What to Expect From Columbus Tree Service Pros

Columbus Tree Service Pros takes down, prunes and grinds out trees for homeowners in Columbus, Georgia and the towns around it, from the older neighborhoods off Wynnton Road to the newer subdivisions in north Columbus, Midland and Fortson, and across the line into Harris County.

We start on foot. Before anyone talks about price, we walk the yard and look at the tree from every side: the species, how the trunk meets the ground, dead wood in the crown, fungus or soft spots at the base, cracks where big limbs join, and on pines, the small white pitch tubes and brown boring dust that point to bark beetles. Then we look at what is around it: the roof, the carport, fences, the neighbor's yard, the service drop running to the house and the route a crew would take to reach the tree without tearing up the lawn.

We also sort out whose tree it is. Columbus Consolidated Government maintains trees between the sidewalk and the street where that strip is city property, and its FAQ is clear that residents may not cut those trees or hire a private contractor to do it; the request goes to 311. If a tree on your quote looks like it might sit on city right-of-way, we say so before you sign anything. The same goes for trees close to power lines. Georgia 811 says anyone working in the vicinity of overhead high-voltage lines has to notify it at least 72 hours ahead, weekends and holidays not counted, and a tree that is touching a line is a matter for the utility first.

In the historic districts, such as Weracoba-St. Elmo, Wynnton Village or Dinglewood, the city's design guidelines call for a Certificate of Appropriateness for material changes to a historic site. The guidelines do not spell out tree removal, so for a large tree on a designated property we suggest a quick call to the city's historic preservation staff first.

After the walk-through you get a written quote. Each tree gets its own line: what will be done, how it will come down or be cut back, what happens to the brush and wood, whether the stump is ground, and the price. Nothing gets cut until you approve that quote, and if the scope changes once we are in the tree, the change is agreed with you before the work continues.

What you can count on

• A plain explanation of what we see, including when pruning would do instead of removal.
• Heavy limbs lowered on ropes where they can't be dropped.
• Wood and brush hauled off, since city rules say contractors must remove the waste they create and can't leave it at the curb.
• Your yard raked and blown clean before we leave.

Call (762) 240-3944 to set up a free estimate.