Dead and hazard tree removal in Cookeville

Most removals around Cookeville fall into one of three groups: a tree that's already dead, a tree that's alive but leaning or cracked over something you care about, and a healthy tree that's simply in the wrong place for an addition, a driveway or a garden. How it comes down depends far more on what's under it than on the tree itself.

Things that usually prompt the call

• No leaves in late spring on part or all of the crown, or bark falling away in sheets.
• A crack running down the trunk, or a fork that's splitting apart.
• A new lean, especially with soil heaving up on the opposite side.
• Mushrooms or soft, crumbly wood at the base.
• On ash: thinning from the top, woodpecker damage and small D-shaped exit holes about 1/8 inch wide. On pine: pitch tubes on the bark and needles turning red. See the pest guide.

Only someone who looks at the tree in person can say whether it's actually a hazard. A contractor's quote visit is a good time to ask.

Felled whole, or taken down in pieces

With open ground, a tree can be notched and dropped in one piece. Next to a roof, fence or power line it's usually climbed or reached from a lift and brought down in sections, with heavier pieces lowered on ropes. The tallest trees, or ones that can't be climbed safely, sometimes need a crane; Angi puts crane service at about $250 to $600 a day and says trees over 80 feet generally need one.

Questions to settle in the quote

1. Is the stump included? Grinding is usually priced separately, often by the stump's diameter.
2. Who takes the wood? Cookeville's free brush pickup doesn't take limbs or trunks cut by private contractors, so the quote should say whether it's chipped, hauled or left in rounds.
3. Is anything near a power line? If the tree touches or overhangs a utility line, the utility usually needs to be involved first. See trees near power lines.
4. Whose tree is it? Trees in the right-of-way are the city's. Check Cookeville tree rules if the tree is near the street.
5. How will the drop zone be protected? Ask how they'll keep pieces off the roof, gutters, septic field and driveway.

Price

Angi's national average is $750 per tree, and most homeowners pay between $200 and $2,000. A tree in poor health or with structural problems can add up to 15%, and a hard-to-reach spot can add 25% to 50%. See the cost page.