Tree Service in Elkhart, IN

Tree Service in Elkhart has a clear dividing line. The city's Building and Grounds forestry staff trims only trees in the treelawn, the strip between the sidewalk and the street. Every tree on the private side of the sidewalk is the owner's job, handled by a private tree service. That line mattered a great deal after the July 2024 tornado, when the city could clear streets but debris left on private property was up to owners.

The July 16, 2024 tornado

Just after midnight, an EF-1 tornado with peak winds near 90 mph touched down on Elkhart's south side and tracked 1.19 miles, up to 250 yards wide. Local reports put the worst damage around Mather Avenue between Carlton Avenue and Naomi Street, with about 60 homes affected and a tree driven through one house. A state of emergency covered the whole county. In the first two days, crews filled 39 trucks with tree debris, and the city then got a 60-day state permit to burn the rest at its Toledo Road site because it could not tell how much remained on private lots.

The lesson for homeowners is not that every tree is a threat. It is that the trees most likely to fail in a storm, ones with decay, cracks or heavy dead limbs, can usually be spotted ahead of time. An inspection before storm season is cheaper than a crane after one.

How Elkhart's city tree program works

• The city trims and inspects treelawn trees; requests go through MyElkhart311.
• Removal of a city tree requires inspection by the City Forester. City removal season runs November through March, though a hazardous tree may be cut sooner with the stump left until then.
• If a fallen tree blocks a road or sidewalk, call Communications at 574-293-2175.
• Building and Grounds is at 1100 McDonald Street, 574-970-0542.

Brush: what the city will and won't take

Elkhart's brush pickup accepts one pile per home, no larger than 4 feet high, 4 feet wide and 8 feet long, on the treelawn. Branches over 6 inches thick are refused, and so is brush from hired tree services or lawn care companies. Pickup is weekly from April through October and the first full week of the month from November through March. If you trim a few branches yourself, the city takes them. If we do the job, we chip and haul the wood, and the estimate says so in writing.

Two rivers, many lakes

The Elkhart River meets the St. Joseph at Island Park just north of downtown, and small lakes ring the city. Trees on riverbanks and lakefronts often lean toward the water and root in soil that stays wet. That is not automatically dangerous, but a lean that changes, soil heaving on the uphill side, or fungus at the base deserves a close look.

Call (574) 607-4654 or send the form. We give written estimates for pruning, removal, stump grinding and storm work anywhere in the city. Get a free estimate