AFFORDABLE TREE REMOVAL SERVICE IN Valdosta, GA

What Are the Most Common Tree Issues in Valdosta?

Valdosta, Georgia residents love their local trees, yet have to experience very hot summers and short, cold winters throughout the year. These extremes can often bring major stress to trees in the area, some of which are over a century old.

At least city officials put every effort into preserving our trees to prevent the wrath of nature. Some of the most common trees seen here include Live Oak, Longleaf Pine, and Sycamore.

Most of these trees are vulnerable to more than the local climate. Diseases and insects are prevalent and often impossible to stave off completely. The Emerald Ash Borer Beetle is one of the most insidious in Valdosta and across the state of Georgia. Other insects we see are weevils, pine tip moths, plus twig girdlers, and twig pruners.

Diseases like Oak Leaf Blister also wreak havoc on the area’s oak trees that are so valued here.

What else could afflict your trees in our beautiful city? Sometimes tree blight becomes a widespread problem too many residents ignore. This is usually caused by various fungal infestations permeating the region.

Construction crews all too often damage tree roots to old trees when digging up the ground during projects. Unfortunately, they don’t always realize digging mere feet away from a tree can hurt the root and eventually kill the tree.

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

Valdosta has been a Tree City for decades now, so the removal of any tree here has to be carefully considered. To remove a city tree, residents have to go through Valdosta’s Arbor Division to get a permit.

The permit is only one page and requires the submittal date, the site address, plus information about the applicant and owner. At the bottom, the permit requires a list of the trees removed and any new ones planted in the same spot.

Valdosta’s Arbor Division lets residents know in a timely manner whether the permit is accepted or denied. However, if the tree is a true danger to local property or life, it gives more incentive to remove the tree.

Thanks to the Community Development Department working closely with the Arbor Division, landscape plans are reviewed carefully. Doing so brings more consistency to all the landscape and tree requirements within the city.

What about trees on our own property here? It requires a different approach.

Who Is Responsible For Fallen Tree Removal in Valdosta?

The person responsible for a fallen tree sometimes becomes complicated based on the situation. If we’re a homeowner, we’ll usually have different responsibilities if the tree is outside Valdosta’s property line.

When we rent or work as a landlord, other responsibilities may apply. A tree falling from our neighbor’s yard also brings potential legal entanglements.

If you’re a homeowner?

When we have trees falling on our own property, it becomes our responsibility for the cleanup. Valdosta does plant what’s called “right of way” trees that are right near residential properties. If one of those trees falls on our property, we have to contact the Arbor Division to get a removal permit.

Otherwise, if we buy our own tree and plant it within our property lines, we have to pay for tree care, no matter what happens. When major storms hit, this might mean the tree would be going over our homes.

If this happens, it’s time to use a homeowners’ insurance policy to cover damages. These insurance companies assess the damage and then hire an appropriate tree care service to clean up the debris.

If you’re a renter?

Renting property here in Valdosta means the landlord is typically responsible for a tree based on two factors. Georgia’s law says that if a tree is visibly dead or diseased, it needs either special care or removal. A landlord is supposed to take responsibility for this since they own the property.

This might vary based on a renter’s contract with the landlord. Most important is to read the rental agreement and see who really is responsible here.

If you’re a landlord?

Once again, responsibility here depends on the rental contract. Sometimes, landlords create rental addendums saying tenants are responsible for yard upkeep.

Landlords still need to take care in understanding that trees can pose dangers and require automatic preventative maintenance.

If you’re a neighbor?

Acts of God are a big legal hurdle here when a neighbor’s tree goes over our own homes. A healthy tree that happens to topple over on our house from a windstorm or flood means the neighbor is not responsible for damages. We ultimately are, but only with an exception.

If we warned our neighbor about a dead or diseased tree in their yard for a long time, we have the law on our side. Should that tree fall on our property, we have a right to take legal action against the neighbor if the tree caused property damage.

It’s all the more essential to realize trees posing any dangers need our experienced tree care specialists to analyze the situation.

How Does the Soil Affect Trees in Valdosta?

Poor soil can easily affect how trees grow in Valdosta, not including the climate playing a factor. According to Valdosta’s official soil survey, the city has very permeable sandy soils, a type that can easily lose water if not careful.

Erosion is a big problem with sandy soil, and it’s not always the best type of soil for trees. Still, it works fine when taking time to add more organic matter. Since Valdosta does have warm and dry summers, the more we can care for our soil, the less our trees become parched.

Also, it’s a good idea to add mulch during drought seasons. Doing this helps add more moisture to the soil when the sand drains water too fast.

It’s always a good idea to analyze the soil before doing any tree planting or removal. Many residents never really realize what type of soil they have around their trees until having a survey done.

Does Weather Affect Tree Health in Valdosta?

The weather in Valdosta definitely plays a part in tree growth or loss. During a more settled weather year, trees usually withstand soil challenges, plus moderate rains or windstorms.

Unfortunately, Valdosta is not immune to natural disasters. Residents have gone through hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, and floods over the years. Back in 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit the region, felling many of the valued century-old trees still standing here.

Also, back in 2017, FEMA hired local Valdosta residents to help with cleanup after Hurricane Irma. Tree loss was catastrophic during those events, not including dealing with occasional tornadoes and ice storms.

Heavy ice can easily destroy trees based on the weight of the icicles on each tree branch. In addition, wildfires wipe out giant swaths of trees virtually overnight as we’ve seen more than once here.

All we can do is take care of our trees the best we can since extreme weather like this is impossible to control.

What If Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in Valdosta?

As you saw, windstorms from hurricanes are still a prevalent scenario here in our city. During those times, the chances of a tree going over on power lines is more than good.

Once a tree hits power lines, our tree care specialists have a major job on their hands. Jobs on this level are not uncommon to us, and it puts a lot of stress on our workers who want to appease worried residents.

Most important is for residents to never attempt tree removal on their own when around power lines. Far too many people have been electrocuted attempting to clean up tree debris with their chainsaws.

Valdosta’s local power utility (Georgia Power) is responsible for power line work when trees fall. Keep in mind they could charge a resident if a tree on private property falls on their lines.

Sometimes our tree care specialists are called in to help with more expert cleanup.

How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in Valdosta?

Costs of tree care service are always going to vary based on various factors if any can be controlled. Most of it has to do with nature and how pricing tiers work with tree care companies.

The average cost for tree removal here in Valdosta is around $508. Most jobs fall within the range of $250 to $1,800.

Other cost factors apply here and need serious consideration:

Extreme Weather

We already demonstrated that Valdosta has extreme weather during certain times of the year. What does this mean in terms of what someone might pay for tree removal?

Much of this goes on labor time in amending the situation. After a hurricane blows through, it’s often a messy job for our tree care specialists to take on. Removing a tree after wind events could likely take more than 24 hours to clean up.

Patience is always appreciated when this happens. Nevertheless, some weather events could mean more than a 24-hour wait. Extra labor time means a higher final bill.

Size of the Tree

Many old oak trees in Valdosta are fairly large. Their trunk sizes, especially, are often tough to cut down and haul away after a fall. Depending on where the tree fell, the extra size means more time cutting down the trunk and cleaning up branches.

Expect to pay anywhere from $100 to $200 more on the bill when adding in trunk removal.

Accessibility Issues

Valdosta is fortunate to still have natural areas where trees exist. Some of those remote areas are owned by residents, which means potential accessibility challenges.

A fallen tree in a remote area is going to require our workers having to haul in special equipment to gain faster access. Removing the tree could prove difficult in that scenario, requiring extra labor time once again.