What to Expect From Tree Service South Bend

Tree Service South Bend takes down, trims and grinds out trees for homeowners in South Bend and the towns around it in St. Joseph County, from the older blocks near downtown and the river to the subdivisions out toward Granger and the farm country west of the city.

Each job begins with a walk around the property. We look at the tree first: its species, whether the crown is thinning, dead limbs, cracks, cavities, fungus near the base and any lean. Then we look at what surrounds it, because that usually decides the method more than the height does. In South Bend that often means a house set close to the lot line, a detached garage off an alley, overhead service wires crossing the back yard, and a neighbor's fence a few feet from the trunk.

We also sort out whose tree it is and what paperwork applies. In South Bend the tree lawn, the strip of grass between the sidewalk and the curb, is the property owner's responsibility, but the city requires a permit before anyone plants, trims or removes a tree there. The Forestry office of Venues Parks & Arts handles those requests at 574-299-4766; the permit carries no fee and is good for a year once the City Forester has looked at the tree. If a tree you want worked on stands in the tree lawn, we tell you at the estimate so the permit is in hand before we start.

Wires are the other early question. Indiana Michigan Power says homeowners should never trim near its lines, and that clearing branches from the service drop (the wire running from the pole to your house) is the owner's job. I&M will disconnect that line if you call 800-311-4634 at least two business days ahead. When a tree is tangled in the main lines on the poles, that work belongs to the utility, and we pick up once the line is safe.

After the visit you get a written quote. It lists each tree, what will be done, how the brush and wood will be handled, whether the stump is ground, and the price. Nothing gets cut until you approve it, and if we find something mid-job that changes the work, we stop and agree on it with you first.

How the work is done

• Limbs over roofs, garages and fences lowered on ropes instead of dropped.
• Oaks pruned in the dormant months whenever the job allows, to keep oak wilt beetles away from fresh cuts.
• Ash trees checked for emerald ash borer damage before anyone climbs them.
• Lawns protected with mats or plywood where equipment has to cross.
• Logs left in rounds, cut to firewood length or hauled off, as you choose.
• After storms, trees on houses and blocked driveways come before cleanup.

Call (574) 607-4654 to set up a free estimate.