Contents (Click To Jump)
What Are the Most Common Tree Issues in Grapevine?
Like everywhere else, trees in Grapevine experience several issues that threaten their health. The most common tree issues in Grapevine include:
Tree Pests
The most common tree pests in Grapevine are aphids, Emerald ash borers, wood borers, webworms, bagworms, and spider mites. These tree pests can not only cause severe damage to trees, but they can also destroy them. Research indicates that insects typically attack stressed trees. If an infestation occurs, therefore, you should look for sources of stress and try to correct them.
Tree Diseases
Like tree pests, tree diseases are a common tree issue in Grapevine. Trees get sick by a variety of means, including viruses and bacteria that cause infections and illnesses, chemicals like fertilizers, insects and mites, fungi, bad soil, weeds, and over- and under-watering.
Does the City of Grapevine Provide Any Assistance in Tree Removal Problems?
The City of Grapevine provides guidance on what to do when facing tree removal problems. These guidelines are outlined in the Grapevine Code of Ordinances under Section 52. The section highlights instances in which one should need a permit to remove trees and what types of trees to remove.
For instance, the section outlines that you don’t need a permit to remove trees from a single-family home sitting on land that’s less than 2 acres. However, if you are not in a single-family home, you are not allowed to remove a tree with a trunk that is more than 8 inches in diameter. Any tree that is larger than that is considered “protected,” thus requires a tree removal permit.
Nevertheless, certain tree species are exempt from the protection requirements stated within Grapevine’s Code of Ordinance. These species include Horseapple, Tree of Heaven, Chinaberry, Hackberry, Black Willow, Arizona Ash, Siberian Elm, Silver Maple, and Chinese Tallow. These trees are considered non-protected trees. Therefore, you may remove them without a permit regardless of their size.
Who Is Responsible for Fallen Tree Removal in Grapevine?
The responsibility for fallen tree removal in Grapevine falls on the property/tree owner, or the person who was responsible for the falling of the tree. If you are confused as to whether you are responsible or not, here’s what you need to know as far as who’s responsible for fallen tree removal in Grapevine is concerned:
If you’re a homeowner?
As the homeowner, you are the tree owner, thus you are responsible for the injury or damage that occurs because a dangerous tree was left standing. The good news is that you can tell if a tree is on the verge of falling by studying its roots, trunk, and branches.
Should a tree fall on your property, you are responsible for its removal. Although removing a fallen tree is not as difficult as removing a live tree, you may not have the time to remove the tree by yourself – especially if it’s a large tree. This is where our tree removal services come in handy. At Tree Triage, we can help you remove the dead tree at a very competitive price, allowing you to focus on your work.
If you’re a renter?
Unless you had something to do with the problem, then you may not be responsible for the removal of the fallen tree. You can inform the landlord or property owner about the fallen tree so that they can arrange how the tree should be removed.
In case the fallen tree is causing inconveniences, i.e., it is blocking the driveway or denying you access to certain areas, you can organize its removal first, then talk to the landlord later.
If you’re a landlord?
Landlords are property owners and tree owners. As such, landlords should take responsibility for the removal of fallen trees on their property. If you are a landlord, you can hire Tree Triage to remove the fallen tree.
If you’re a neighbor?
Under Texas property laws, if a tree falls from your neighbor’s property onto yours as a result of natural causes, you (as the neighbor) are responsible for its removal. Since the tree fell from natural causes, the neighbor who owned the fallen tree is not legally liable to remove the tree.
However, the owner of the fallen tree would be liable for damages if their tree fell due to negligence. For instance, if the tree owner knew that their tree was decaying or dead, but failed to remedy the problem, they should be responsible for the resulting damages.
What if Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in Grapevine?
Any tree that grows into power lines is a hazard and should be removed with immediate effect. A publication of the public utility commission of Texas indicates that people are injured or even killed in Texas when they climb or prune trees near power lines. Touching a tree that’s in contact with a power line can also result in injury or death by electrocution. You or your loved ones don’t want to become one of the statistics.
Aside from being a danger to human life, dead trees on power lines can start fires, cause service interruptions, and cause power outages. These occurrences can be very costly for residential, industrial, and commercial customers.
The important question here is – can you prune or remove your own trees that are near power lines in Grapevine? The answer is no. Under Texas law (Health & Safety Code, Chapter 752), only professionals authorized by the wire companies are permitted to prune or remove either live or dead trees that are near high voltage power lines.
Homeowners or untrained persons who may attempt to prune or remove trees closer than 6 feet to high voltage lines risk serious injury or even death. As such, you should never attempt to prune or remove dead trees near power lines. Instead, you should contact the power company’s local office and inform them about the dead tree near power lines.
According to the American National Standards Institute A300 Pruning Standards, the majority of power companies rely on professional tree removal companies like Tree Triage to remove dead trees near power lines. We have trained personnel, as well as the right equipment to remove trees near power lines safely.
How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in Grapevine?
Tree removal in Grapevine costs between $125 and $2,000. Like other parts of the country, the cost of tree removal in Grapevine depends on different factors, which include:
How Big is the Tree? (Height and Trunk Width)
One of the questions our tree removal specialists will ask you when you express your need to have a tree removed is “how big is the tree?” This is because the size of the tree is one of the factors that determine the cost of tree removal.
In Grapevine, it costs between $125 and $450 to remove a small tree that’s less than 10 feet high. For medium trees, you should expect to pay between $150 and $800. As for large trees, you can expect up to $2,000 to have them removed.
The reason why the cost of tree removal increases as the tree size increases is obvious; the bigger the tree, the more effort, skill, resources, and time are required from us to accomplish the task. Therefore, it’s important to take measurements of the tree you want to be removed so that you can have an idea of how much it will cost you to have it cut down.
Are There Any Obstacles to Accessing the Tree?
The tree’s location is another important factor of consideration when deciding the cost of tree removal in Grapevine. Is it near a building? Is it located in a small backyard with very little room to maneuver? Are its branches hovering over or near power cables? Or is the tree near other structures?
If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, then you should expect to pay a bit more than one whose tree is located in an open field. The reason for this is that trees that stand next to buildings, power lines, or any other structures can be quite difficult and dangerous to remove.
Is the Tree Alive or Dead?
Some people believe that cutting down a live tree is harder than cutting a sick or dead one, citing that the wet wood tends to stick in the teeth of the saw blade, which makes cutting less efficient. Other people cite that wet wood is heavier, requiring a lot of effort to load in a truck after cutting it up into manageable pieces.
On the other hand, some prefer to cut down live trees not because they find them easier to cut down, but because they find them less risky to bring down. In our opinion, dead and decomposing trees can have dead wood that can break off and hit our crew working at the base.
