AFFORDABLE TREE REMOVAL SERVICE IN Essex, MD

What Are the Most Common Tree Issues in Essex?

Keeping trees healthy takes more than just planting and forgetting about them. Here in the Essex area, trees can experience a variety of diseases, pests, and acts of nature that can impact their health. Here are just a few things to keep an eye out for:

• Different trees are subject to different diseases, and some diseases simply are more common than others. For instance, if you have an oak tree suffering from a tree disease, it’s more likely to be oak anthracnose or bacterial leaf scorch here in the Essex area, rather than a well-known disease called oak wilt that is more common in other areas of the country.
• There are also bugs that, either because they are invasive or just because they feed on trees a certain way, end up stressing or eventually even killing the trees they live in or feed upon. For instance, the spotted lanternfly has been spreading along the East Coast and has been found in Maryland, and their spread has been associated with increases in tree-damaging mold.
• There are storms that can devastate even a very healthy tree, and with proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, Essex isn’t immune to occasional hurricane force winds.
• Not watering a tree enough after it has been transplanted is also a major source of tree issues. Trees often need more TLC in the first few years than owners realize, and they can die from lack of water during that vulnerable post-transplant time. 

Does the City of Essex Provide Any Assistance in Tree Removal Problems?

While Essex doesn’t have tree trimming services as such, Baltimore County is the resource you should turn to if you have a dead tree or a dangerous tree hazard that is on public right-of-way land near the road. They won’t handle trees that are set far back on your property, but they have a pretty comprehensive tree trimming and removal program for the specific trees that are near roadways, so contact them to let them know if you are concerned about a right-of-way tree.

Who Is Responsible for Fallen Tree Removal in Essex?

Here in Maryland, according to the People’s Law Library, most liability for a tree that falls in an average storm is on the person on whose property the tree is. However, your particular situation may have you wondering whether you’re responsible for a particular fallen tree removal, and luckily, we’ve got answers for you. 

If you’re a homeowner?

As a homeowner, your biggest asset after a tree falls on your property is your homeowners insurance policy. When you signed up for your policy, somewhere in the document was a limit for how much they’d pay out for fallen tree removal in the case of storm damage, for instance. While your policy may vary, many people find that, even though they are liable for removing trees from their property, they don’t have to shoulder the full cost because homeowners insurance can help.

If you’re a renter?

As a renter, you are not responsible for the maintenance of the property itself; the owner or his or her property manager should be keeping an eye on tree health and handling repair projects. When a tree falls on the rental property, it is the property owner’s responsibility to remove it and restore safe living conditions for you and your family. Let them know about the fallen tree as soon as possible and take photographs to show any ongoing obstruction of the property that affects your ability to use it. 

If you’re a landlord?

As a landlord, even if you don’t live right here in Essex, it’s important that you take full responsibility for removing fallen trees. If trees fall on your property but aren’t swiftly removed, they can create bad liability situations for you as a landlord since renters need to move about their typical days and may encounter the fallen tree or be endangered by its continued presence. Take responsibility and call us up immediately.

If you’re a neighbor?

The most contentious possibility is that you don’t even own the land that the tree is on, and yet now your fence or property is damaged by the fall of someone else’s tree. The law points out that any damage is your responsibility or falls under your homeowners policy in most cases that a thunderstorm creates the damage. However, you may have a case for a lawsuit against your neighbor if they knew that the tree was a danger or was dead and looming over your property, but simply chose not to have it removed, and instead waited for it to fall. It is hard to prove this circumstance, but if you have the evidence, you might be able to get the tree’s owner to pay for the damages. 

How Does the Soil Affect Trees in Essex?

While Essex’s soil has been deeply affected by being near the Chesapeake Bay, it is usually a very fine, rich soil for trees. Sassafras soil, a form of sandy loam, tends to grow trees well, avoiding having water pool around the roots of trees and rotting. On the other hand, some of the soils in this area have a higher clay content, resulting in both benefits and drawbacks. Higher clay content keeps water from running off, leaving trees thirsty, but there is more risk of rot during high-rain seasons. The key is to know what kind of soil you have on your particular property and talk to a nursery professional about how to most strategically water a tree in that soil type. 

Does Weather Affect Tree Health in Essex?

While Essex doesn’t see hurricane-force wind every year, when hurricanes do hit Baltimore County, they can uproot and damage trees.

What if Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in Essex?

Baltimore Gas and Electric, which serves many local homes with power, has tree trimming crews that can protect power lines by removing dangerous dead limbs. Call them at 1-800-685-0123 to report a tree limb that is likely to hit a power line if it falls. While the company may deem there is no threat, it is worthwhile to call if you are even a little worried about the potential for a fallen tree.

How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in Essex?

Part of why people in the Essex area are concerned with how fallen trees should be handled is that removal can be relatively expensive, with an average removal being around $600 and reports of costs up to around $2,000 for complex tree removal contexts. Knowing an estimate for how much a tree removal will cost can impact whether, for instance, you choose to pay for the removal or submit a claim through homeowners insurance. If you have a particularly high deductible or minimal coverage for tree removal, your estimate should factor into the choice for how to proceed and pay. Here are some of the considerations that our tree removal experts will consider while evaluating the project.

Tree Size

When you have a particularly tall or wide tree to remove, prices can go up fast because of the necessary equipment. For tree removal when a tree is still standing, for instance, there could be additional harnesses, ways to lower high branches to the ground, and safety gear that wouldn’t be necessary for taking down a shorter tree or a tree that is already on the ground. Similarly, excessively wide trees, especially dense hardwoods like the many kinds of oaks in our area, will require the sturdiest of chainsaws or other equipment in order to cut all the way through, and our skilled workers who know how to effectively handle large projects while remaining efficient and protecting their equipment. Expect the price to go up around $150 to $200 per 10 feet of tree height, but again, this can vary.

Tree Location

In many cases, you’ll find that the tree’s location matters just as much to the final bill because carting out wood and bringing in materials is a big part of the labor equation. If you live in a fairly densely-packed area or a historic district, for instance, our tree removers are taking on the liability of potentially damaging nearby properties when they commit to your tree removal projects. They have to factor in any additional safeguards that they will use to keep the project contained to your property. On the other hand, if you have a large property that is relatively easy to access and with few potential structures to damage during tree removal, you’ll get the best possible rate for the removal due to location. 

Timing Concerns

We create a schedule of which projects we’ll do when, including how many laborers each will need, as well as the distance between jobs. We would prefer to be efficient by, for instance, doing two projects in one day on a single street here in Essex, rather than spending an hour or more driving between projects. When you can help us stick with our schedule by adjusting to our current timeline, you will avoid rush fees. On the other hand, if your project is urgent, such as when a tree falls and is leaning on a structure and potentially damaging it, you may have to bite the bullet and go ahead and pay an extra fee to move ahead in the schedule. This extra cost can be worthwhile if you are trying to prevent further damage due to a fallen tree.