Tree Removal in Columbus, GA

Tree removal in Columbus is usually a judgment about two things: how much life the tree has left and what it would hit if it failed. A water oak with a hollow base over a bedroom, a pine that has started to lean after a wet spring, or a sweetgum lifting the driveway are all different problems with different answers. We look at the tree, tell you what we see and whether it really needs to come down, and if it does, plan a way to get it out without damage to your house or your neighbor's.

Why so many Columbus oaks are at the end

Water oak is everywhere in the older parts of the city, and it is relatively short-lived for an oak, often 60 to 80 years. It grows fast and is often the most common tree in a stand, which is why so many lots in Midtown, East Columbus and the postwar subdivisions have several. As these trees age they develop decay in the trunk and at old limb wounds, drop large limbs and sometimes fail at the base. A removal planned on a dry day is far simpler than one done after the tree comes down across a roof.

How a tree comes down on a tight lot

On most residential lots there is no room to fell a mature tree in one piece. A climber or a lift takes the limbs off first, then the trunk comes down in sections. Pieces too heavy to drop are tied off and lowered on ropes so they swing away from the roof, the fence or the air conditioner. In some cases a crane is the safest way to lift large sections over a house. The tree's size matters, but access, what is underneath and the condition of the wood usually decide how long the job takes.

Trees that are not yours to cut

The city maintains trees between the sidewalk and the street where that strip is city property, and its FAQ says residents may not cut them or hire a private contractor; those requests go through 311. Easements are a different story: the city treats them as private property, so a dead tree in your easement is the owner's job. If a tree is tangled in power lines, the utility handles the line first.

What happens to the wood

Columbus picks up limbs at the curb only up to four feet long and six inches thick, and the city's rules say contractors must remove the waste they generate. So our quote includes the brush and logs: chipped and hauled, logs left in rounds for firewood if you want them, or everything taken off. Green waste from the city's side goes to Pine Grove Landfill, which accepts limbs, stumps and whole trees. The stump is its own line on the quote, so you can decide whether to grind it now or later.