Frequently Asked Questions

For most homes, no. The City of Naperville requires a permit to remove a tree 4 inches or more in diameter on a residential parcel only when the parcel is larger than 1.5 acres; smaller residential lots are exempt, while non-residential parcels of any size need a permit first. Parkway trees between the sidewalk and curb are a different matter: they belong to the city, and only its Department of Public Works removes them. HOA covenants or a development plan can add rules of their own, so we ask about those on the estimate visit.

Size, access and what is underneath drive the price. National 2026 figures from HomeGuide put a tree under 30 feet at about $200 to $500, a 30 to 60 foot tree at $500 to $1,500 and a 60 to 80 foot tree at $850 to $2,000, with ash at $650 to $2,000. A big tree over a roof in a fenced backyard costs more than the same tree in an open lot. Our written estimate is the price.

A healthy ash that has been treated on schedule can often be kept, and treatment is worth weighing if the tree is valuable to you. An ash that has already lost a large part of its crown, or has bark falling off, is usually past saving. Dead ash gets brittle quickly, so if it stands near the house, a driveway or a street, removing it sooner is safer and usually simpler.

Stay away from it and call the electric utility first. Naperville runs its own electric utility, so inside city limits that is usually the city, while many neighboring towns are served by ComEd. Once the line is safe, call (630) 864-5605 and we will handle the tree.

Yes. We work on both sides of Naperville, including the neighborhoods south of 75th Street and the Will County side of the city, plus nearby towns in both counties. Estimates are free, and we come out to see the tree before giving a price.

Removals can be done any time of year. Winter often works well because the canopy is bare and frozen ground carries equipment with less damage to the lawn, and HomeGuide notes prices tend to be lower in winter and early spring than in summer and fall. Wet spring clay is the hardest on lawns, so we may suggest waiting a few dry days.

You choose. Logs can be left in rounds, cut to firewood length or hauled away, and brush is chipped, with the chips left for mulch or taken off site. The stump is its own line on the quote, and it can be ground the same day or later.

Usually, yes. Most trees in fenced Naperville backyards are climbed and taken down in sections, with the pieces carried or rolled out through the gate. For very large trees with nowhere to lower pieces, a crane set up in the street or driveway can lift sections over the house.

A small to medium tree with open access is often done in a few hours. A large tree over a house with tight access can take a full day, sometimes more. The estimate will tell you what to expect.

Some wear is normal where equipment and logs cross the lawn, especially on wet clay in spring. We use mats or plywood where needed and may suggest waiting for dry or frozen ground if the yard is soft.

Yes, but a shared tree belongs to both owners, so we recommend both of you agree before the work is scheduled. We can plan the cuts so that pieces stay on one side where possible.

Not always. We need gates unlocked, cars moved off the driveway if it is part of the work area, and pets inside. Many homeowners are there at the start and check the finished work at the end.

Some of them. Naperville's regular yard waste pickup, run by Groot, takes bundles of branches under 3 inches thick, tied with biodegradable twine, no longer than 4 feet and 2 feet wide, under 60 pounds, each with a yard waste sticker ($2.75 in 2026). During the free spring bulk brush collection, branches 3 to 8 feet long and up to 6 inches thick can be stacked loose on the parkway with cut ends toward the street. Trunks, logs, roots and stumps are not collected as brush. For a full removal, it is usually simpler to have us chip and haul everything, and the estimate lists hauling as its own line so you can choose.

You can call (630) 864-5605 any time to leave details about the tree and the damage. Storm calls are worked in order of danger, starting with trees on houses and blocked driveways, and we will tell you honestly when we can be there.

Often, when a tree damages a covered structure such as the house or a garage, but policies differ. A tree that falls in an open part of the yard without hitting anything may not be covered. Call your insurer, take photos first, and ask us for an itemized invoice.

A hanging limb over a walkway, driveway, play area or roof should not wait, since wind or its own weight can bring it down without warning. Keep people out from under it and call. A broken limb over open lawn is less urgent but still worth dealing with soon.

In many cases the owner of the property where the tree lands handles the cleanup through their own insurance, unless the tree was obviously dead or hazardous beforehand. That is a question for your insurer. We can quote the work either way.

Naperville's heavy clay soils hold a lot of water, and when they are saturated, the root plate loses its grip. In a wet-season windstorm a full-leafed tree can tip over roots and all. A tree that has started to lean with soil cracked or raised on one side should be looked at right away.

Not necessarily. If most of the crown is still full and healthy, treatment may protect it. If a third or more of the crown has died back, or the bark is splitting and falling off, the tree is usually past the point where treatment helps.

Ash wood dries and turns brittle quickly after the tree dies, often within a year or two. Limbs can drop on calm days, and the trunk becomes harder to rig. A dead ash near the house, a driveway or the street should come down soon.

Not in Naperville. Parkway trees belong to the city, and only the Department of Public Works may remove them. You report the tree through the city's Parkway Tree Request Form, and the city removes it and grinds the stump at no charge to you. A replacement tree is offered where there is room, with the homeowner paying half of the city's cost ($165 of $330 as the city lists it), and replacements must go through the city's program rather than a private contractor. Other towns set their own rules, so check with your village if you live outside Naperville.

Pick something different from what is already on your street, so one pest cannot take everything again. Ask the Morton Arboretum in Lisle or a local nursery for species suited to heavy clay and USDA zone 5b, where Naperville sits.

Outrigger pads spread the weight, and we set up on the street where possible. Older, thin or already cracked driveways are a risk, and we will tell you if we think yours is.

Working from a public street can require a permit or notice to the city, depending on the town and how much of the road is blocked. We check that with the town as part of planning the job. Keep in mind that a crane parked on a Naperville street often sits beside a parkway tree, which belongs to the city and cannot be pruned or removed to make room for the setup.

Not always. On a large tree with poor access, a crane can cut the job from days to hours. On a tree that can be climbed and lowered easily, a crane adds cost without much benefit.

Close enough that its boom can reach the tree with the load it needs to lift. Bigger pieces need a shorter reach or a larger crane, so the setup spot is planned around the tree's size and the heaviest sections.

Most mature shade trees do well with a check and deadwood pruning every three to five years. Young trees benefit from light structural pruning every couple of years while they grow. Fast-growing species like silver maple may need attention more often.

Late fall through winter is the safest window. The usual advice in northern Illinois is to avoid pruning oaks from about April through July, when the beetles that spread oak wilt are active, unless a branch is broken or dangerous.

Branches near the main lines along the street or back lot line are the utility's responsibility; in Naperville that is generally the city's electric utility. We can sometimes clear around the service drop to the house when it is safe, and we will tell you which is which.

In general you can trim branches back to your property line, as long as the work does not harm the tree's health. It is wise to talk to your neighbor first, and for a large limb, we can plan the cut so it does not damage the tree.

Usually, yes. HomeGuide's national figures put trimming at about $400 to $900 per tree, compared with $500 to $1,500 to remove a 30 to 60 foot tree. If a tree can be kept healthy and safe with pruning, it is often the better value.

Right away. There is no need to wait for a fresh stump to dry out. Old, partly rotted stumps grind easily too.

No. Grinding removes the stump and the top of the root flare; the larger roots below stay in the ground and rot slowly. Surface roots can be ground out separately if they are a problem in the lawn.

You can, but it is easier to plant a few feet away from the old spot, where the soil is not full of decaying wood chips. If it has to be the same spot, we can grind deeper and remove the grindings so you can bring in fresh soil.

Some species, like silver maple and Callery pear, can send up sprouts from the stump and roots. Rotting stumps can also draw carpenter ants and fungi. Grinding stops most sprouting and removes the habitat.