Tree Removal in Glen Ellyn, IL

Tree Removal in Glen Ellyn is shaped by two things: the age of the village and the lay of the land. Glen Ellyn sits at about 781 feet, higher than most of its neighbors, with hills and ravines that are unusual for the western suburbs. Its population grew from 473 in 1890 to 28,846 in 2020, and many homes near downtown and Lake Ellyn are on lots that have had big trees for most of that time. Census QuickFacts puts the median owner-occupied home value at $544,000 and the owner-occupied rate at 78.3%.

Slopes change the job

On a flat lot, a tree can sometimes be felled in one piece. On a slope, the trunk may roll or slide once it hits the ground, and limbs can bounce downhill into a fence or a house. Most Glen Ellyn removals on sloped lots are done by sectioning the tree from the top down and lowering pieces on ropes. Wood is then carried or winched uphill to the street. It takes more time, and the estimate reflects that.

Lightning and tall trees

The village knows lightning. The Lake Glen Ellyn Hotel burned in 1906 after a lightning strike, just 14 years after it opened. The tallest tree on a hill is a natural lightning target, and a struck tree may show a long strip of torn bark, a split trunk or sudden browning. Some survive a strike; others die over the following year as decay moves in. If you see a fresh scar running down a trunk, have it looked at before deciding.

Around Lake Ellyn

Lake Ellyn was created around 1889 by damming a stream. Homes near the lake and along low ground have wetter soils, and trees there can be shallow-rooted. After heavy rain and wind, these are the trees most likely to tip. Signs to watch for:

• Soil or turf lifting on one side of the trunk
• A new lean, even a slight one
• Exposed or broken roots after a storm
• Mushrooms or conks growing around the base

The species we see most

Old Glen Ellyn lots commonly have oaks, sugar and silver maples, spruces and the remaining ash. Each fails differently. Silver maples tend to split at narrow forks. Spruces lose their lower branches and become top-heavy. Dead ash become brittle quickly. Oaks are long-lived and usually worth keeping unless decay or oak wilt is involved.

Clearing up afterward

We chip brush, haul wood unless you want to keep it, and rake and blow the work area. Stump grinding is quoted separately and can be done the same day. On sloped lots we fill grinding holes so they do not wash out.

Older homes, older wires

Older houses often have overhead service drops running from the street or alley through the trees to the house. A limb resting on that line can wear through insulation or pull the drop loose in a storm. We plan removals so limbs are lowered away from the service line, and if the line itself needs to be dropped or protected, we coordinate that with the utility before the work date.

Contact us

Call (630) 864-5605 or send the form. We will look at the tree, the slope and the access, and give you a written estimate. Get a free estimate