Tree Limb Removal in Tuscaloosa, AL

Hanging and Broken Limbs After a Storm

A limb that has snapped but is still caught in the canopy is often called a hanger or widowmaker. It can drop with a gust, a squirrel or nothing at all.

• Keep people, pets and cars out from under it.
• Do not pull on it with a rope or shake the tree.
• Do not climb a ladder to cut it. A falling limb can swing or kick back unpredictably.

Angi's debris guide notes that emergency work outside normal hours can add about $100 to $150 per hour. If the limb is not over something important, waiting a short time for a scheduled visit is usually safe and often cheaper. Angi also notes that waiting a week or more after a big storm can lower prices as demand drops.

Removing Limbs Over Roofs and Driveways

Over the roof

Branches over the house drop debris, scrape shingles and give squirrels a path onto the roof. Heavy limbs over bedrooms are a real concern in severe weather. Removing or shortening them is usually done with rigging so each piece is lowered rather than dropped.

Over the driveway

Low or dead limbs over parking areas drop sap, twigs and sometimes whole branches on cars. Raising or removing them protects vehicles and gives taller trucks room.

Over a neighbor's yard

Talk with your neighbor before cutting limbs that cross the property line, and get agreement on who is paying.

Limbs Touching or Near Power Lines

Do not touch or cut a limb that is resting on a power line, and assume any downed line is energized. Alabama Power asks customers to contact it immediately if a fallen tree is in contact with a line, and says that unqualified people should not work within 10 feet of overhead lines carrying under 50,000 volts. Once the utility has cleared the line, a tree crew can handle the wood on the ground.

Which Limbs Should Come Off and Which Can Stay

• Remove soon: cracked or split limbs, hangers, dead limbs over the house, drive or play areas.
• Plan to remove: long, heavy limbs extending over the roof, limbs with cavities or fungus at the base.
• Often fine to leave: healthy limbs away from targets, small dead twigs high in the crown with nothing below.

Water oaks, common across Tuscaloosa, are known for weak wood and broken branches as they age. If you have a big water oak over the house, regular limb checks are worth it.

Tree Limb Removal Cost Estimates

Angi's cost guide estimates tree branch removal at roughly $75 to $250, with debris hauling around $75 to $250 per dump trip if the wood needs to leave the property. Angi's general trimming figures, about $80 to $350 for trees under 25 feet and $300 to $1,800 for trees over 50 feet, are a better guide when several limbs high in a tall tree need work. These are national estimates. Height, the size of the limb and what sits beneath it decide your price.