Tree Removal in Boise, ID

Tree removal in Boise usually means taking apart a tree that is older and larger than the space around it. Shade trees planted generations ago in the North End, the East End and on the Bench now stand over houses, garages and alleys, so very few can simply be felled. Instead the tree comes down from the top: a climber or a lift removes limbs and sections of trunk, and anything too heavy to drop is lowered on ropes. The height of the tree sets a baseline, but access, what is underneath, and how sound the wood is decide the method and most of the price.

Signs a tree should come out

Some trees make the decision easy: a dead tree, a trunk split down a fork, a large cavity or mushrooms at the base, or a new lean with soil heaved up on one side. Others are judgment calls. A tree that has lost a third of its crown to dieback after years of reduced watering, one that keeps dropping limbs onto a roof, or a fast-growing tree planted too close to the foundation may be better removed than nursed along. We tell you what we see and whether pruning would solve the problem instead.

Dead wood in a dry climate

Dead trees dry out quickly in Boise's low humidity, and dry wood breaks in ways that are harder to predict when rigging. A tree that could be climbed and lowered piece by piece while alive may need a lift, or more careful cuts, once it has stood dead for a few seasons. Angi notes that poor tree health or structural problems can add up to about 15% to the cost of removal. If a tree is clearly on its way out, taking it down sooner is usually simpler and safer.

Rules that come before the saw

Not every tree near your house is yours to remove. Trees in Boise's public right-of-way are managed by Community Forestry; the city removes dead, diseased or hazardous ones at no cost to the adjacent owner, and a homeowner may not remove one on their own. In a historic district, the city says removing a tree likely requires a Certificate of Appropriateness. And trees touching Idaho Power lines are the utility's to clear. We sort out which of these apply before we quote, not after.

What happens to the wood

You choose. Logs can be left in rounds for firewood, cut shorter, or hauled away. Brush goes through the chipper, and the chips can stay as mulch for beds, which helps hold moisture in a dry summer, or leave with us. Stump grinding is a separate line on the quote, so you can add it now or later.

Removing trees in the foothills

On foothills lots, removal is often part of a wildfire plan. The Ready, Set, Go! guidance used by Ada Fire Adapted calls for removing dead trees and keeping at least 10 feet between tree tops in the outer zone around a home. Taking out a dead pine or a crowded tree near the house can do more for fire safety than pruning a dozen healthy ones.