Tree Trimming and Pruning in Greater Chattanooga
Trees trimmed to stay healthy, well-shaped, and looking their best.
Limb over the roof, branches rubbing the house, or a tree you'd just like to look better?
We'll come take a look and give you a clear quote.
Not sure how much should come off?
David can look at the tree with you and tell you what he'd take and what he'd leave.
When Tree Trimming Makes Sense
Nothing has to be wrong with a tree for trimming to make sense.
You may have a tree with:
- A limb hanging over the roof, the driveway, or the deck
- Dead or broken branches
- Branches rubbing the house, the gutters, or a fence
- Growth blocking a window, a view, or the light to the lawn or garden
- Storm damage to part of the canopy
- A shape that's gotten lopsided, overgrown, or just plain shaggy
- Low branches you have to duck under to mow
And sometimes you'd just like the tree to look neater than it does.
That's reason enough.
What Needs to Come Off
If you're not sure what needs to come off, David can take a look and tell you what he sees.
Some branches need to come off now.
Some can stay right where they are.
Either way, you'll know before anyone picks up a saw.
And once in a while the tree doesn't need cutting at all. Feeding for trees and shrubs is a separate service, and he can talk through that too.
What to Expect
What comes off, and how it comes down, depends on the tree and on what's under it.
Five things go into the plan:
- The size, shape, and condition of the tree
- Which branches are causing the problem, and which ones are holding the tree's shape together
- What's underneath: the roof, the driveway, the beds, the fence
- Whether any power lines run through or near the canopy
- How we'll get to the work
Some trimming is done from a bucket.
Some is done by a climber, working from up in the tree.
Limbs are lowered on ropes where they need to be, so nothing lands on what's below.
Where equipment has to run across the yard, we put mats down first. Sometimes no heavy equipment comes onto the property at all.
When the work is done, we clean up the limbs and brush, rake the area, and blow off the drives and walkways.
Trimming Without Topping
Topping makes a tree smaller right away. Then it makes it worse.
Topping means cutting the main branches back to stubs.
The tree pushes out a lot of fast new growth from the cuts. That growth is weakly attached, because it's coming out of a wound and not a proper branch.
Within a few years there's more weight up top than there was before, and it's holding on by less.
So we don't top trees, and David will tell you why if you ask.
What we do instead:
- Cut branches back to a healthy limb the tree can keep growing from
- Take out the dead, broken, and crossing branches
- Thin the canopy where it's too thick
The tree ends up smaller or more open, and it still looks like a tree.
You want the branch gone, and you want a tree that doesn't look hacked. That's the job.
The Truth About Topping Trees (And What to Do Instead) — opens the live blog in a new tab
Limbs Near Power Lines
Most people don't know which wire in the yard is theirs.
The lines running pole to pole along the street belong to the utility. Around Chattanooga that's EPB, and trees that threaten those lines are EPB's to deal with, not yours.
The single line that runs from the pole to your house is a different wire.
That one is the property owner's responsibility, and a lot of people have a limb sitting on it without knowing it's theirs to deal with.
If we see that power lines are going to be a problem on your property, we'll tell you before it becomes one.
We'll also tell you what to contact your provider about, and what to say when you call.
If you're on the Georgia side, your provider may not be EPB, but the questions are the same.
Trees and Power Lines: What's Yours and What Isn't — opens the live blog in a new tab
Why Work With Us
You'll get a straight answer about what needs cutting and what doesn't.
That kind of answer comes from more than 25 years of our work on trees and properties around Greater Chattanooga.
David comes out for the estimate. Tell him what's bothering you about the tree, or what you'd like it to look like.
Want the limb over the roof gone and nothing else touched?
We'll quote that.
Want the whole tree brought back into shape?
He'll walk you through what he'd take off and what he'd leave.
Not sure what you want?
That's fine. That's what the visit is for.
Sometimes the answer is a good trim.
Sometimes it's less work than you were expecting.
And sometimes the tree is fine the way it is, and he'll say so.
