Harrison Boulevard and the streets around it

Tree Service in Boise North End, ID

Some of the oldest and largest yard trees in the city, on some of its tightest lots.

No-cost estimates at your property in Treasure Valley and Ada County
Quotes in writing, broken out per tree
We settle what leaves the property before we start

Big Trees, Old Houses, Narrow Lots

Tree Service in Boise North End neighborhoods is precision work. Harrison Boulevard, the neighborhood's best-known street, runs about a mile from West Hays Street up to Hill Road, with a grassy, tree-lined median down the middle. It was paved and landscaped in 1916. The Harrison Boulevard Historic District, listed on the National Register in 1980, covers 119 acres and 427 residences, with houses built between 1898 and 1942 in Queen Anne, Craftsman bungalow, Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival and other styles. The shade trees around those houses are often as old as the homes.

Why North End jobs take planning

A century-old tree on a narrow North End lot rarely has a clear place to fall. Its limbs may reach over two neighbors' roofs, a detached garage on the alley, and the power service to the house. Removals here are almost always climbed and rigged, with each piece lowered on a rope. Pruning is about keeping a big, valuable tree sound: removing deadwood, reducing end weight on long limbs over roofs, and clearing the house and the alley without stripping the interior of the crown.

Street trees and the planting strip

Many North End homes have a street tree in the planting strip. In Boise those are public trees, and the city removes dead, diseased or hazardous ones at no cost to the homeowner after its own assessment. Routine pruning falls to the adjacent owner, and a free permit from Community Forestry is required before a private crew prunes one. The city's own pruning pass reaches each district only every seven or eight years, so many North End owners choose to have street trees pruned on their own schedule.

Historic status

Parts of the North End are in local historic districts. In those districts, removing a tree is on the city's list of projects that need a Certificate of Appropriateness. Check your property's status before scheduling a removal; pruning that keeps the tree is a different matter from taking it out.

Roots, sidewalks and old sewer lines

Old trees near old houses often have roots under sidewalks, driveways and foundations, and near older sewer laterals. Not every root problem calls for removal. Sometimes a sidewalk can be repaired around a root, or a single root can be pruned with care. Cutting large roots close to the trunk can destabilize a tree, so we look at root work and its effect on stability together.

Typical North End work

Crown cleaning and end-weight reduction on large old trees
Clearance over roofs, garages and alleys
Sectional removals in tight spaces
Street-tree pruning after the owner obtains the city permit
Stump grinding in small yards and planting strips

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North End Facts

Harrison Boulevard. The boulevard runs about one mile from West Hays Street to Hill Road, with a grassy median separating the lanes; it was paved and landscaped in 1916.
A large historic district. The Harrison Boulevard Historic District, added to the National Register on February 29, 1980, covers 119 acres and 427 residences built between 1898 and 1942.
Street-tree pruning permit. Boise requires a free Community Forestry permit before a private tree service prunes a street tree; routine pruning of street trees is the adjacent owner's responsibility.
Tree removal in historic districts. For homes in a Boise historic district, removing a tree is listed among the projects that require a Certificate of Appropriateness.

Wildfire Defensible Space Pruning in Boise, ID

Our Services in Boise North End, ID

Boise North End Questions

The tree in my North End planting strip is huge. Who prunes it?

As the adjacent owner, you are responsible for routine pruning, though Boise also prunes on a district-by-district cycle of about seven to eight years. If you want it done sooner, get the free permit from Community Forestry and we will do the work under it.

Can a big tree be removed from a backyard with only alley access?

Yes. Most North End removals are done by climbing and lowering the tree in pieces, then carrying or chipping the wood out through the alley. We confirm alley width, overhead wires and neighbors' parking before the job.

Roots are lifting my sidewalk. Does the tree have to go?

Not always. Small roots can sometimes be pruned, or the walk can be repaired around them. Large roots near the trunk are important for stability, so we look at the whole tree before recommending any root cutting.

Is pruning or removal better for a huge old North End tree?

If the trunk and main limbs are sound, careful pruning almost always comes first. Removal makes sense when there is serious decay, a structural crack or root damage that cannot be managed.

Free Estimates in Boise North End, ID

Free estimates in the North End, from Hyde Park to the foothills.

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