Tree Removal in Cheektowaga, NY

Tree Removal in Cheektowaga is regulated in a way it is not in most of Erie County. Chapter 229 of the Town Code says it is unlawful to remove a tree on public or private property without a tree removal permit from the Town Building Inspector, unless an exception applies. Most homeowners fall under one of the exceptions, but it is worth five minutes to be sure, because the civil penalty for removing a tree from private property without one can reach $2,500 per tree.

The exceptions that cover most houses

The code measures trunks by caliper, six inches above the ground. On a developed lot of half an acre or less, trees under 12 inches do not need a permit. On a developed lot over half an acre, or on any vacant land, the cutoff drops to 4 inches. Homes developed before January 1, 1992, on lots of 10,200 square feet or less and no more than 60 feet wide are exempt. So are hazardous trees that threaten life or property because of disease, accident or storm damage.

If none of those fit, the application goes to the Building Inspector with a description of the work, and there is no fee when a residentially developed property is removing three or fewer trees. The inspector must decide within 30 days. Removing more than three trees, or removing trees as part of a project that needs a building permit, can trigger replacement planting at one new tree, at least 2.5 inches in caliper, for each one taken.

We go through this with you on the estimate visit: measure the trunk, look at the lot size, and tell you whether you appear to be inside an exemption. The final word belongs to the town, so when it is close we suggest calling the Building Department before scheduling.

Postwar lots, now-mature trees

Cheektowaga was mostly farmland until the subdivisions of the 1950s. The town's population jumped from 45,354 in 1950 to 84,056 in 1960. The maples, ash and spruce planted in neighborhoods such as Cleveland Hill, Pine Hill and Maryvale in those years are now 60 to 70 years old, often larger than the lots were designed for, and planted close to houses, garages and the back lot line. Many of those homes sit on exactly the kind of small, narrow, pre-1992 lots the code exempts.

Wind and snow

The town has taken more than its share of weather. F1 tornadoes struck on July 30, 1987, and on June 30, 2006. In the November 2014 lake-effect storm, the National Weather Service measured 65 inches in South Cheektowaga, the highest total in its Erie County table, and noted that numerous trees gave way under the weight. During the December 1, 2006 windstorm, falling trees damaged homes in Cheektowaga. A tree that is leaning, cracked or rooted in heaved soil after a storm usually qualifies as hazardous and can be removed right away.

Brush and wood

The town picks up branches up to 4 feet long and 40 pounds in bundles, six bundles a week; anything larger means a call to the Highway Department. A removal produces much more than that, so our price includes chipping and hauling unless you tell us otherwise. Get a free estimate