Contents (Click To Jump)
- 1 What Are the Most Common Tree Issues in Fort Smith?
- 2 Does the City of Fort Smith Provide Any Assistance in Tree Removal Problems?
- 3 Who Is Responsible for Fallen Tree Removal in Fort Smith?
- 4 Does Weather Affect Tree Health in Fort Smith?
- 5 What If Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in Fort Smith?
- 6 How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in Fort Smith?
What Are the Most Common Tree Issues in Fort Smith?
Fort Smith is not immune from a variety of tree pests and diseases, sadly, so our trees need careful vigilance to keep them healthy and happy. Here are just a few of the issues that our arborists see in the area:
- Tree disease, like the fungus hypoxylon cankers, are common in Fort Smith can attack a tree in its inner tissues, where it is most vulnerable.
- Tree harming insects, like borers, aren’t content to live on the surface of the tree, but instead eat their way through the bark to eat the inside of the tree, eventually killing it if enough borers are present. These insects thrive in Fort Smith conditions.
- While trees do have natural defenses against these issues, over-pruning, under-watering, or drought conditions in Fort Smith can all make trees more susceptible to these issues.
- If you choose a tree that isn’t native to this area or well-suited to our climate, you may find that it fails to thrive outside of the area it is adapted to enjoy.
Does the City of Fort Smith Provide Any Assistance in Tree Removal Problems?
If a tree falls on your property, it’s going to almost always be your responsibility to handle the tree removal. That being said, if you only eliminate tree branches that are less than 8 feet long and less than 1 foot in diameter, the City of Fort Smith brush collection service will help you estimate the cubic yardage and assess a flat fee for the removal of those limbs, which can be an economical option if you’re maintaining quite a few trees but aren’t taking any of them down entirely.
Who Is Responsible for Fallen Tree Removal in Fort Smith?
Thankfully, most fallen tree responsibility situations are clear-cut, since they both fall and land on the same person’s property. Just because the responsibility is clear, however, doesn’t change that it’s a frustrating and often unexpected expense. The biggest key in assessing who is responsible for the removal of a fallen tree in Fort Smith is to know whether there were clear signs of tree fall danger, versus an out-of-the-blue extreme weather event.
If you’re a homeowner?
As a homeowner, you are responsible for the maintenance of the trees on your property, but if something like a tornado harms an otherwise healthy tree, you have options. You will usually benefit from filing a home insurance claim if an adverse weather event brought down your tree. Of course, you’ll have to assess whether your high deductible would be too much to make a claim worthwhile compared to the cost of the fallen tree removal.
If you’re a renter?
As a renter, it can be startling to discover that a downed tree is now in your yard. You’ll want to get in touch with your landlord immediately so that you can get all the information about the problem to him or her. They are responsible for having the tree removed, and you can ask for it to be prompt if the tree is posing any kind of threat or inconvenience to you. Of course, if it is abundantly clear that your actions caused the tree to fall, there is a potential for it being seen as a cost you have to shoulder, but the vast majority of fallen trees aren’t based on someone running into them or deliberately chopping them down or another intentional action.
If you’re a landlord?
Landlords are responsible for trees falling, and renters may request a prompt removal on an accelerated time schedule if the tree’s location is impeding their use of your property. After all, they are paying for the use of the property, so it makes sense to quickly work with a tree removal specialist to get the tree out of your renters’ way. It’s just part of maintaining a good landlord-renter relationship.
If you’re a neighbor?
When trees fall and it’s no one’s ‘fault,’ they can occasionally cross property lines. The law in Arkansas tends to say that damage of this type should go to each property’s homeowner’s insurance policy, so even if the tree isn’t from your yard, you’d just file and say a tree fell into your yard and caused whatever damage needs to be claimed. The exception would be when neighbors choose the lawsuit route, but the only way that this can be resolved positively is if you have plenty of clear-cut proof that the tree was dangerous, dead, and in danger of falling well before the tree fell. This proof isn’t common, and even if you do have it, the process of a lawsuit is expensive and drawn out–coming to some kind of arrangement may be a better option for all involved.
How Does the Soil Affect Trees in Fort Smith?
This area, as the National Parks Service website will inform you, includes a lot of Muskogee series silt loam. With layers of clay and loam because of streams and rivers that deposited soil in this area, we have strong water retention for keeping roots hydrated, with strong drainage to avoid water pooling so much that roots experience rot or disease. In general, the soil will be to your advantage in planting trees in Fort Smith, but the opposite can be true if you are planting a non-native tree or using a soil/land that has a different soil consistency than the natural soil of this area. If you are in these situations, talk to our arborists for information on how best to keep your tree hydrated, well-anchored, and healthy.
Does Weather Affect Tree Health in Fort Smith?
As you might expect, being in the so-called “tornado alley” is an ever-present danger for Fort Smith trees. Even trees that are fully healthy and well-suited to the environment cannot withstand tornado-force winds. That being said, even normal weather in our area, such as a prolonged period without rain, can make trees vulnerable. If you see that a period of drought is going on long enough to see visible changes in your trees, even older ones, you may want to irrigate them strategically to help them through the long spells without rain. Talk to our experts about how to do this for a particular kind and age of tree.
What If Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in Fort Smith?
Oklahoma Gas and Electric (OG+E) services many of the lines in the Fort Smith area, and they have an extensive FAQ for dead trees and limb hazards near power lines in Fort Smith. They recommend contacting them for any trees or limbs within 10 feet of a power line of any kind, since some arborists aren’t actually certified to work on trees that are close to an operational power system–it’s a much more difficult job. This doesn’t guarantee that they will choose to remove your tree or limb. If they inspect it and determine that there is no danger, they may not be willing to remove the tree themselves. If it is a major concern, however, they are likely to handle it themselves as a way to protect the power lines.
How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in Fort Smith?
Tree removal in our area is considered more affordable than most, with a median cost of $513 per tree removal. Most jobs fall between $175 and $1,875. Here are some ways to evaluate an estimate of a tree removal cost in the Fort Smith area:
Height and Width
In general, you’re going to pay more based on the volume of the tree and the complexity of the limb structure–tightly-packed, easy-to-chop limbs may take less time than wide-ranging, serpentine limbs on something like a willow or live oak. Overall, you’ll also see prices climb the higher your tree towered because many times handling a tree that is close to the ground simply requires less risk and less equipment than dealing with an enormous tree.
Location, Location, Location
In addition to the stature of the tree, the location matters a ton. If your tree fell in a hard-to-reach place, or if you are having a tree removed from beside phone lines or a busy street, our tree crew will have to make special allowances for those circumstances. If it will take them longer or make them use a different kind of truck, they have to pass those costs on to you. If you wonder why a friend with a lot of land was able to get a good deal on tree removal and you are being charged a lot in a dense residential neighborhood like Cavanaugh or Fianna Hills, it could be because of access concerns.
Timing and Convenience Issues
When trees fall on structures or other property, like cars, our tree crews recognize the value in expediting the process. However, they are having to rearrange their schedule to fit in an urgent tree removal, and we do charge extra in many cases if you can’t take their next available time slot. Similarly, if you have multiple trees to take down, there may be a good deal in it for you, since part of the cost of labor is having to pack in our supplies, set up, and pack out our equipment on your property. If we can remove multiple trees while there, we can make the process that much more efficient.
