Frequently Asked Questions

It depends on where the tree stands and what kind of lot it is on. Any tree in the public right-of-way needs a Mobile Tree Commission permit. On a developed home lot outside a historic district, the city generally requires no permit; inside a historic district, Heritage Trees 8 inches in diameter and larger need one, and on undeveloped residential land outside a district, live oaks 18 inches and up do. The city's My Place map shows whether your address is in a historic district.

National 2026 cost guides put the average tree removal at about $400 to $1,200, with small trees under 30 feet around $200 to $500 and trees over 80 feet $1,200 to $2,500 or more. Trimming runs about $250 to $700 for a tree under 30 feet. Trees over a house, near lines or hard to reach cost more. We give a written price after seeing the tree.

If it is in the city right-of-way, it belongs to the City of Mobile. You can report problems to Mobile 311, and Urban Forestry crews handle city trees by priority, with public safety first. A private company can only work on it with a Tree Commission permit. After hours, a city tree blocking a road is a call to the Mobile Police Department.

Not limbs from a contractor. Mobile's trash rules say debris from contractor work is the contractor's job to haul to the landfill, and curbside trash pickup will not take limbs over 6 feet long or 12 inches thick, or piles over 2 cubic yards without a charge. Our quotes say plainly how the wood and brush leave your yard.

Yes, if you can. Hurricane season runs June through November, and work booked in spring is far easier to schedule than work requested the week a storm is forecast. University of Florida research after Gulf hurricanes found properly pruned trees survived at 73 percent versus 47 percent for unpruned trees. Removing dead wood and thinning heavy limb ends helps; topping and over-thinning do not.

Alabama Power. Industry safety standards keep anyone who is not line-clearance qualified at least 10 feet from overhead lines, and Alabama Power asks customers to contact it for an evaluation. Once the line is clear or de-energized, we can take care of the rest of the tree and the cleanup.

Usually only when the tree damages a covered structure, such as the house or a detached garage. Consumer Reports, citing the Insurance Information Institute, notes insurers generally cap tree removal at $500 or $1,000. A tree that falls in the open yard without hitting anything is normally the owner's cost. Ask your insurer how your policy handles wind and hurricane damage before you need it.

We grind stumps as part of a removal or as a separate job, and can come out for a single stump in Mobile or nearby towns. Grinding is especially worth doing for pines killed by bark beetles, which Alabama Extension recommends removing along with the stump.

HomeGuide's 2026 national figures run from about $200 for a tree under 30 feet to $2,500 or more for one over 80 feet, with pines at $250 to $1,600 and oaks at $300 to $2,500. A tall pine in an open yard costs far less than a water oak hanging over a roof. Your written estimate is the price.

On a developed residential lot outside a historic district, generally yes, as long as the tree is not in the right-of-way. Inside a historic district, Heritage Trees 8 inches in diameter and up need a Tree Commission permit. Check your address on the city's My Place map.

If the needles have turned red or brown and there are pitch tubes or boring dust on the bark, the tree is usually dying. Alabama Extension recommends removing pines with Ips engraver beetles or southern pine beetle promptly and grinding the stump. Nearby pines are worth checking too.

Usually. A tree lying in an open yard needs no climbing or rigging. A fallen tree resting on a house, fence or another tree can be harder than a standing one, because it is under tension and has to be taken apart carefully.

Yes. Tell us what length you want and where to stack it, and the quote will reflect hauling less. Pine is poor indoor firewood, but oak and pecan split and burn well once dried.

Late winter through spring works well for most hardwoods, and it means the work is done before hurricane season starts in June. Dead wood can come out any time. Avoid heavy pruning on stressed trees during summer drought.

HomeGuide's 2026 national figures run about $250 to $700 for a tree under 30 feet and $600 to $1,200 for one 30 to 60 feet tall, with oaks at $450 to $1,500. A big live oak with limbs over a roof costs more than an open-grown tree. We give a written price after seeing it.

Removing dead wood and reducing long, heavy limbs helps. Stripping the interior or topping does the opposite. UF research found properly pruned trees survived Gulf hurricanes at higher rates than unpruned ones.

Not without a Mobile Tree Commission permit. Trees in the right-of-way are city property. You can request city trimming through Mobile 311 or apply for a permit online.

It depends on the tree's age and health, but pruning standards favor removing no more live canopy than the goal requires. Young trees tolerate more; old or stressed trees much less.

HomeGuide's 2026 national figures run about $2 to $6 per inch of diameter, with a minimum visit of $80 to $160. A 24-inch stump typically falls around $50 to $150. Multiple stumps in one visit cost less each. Your written estimate is the price.

Usually several inches below the soil, enough to cover with soil and grass. If you plan to replant in the same spot or build over it, we can go deeper.

Most species die once the stump is ground. Some, such as sweetgum, can sprout from roots for a while; cutting the sprouts back as they appear exhausts them.

You can, but the chips and old roots make poor soil. Remove the chips, add topsoil, or plant a few feet to one side.

Yes. Alabama Extension recommends removing pines infested with Ips engraver beetles or southern pine beetle and grinding the stump.

If anyone is hurt or a gas line is involved, call 911. If power lines are down or touching the tree, call Alabama Power. Then call your insurer and a tree company to take the weight off the house.

Usually when the tree damaged a covered structure such as the house or a garage. Payouts for removal are often capped at $500 or $1,000. A tree that fell in the open yard is normally the owner's cost.

Generally your own. Consumer Reports notes you file with your insurer even if the tree grew in the neighbor's yard, and your insurer may try to recover costs from theirs.

The City of Mobile. Report it to Mobile 311 during business hours, or to the Mobile Police Department after hours if it is blocking the road.

Have dead wood, cracked limbs and heavy branches over the house dealt with before the season starts in June. Do not have trees topped or stripped out the week before a storm; that makes them weaker, and crews are hardest to book then.

Not if it is on your developed lot outside a historic district and not in the right-of-way. Inside a historic district, oaks 8 inches and larger are Heritage Trees and need a Tree Commission permit. Any tree in the right-of-way needs one.

Late winter into spring is a good time, so the work is done well before hurricane season. Dead or hanging limbs should come out whenever they are noticed.

There is no need. Spanish moss takes its water and nutrients from the air and rain, not from the tree. Heavy clumps can add weight to dead branches, which should come out anyway.

Not necessarily. Long ground-touching limbs are natural on live oaks. If it is in the way, it can often be shortened rather than removed at the trunk, which avoids a large wound.

HomeGuide's 2026 national figures put oak trimming at about $450 to $1,500 per tree, and very large trees over 60 feet at $1,000 to $2,500 or more. A broad oak over a house takes longer. We give a written price after seeing it.

Most landscape palms only need trimming once a year, to remove fully dead fronds and seed stalks. Fast-growing or fruit-heavy palms near pools or patios may need it twice.

HomeGuide's national figures run about $75 to $400 for a palm 15 to 30 feet tall and $150 to $900 for one 30 to 60 feet tall. Several palms in one visit usually cost less each. Your written estimate is the price.

No. UF/IFAS Extension says hurricane cuts weaken a palm's ability to withstand high wind. Remove only dead fronds and loose seed stalks that could become projectiles.

Not necessarily. Extension agents advise waiting, sometimes into late summer, to see whether a new spear emerges green. Removing it too soon may mean losing a palm that would have recovered.