Tree trimming and removal in Royal Oak, MI: The city's trees wait their turn. Yours do not have to.
Royal Oak prunes its street trees one section at a time, and there are eight sections. The trees on your side of the sidewalk are on you, and that is where HD Landscape comes in: we prune them and take down the smaller ones.
- Private trees by our crew
- Oak cuts timed around oak wilt
- City street trees left to the city
Tree work in Royal Oak
In the City of Trees, owning one comes with duties.
Royal Oak has been a Tree City USA for about 50 years, and planting here goes back to the 1930s. A lot of those trees are now big, old and close to something. The city looks after its own on a fixed schedule, and it expects owners to look after theirs.
The city works on a long cycle
Street trees get pruned by block. Royal Oak is split into eight sections and aims to finish one a year, so a tree may wait years for its turn. It works from that schedule, not from single requests, and the block trimming map shows when your section comes up.
Stop at the sidewalk
The lawn strip along the curb is public right of way. A tree there has to be pruned by the city or under a city permit, so we stay on your side of the walk. A dead street tree or a hanging limb is worth a call to Public Works.
Your limbs are your job
If your tree hangs over the street, city code makes it your job. Owners must keep eight feet clear above the road, keep growth off streetlights and out of the view at intersections, and remove dead or dangerous limbs that threaten the public. If our crew can reach it safely, we will take care of it.
Elms get a yearly check
Every year the city surveys for Dutch elm disease, private yards included. An infected elm is declared a public nuisance and has to be dealt with within 30 days, at the owner's expense on private land. That clock is short, so call early if yours looks wrong.
Oaks wait for November
Oak wilt kills red oaks and can get in through fresh cuts. The Michigan Oak Wilt Coalition puts the greatest risk at April 15 to July 15, and lists November 1 to March 14 as the time to prune without painting cuts. Ask early, and Jake will say whether he can get to your oak in that window or who can.
What you get
Clean cuts, lifted limbs and a yard you can walk.
Our own crew does the pruning and the smaller removals. That covers the work below.
- Pruning
Dead, broken and rubbing branches out, with clean cuts and no stubs.
- Clearance
Low limbs lifted off roofs, walks and drives.
- Smaller removals
Smaller trees cut down and the site cleaned up.
- Stump grinding
Stump ground below grade if you want the spot back.
Oaks have their own calendar in Michigan, so ask about timing early.
In Royal Oak
On a Royal Oak lot, the first question is whose tree it is.
Jake walks the tree with you and tells you whose it is and who should do the work. If it is ours, the itemized estimate says what is being cut and what is staying.
Small lots change how a tree comes out. A limb over a garage or a neighbor's fence has to come down in pieces, and a narrow side yard limits what can get through. Anything near a power line is a job for the utility, not for us.
How the brush gets off the lot goes on your estimate. That matters here, because curbside yard waste only takes wood up to 2 inches thick, pieces up to 5 inches go with the trash under the city's brush rules, and anything bigger is on the owner.
- Our crew
- Pruning and smaller removals on private property
- The city
- Street trees in the strip along the curb
- Oak pruning
- November 1 to mid March. Ask Jake who can get to it.
- Estimate
- Free and itemized
HD Landscape did an outstanding job. They trimmed bushes, planted new shrubs, put down mulch, cut down a tree, grinded down the tree stump and had a company repair fence for me. They were so nice and did everything I asked. They showed up on time and gave me itemized costs beforehand.
Anne J.Trim, plant, mulch, tree and stump
This young man and his crew were nothing less than amazing. They just completed a big project for us.... his team of young men were so polite, professional, easy to get along with... They did a great job on our yard and flower beds. The owner gave us some great advice before they started, and we listened to him.. and we are so glad we did. …
Stephen D.Yard and flower beds
Questions
What people ask about tree trimming in Royal Oak.
If yours is not here, call or text (586) 718-8762.
Do you do tree trimming in Royal Oak?
Yes. HD Landscape trims trees and takes down smaller ones on private property in Royal Oak, and we can grind the stump too. Jake hands the big ones to a tree company, including any big ash still standing dead near a house, since emerald ash borer killed thousands of the city's trees years ago. Call or text (586) 718-8762 for a free estimate.
When will Royal Oak trim the street tree in front of my house?
When your section comes up. Pruning runs by block across eight sections, with a goal of one section a year, and the city's block trimming map shows the schedule. We do not work on street trees, because all work on a public tree must be done by the city or under a right of way permit from Engineering. A private contractor can pull that permit if you do not want to wait. Call Public Works if the tree is completely dead or a broken branch is hanging.
Can I take down a tree on my own lot in Royal Oak without a permit?
The city's forestry pages make private trees the owner's responsibility, and the permits they describe are for public trees. Its climate plan also calls for studying an ordinance to protect existing residential trees, so call the city before a big removal to confirm what applies to your lot. Jake will flag anything he notices at the estimate.
When should I prune my oak?
Between November 1 and mid March, the stretch the Michigan Oak Wilt Coalition treats as clear for trimming oaks without sealing the cuts. Ask Jake early whether he can do it in that stretch or who can. Risk is greatest from April 15 to July 15, and the months on either side are lower but not zero. If a storm breaks an oak between mid March and the end of October, paint the wound right away with shellac or latex paint.
What do I do with storm branches in Royal Oak?
The city chips branches that fall from public trees. Branches from private trees are yours to deal with. From April to mid December, pieces under 4 feet long and 2 to 5 inches thick can be bundled for trash day, and bigger ones may need a chipping service. If it came off a smaller tree, text a photo to (586) 718-8762 and we will say whether it is a job for us.
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Background: a finished job, relit for evening
Free estimate
Get your Royal Oak estimate.
Tell us about the yard and where in Royal Oak it is. Jake will take a look and give you an itemized estimate.