Frequently Asked Questions

For trees in the city right-of-way, usually the strip between the sidewalk and the curb, yes: work on them needs a Tree Work Permit from the Division of Parks and Recreation, filed at least 30 days ahead, and a city-licensed contractor. There is no fee for that permit. When tree removal is part of a building or development project that needs a city permit, Chapter 467 of the City Code also requires a site plan showing the trees and written permission to remove trees over 10 inches in diameter. If you are unsure which applies, we check before quoting.

The City of Buffalo. Call 311 or use the online 311 form to request an inspection, pruning or removal. The city removes street trees that are dead or dying, structurally unsound, or carrying a disease that cannot be treated, and it does not usually take out a healthy tree just because its roots are lifting the sidewalk.

Homeyou's October 2026 Buffalo guide puts a medium tree at about $552 to $748, and This Old House lists a Buffalo average of about $856, with most jobs between $417 and $1,835. Large trees over houses, dead ash and backyard trees that have to be lowered in pieces cost more, and Angi puts hard-to-reach or unsafe sites at 25 to 50 percent above normal. The written estimate we give you after seeing the tree is the price.

Get everyone away from the tree and any wire it touches, and treat every downed line as live. Call 911 or National Grid for lines, then take photos of the tree and the damage for your insurer before anything is moved. Call us at (716) 475-9224 to leave the details at any hour; storm calls are scheduled in order of danger, with trees on houses and blocked exits first.

Often, yes. Frozen ground carries equipment across lawns and beds with far less damage, the leaves are off so the crew can see the structure of the tree, and there is less to clean up. Deep snow and ice can make a job slower, and a tree that is an immediate hazard should not wait for a season.

Thinning in the upper crown, woodpecker damage, vertical bark splits and sprouts along the trunk are classic signs of emerald ash borer, which has been in Erie County since 2011. A tree that is still mostly healthy can sometimes be treated, but once it is dead it turns brittle fast, and removal gets harder and more expensive every season. If it can reach your house, a driveway or a street, it is worth having it looked at now.

National Grid trims around its high-voltage lines, but the service drop from the pole to the house is the homeowner's responsibility. For a city street tree touching that wire, the city's Forestry office asks residents to call 311. For a tree on your own lot, we can arrange a temporary disconnect with National Grid, which needs at least five days' notice.

We work across Buffalo and Erie County, and hauling is part of every quote unless you ask to keep the wood. City curbside pickup takes only small branches tied in bundles no longer than four feet, so a full tree removal normally needs the debris hauled. Ash wood stays local under New York's rules on moving firewood.

Yes. That is what sectional removal is for. The tree is taken apart from the top, and each piece is lowered on a rope rather than dropped, so it lands where the crew wants it.

Only if you want it. Stump grinding is quoted as its own line so you can choose. Many people leave the stump if they plan to put a shed or patio there later, and grind it if they want lawn back.

If it stands between the sidewalk and the curb, it is a city tree, and only the city or a licensed contractor with a Tree Work Permit may work on it. Residents can do only light care with hand tools, with no chainsaws or ladders. Call 311 to have the city inspect it.

Policies usually pay when a covered event, such as wind or the weight of snow and ice, drops a tree on the house or another insured structure. Removing a tree before it falls is usually the owner's cost. Check your own policy, and take photos before any cleanup.

A single medium tree with good access is often done in part of a day. Large trees over houses, multiple trees, or jobs that need a crane take longer, and the quote gives you the expected time.

Make everyone safe and report downed wires first, then photograph the damage. Most insurers want to hear from you quickly, but they also expect you to prevent further damage, which usually means getting the tree off the roof. Keep your itemized invoice for the claim.

We do not send anyone into a tree while high winds or heavy snow are still coming down, because it is not safe for anyone. You can call any time to leave details, and storm jobs are scheduled in order of danger once conditions allow.

That depends on your policies and on whether the tree was known to be dead or hazardous beforehand, so start with your own insurer. We can remove the tree once whoever is paying approves the written quote.

Report it to 311 right away; trees in the right-of-way are the city's responsibility. If the city cannot respond in time and the tree is causing damage, ask the city what you are allowed to do, since work on city trees normally requires a permit.

Small, flexible trees often straighten once the snow melts. Large trees that now lean, show a crack, or have lifted soil on one side should be looked at before the next storm.

The borer is established across Erie County, and untreated ash here are very likely to be infested sooner or later. A tree can carry the beetle for a few years before the crown shows it.

Not if it is already thinning and you have decided not to treat it. Removing an ash while it is still alive is usually safer and less expensive than waiting until it is dead and brittle.

Yes, burning it on your own property is fine. What New York restricts is moving untreated firewood more than 50 miles from where it was cut.

That tree belongs to the City of Buffalo. Request an inspection through 311, since the city removes street trees that are dead or dying.

Many people do. Pick a species that is not already common on your street, so one pest or disease cannot take out every tree at once, and keep large species away from the house and overhead wires.

If the tree leans over a house with no open ground, is dead and brittle, or stands in a back yard you cannot reach with equipment, a crane is likely. We say so at the estimate and explain why.

The crane sits on pads to spread its weight, and mats go down where it and the trucks travel. Soft spring lawns and thin, old driveways get extra protection, and we discuss the setup spot with you first.

It helps. The crane may block part of the street for a few hours, and pieces may pass over a neighbor's yard. We can work around their cars and schedules if they know ahead of time.

The crane adds cost, but it can shorten the job and lower the risk to your house. For trees directly over a roof, the total is often close to a long rigging job, and the quote shows the crane cost on its own line.

People use the words for the same work. Pruning usually means selective cuts for the tree's health and structure, and trimming often means cutting back for clearance or appearance. Good work does both to the same standard.

Sometimes. A sound tree with one dead limb or a heavy branch over the roof can often be made safe with pruning. A tree with decay at the base, a major crack or a dead ash crown cannot.

Many mature shade trees need attention every three to five years, and sooner after storm damage. Young trees benefit from light structural pruning more often.

No. Topping leaves stubs that rot and sprouts that break easily. If a tree is too big for its spot, we reduce it properly or talk with you about removal.

Only with a city Tree Work Permit, and it is usually better to request pruning through 311 first. The city prunes street trees by block.

Standard grinding goes about 4 to 6 inches below the soil, which is enough for grass. If you want to plant a new tree or build over the spot, we grind deeper and price it that way.

Yes. Old stumps left by another company, a storm or a previous owner are common jobs on their own.

Most trees do not regrow once the stump is ground below grade, though some maples and other species may send up a few sprouts from roots for a season. Those can be mowed or cut.

Compact stump grinders are made to fit through ordinary gate openings. Measure your narrowest gate and tell us when you call, and we will plan around it.

Stumps in the strip between the sidewalk and the curb are the city's. Request removal through 311.