The goal is to give you a clear picture of what your trees need, and then do the work well when you're ready.
Out On A Limb For You is an insured Georgia LLC based in Flintstone, Georgia and serves customers throughout Greater Chattanooga on both sides of the Georgia-Tennessee state line.
Tree Removal
Trimming can't fix everything.
Cutting branches off a tree doesn't fix a trunk that's failing.
If a tree is dead, badly damaged, or unsound in a way that trimming won't reach, David will tell you and explain what he's seeing.
When that's the case, we handle the removal too.
Storm Damage
If it came down in a storm
A tree or a large limb on the house, across the driveway, or anywhere else on the property is a storm damage job. Start there.
We can clear the tree and the debris, tarp exposed roof damage when it's needed, and give you the quotes and paperwork your insurance company asks for.
Customer Reviews
A good trim shouldn't look like anything happened, except the problem is gone.
Done right, the tree looks like it grew that way, and the yard looks like nobody was there.
The pros at Out on a Limb, were conscientious, polite, and knew their job well. David Hooper and his crew Joe, Joe, and Kent did an excellent job of opening up my back yard by trimming and professionally pruning an eighty foot white oak. You cannot tell they had been there except for the fact some tree limbs are gone. The tree looks healthy and well balanced. I would recommend these guys to anyone that needs any yard work, or tree service done that is beyond their capability. I am very satisfied..I will call them again if I need more tree work done.!!
Gene Roark — Google Review
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions about tree trimming
Will trimming hurt my tree?
Not when the right branches come off.
We cut back to a point the tree can grow from, take out what's dead or crossing, and leave the healthy structure alone.
What does hurt a tree is topping, and we don't do it.
Can you take off just the one limb?
Yes.
If all you want is the limb over the roof gone and nothing else touched, that's what we'll quote.
If David sees something else worth mentioning while he's there, he'll tell you, and the decision is yours.
There are limbs on the power line running to my house. Who deals with that?
That line is usually yours.
The wire that runs from the pole to your house is the property owner's responsibility, so a limb on it is yours to deal with.
The lines along the street are the utility's. If a tree is touching one of those, that's urgent. EPB customers can report it at 423-648-1372.
If you're not sure which wire you're looking at, ask us when we come out. We'll tell you what we see and what to ask your provider about.
When is the best time of year to trim?
For most trees, the dormant months are the easiest time to do it well. With the leaves off, you can see the whole structure.
That said, a dead limb or a branch on the roof doesn't need to wait for a season.
If you're wondering about a particular tree, ask. Winter Tree Trimming — opens the live blog in a new tab and Why You Should Trim Trees Before Summer Growth Kicks In — opens the live blog in a new tab go through the timing in more detail.
What do you do to protect lawns and landscaping from equipment?
We do our best to prevent damage to your lawn and landscaping.
Where equipment is going to run across the yard, we lay mats down first.
Sometimes no heavy equipment comes in at all. A climber can do the work from up in the tree, and nothing heavy has to cross the grass.
When the work is done, we go back over the ground and straighten things up.
The goal is to prevent damage. Where we can't prevent it, we do our best to put it right before we leave.
Tree Trimming Resources
The longer answers on power lines, topping, and regular trimming.
Trees and Power Lines: What's Yours and What Isn't
Most people assume the power company handles every tree near every wire. It's a reasonable assumption. It's also only about half right, and the half that isn't right is the half in your own front yard.
The Truth About Topping Trees (And What to Do Instead)
Learn why tree topping creates more problems than it solves. Professional arborist explains proper pruning techniques that actually work for size control, safety, and tree health in Chattanooga.
The Importance of Regular Tree Trimming: Ensuring Healthy Growth and More
Enhance your trees' health and beauty with regular trimming. Discover the benefits of this practice for a vibrant landscape. Call for a quote now!
Free Estimates
Contact us for a tree trimming quote today.
Call, text, or send us a message about the tree.
We'll come out, look at it with you, and talk through what you want done.
The quote says what's coming off and what it costs.
The estimate is free.