down trees there are so many dangers that the utmost care and experience is needed to ensure no damage to the person cutting the tree and the surroundings. Unless properly cut and prepped, the direction of the falling tree can be difficult to control. Countless house, bystanders, cars and power lines have become unintended victims of a fallen tree.
The professionals have spent countless hours of training and hands on experience to learn how to properly cut down a tree. They have learned the techniques of notching, strapping, and pre pruning that go into making the process go as smoothly and controlled as possible. Believe it or not the average amount of time it takes to take down a full grown tree in a populated environment is not minutes like you sometimes see on TV, but hours. A professional will usually start by climbing the tree first and trimming off limb by limb, tying off each limb and gently hoisting them down to the ground so as to not damage any of the surroundings. Only once they have taken off all the limbs will they actually begin working on cutting down the trunk. Sometimes if the tree is above a certain height and/or if there is insufficient clearance they might cut the tree in the middle first and then proceed to felling the bottom. Once done the contractor will also chop up the tree into a fine mulch that can be used or taken away for a mulch delivery on another property.
Unfortunately because of the amount of careful planning and work, the process of tree removal can cost a lot. However the risk to human life and potential damage can often end up costing much more. After all the price tag for fixing a roof or a car can be much more.
When shopping for a professional it is often best to get multiple quotes. Don’t go with the lowest bid unless you feel strongly about that contractor. The best approach is to select the contractor with a reasonable price and who lays out a detailed plan on how they SAFELY plan to down the tree on your property. Be sure to check references and make sure they are properly licensed as well.
