AFFORDABLE TREE REMOVAL SERVICE IN Montgomery, TX

What Are the Most Common Tree Issues in Montgomery?

One of the most common issues facing trees in Montgomery and elsewhere in Texas is oak wilt, which Texas A&M has declared one of the most destructive tree diseases in the United States. Oak wilt is caused by the fungus, Bretziella fagacearum, which disables the water-conducting tissues in oaks of many types. Trees in the red oak family tend to be the most susceptible to the disease.

Oak wilt generally spreads in two ways. First, sap-feeding beetles can spread the disease among different trees when spores of oak wilt fungus cling to their bodies as they go from tree to tree. In other cases, the disease spreads through interconnected root systems.

Another common disease in East Texas trees is hypoxylon canker. Trees that are already weakened or diseased are particularly susceptible to this type of fungus. Texas A&M tells us that trees can be weakened and made susceptible to this disease due to factors such as “defoliation by insects or leaf fungi, saturated soil, fill dirt, soil compaction, excavation in the root zone of the tree, removal of topsoil under the tree, disease, herbicide injury, drought, heat, nutrient deficiencies, competition or overcrowding, and other factors.” Thinning of the crown and crown branch dieback are both possible signs of infection.

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

The City of Montgomery municipal code places a high priority on trees. The city has a goal of maintaining a certain percentage of tree canopy in developments, so developers must include a plan for maintaining an appropriate number of trees in their applications for new developments. The city also has a very broad definition of protected trees, which it defines as “any tree between the property line and existing or anticipated building setback lines on non-single-family residential property with a caliper of 18 inches or greater that is not one of the following species: bois d’arc, thorny honey locust, hackberry, cottonwood, chinaberry, native black willow, native red or white mulberry, or Chinese tallow.”

If you are considering removing a tree from your property in Montgomery, you will want to keep in mind that the removal of protected trees requires a permit. The city states that the only protected trees that may be removed are “(1) Any protected tree that is dying or has become a hazard tree; (2) Any protected tree that obstructs the only practicable means of ingress or egress to or from the property; or (3) Any other protected tree on previously developed property provided that removal of the protected tree does not reduce the tree canopy below the required minimum tree canopy applicable to the property under Section 78-175.”

The City of Montgomery, unfortunately, does not offer any assistance with tree removal from private property. However, if the tree has fallen and caused property damage, it is possible that the removal may be covered under your homeowner’s insurance.

Who Is Responsible For Fallen Tree Removal in Montgomery?

A general principle in issues related to trees in Texas is that a tree is yours to deal with if it is on your property. As a result, if your tree were to fall over due to disease or storm damage, you would be responsible, as the landowner, for having it removed. Of course, life is never quite as simple as we would like it to be, so there may be other factors to consider when it comes to tree responsibility. Homeowners, renters, and neighbors may all have different views of the subject.

If you’re a homeowner?

As mentioned above, homeowners are generally responsible for the care and removal of trees on their own property. Nevertheless, it never hurts to check your homeowners policy to see whether it might assist with your costs in that regard. Many insurance companies cover at least part of the costs of tree removal, particularly if your house has been damaged, although you would also want to consider things like deductibles before deciding whether to take advantage of any insurance assistance.

If you’re a renter?

Tree maintenance is legally on the landlord in Texas, so unless your lease specifies otherwise, you should not be expected to remove trees from the property where you’re renting. If you see a problem with a tree, let your landlord know so that they can hire a professional like Tree Triage to deal with the situation.

In some cases, should you suffer property loss as a result of a fallen tree, your rental insurance might cover this. If you have this type of insurance, it never hurts to check.

If you’re a landlord?

Because they are the property owner, a landlord will be expected to pay for the removal costs of any tree whose trunk is on his or her property that has become diseased or has died. The only possible exception to this would be if there was an arrangement spelled out in the lease that gave this responsibility to the tenant.

If you’re a neighbor?

In general, in Texas, you have limited rights when it comes to trees located on your neighbor’s property. If you have concerns about tree limbs that extend from your neighbor’s property onto your own, you can trim them up to the property line, but no farther. If your trimming should result in the death of the tree, however, you could be liable for damages. If you see that your neighbor’s tree poses a hazard, the best thing to do is to inform them. If the tree should end up causing damage to your property and it can be shown that the owner was negligent in preventing the accident, they may be considered liable for the damages.

How Does the Soil Affect Trees in Montgomery?

Much of the soil in Montgomery is loam soil, which is soil composed mostly of sand and silt, with smaller amounts of clay. In Montgomery County, the loam is generally closest to the surface, with a layer of more predominantly clay underneath.

Loam is generally a useful type of soil for growing vegetation, because it contains more nutrients than sandy soils, while having better drainage than clay soils. Likely for this reason, the soil survey of Montgomery County referenced above shows how there is a correlation between this type of soil and land that is predominantly timberland.

Moreover, the terrain in this area of Texas ranges from flat to gently sloping. Trees thus do not have to contend with issues such as erosion as often as they do in steeper terrain.

Does Weather Affect Tree Health in Montgomery?

Drought is often a concern in East Texas. Extreme drought stresses trees so that they are forced to rely on reserves of carbohydrates that they have accumulated over the years.

And while we don’t typically think of winter storms as being associated with Texas, they certainly have been known to occur, with potentially damaging results for trees, particularly if the trees were unhealthy to begin with.

What If Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in Montgomery?

Montgomery’s severe storms can blow trees into power lines with some frequency, causing power outages and the potential for life-threatening injury. Should you see dead trees on or near power lines, the best thing to do is to contact Entergy, which serves many residents in Montgomery. Entergy asks that you contact them before attempting to do anything yourself. You can reach them at 1-800-ENTERGY. Entergy has skilled arborists who know how to properly trim or remove trees that are in danger of interfering with power lines. This is certainly not a task that you would want to undertake yourself.  

How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in Montgomery?

As with many costs associated with homeownership, tree removal can be pricey. In Montgomery County, the average cost to remove a tree is around $599, although of course many factors can make this either more or less expensive. A typical range for tree removal cost in Montgomery is anywhere from $208 to $2,091. While this may seem like more than you’d like to pay, the alternative could be even worse. Dying trees have the potential to fall on your home or someone else’s, and in the worst cases could end up injuring other people. In these cases, you could be on the hook for much greater, more unpleasant costs. It’s always best to deal with such problems before they create larger ones.

Accessibility

If our arborists need to spend extra time or use extra technology to reach the tree in question, it will of course end up costing the customer more. After all, time is money! If a tree that you want removed is already on the ground in an easily accessible spot (near the road, for example), you are much more likely to end up with a lower bill than if your tree is up a steep hill behind your home, or if our arborist has to work around many other trees in trying to remove the one you’ve called about. Given the sloped terrain around Montgomery, this may be something that you will need to consider.

Size

In the case of tree removal, it’s not necessarily true that bigger is better. The more work it is to remove a tree, the more it is going to cost the homeowner. Montgomery is certainly known for having some large trees, including a variety of oaks. For this reason, it may end up seeming particularly pricy to have a tree removed in the Montgomery area, but as mentioned above, the alternatives are usually worse.

Others

Some other factors that may contribute to increased costs include:

• You have made an emergency, after-hours request
• Heavy equipment is required
• There is high demand for tree removal services, such as after a wildfire

Now here are some things that might decrease the price:

• The tree turns out to be smaller than anticipated
• You have provided a good deal of advanced notice to us
• The tree is easy to access
• No heavy equipment is required