AFFORDABLE TREE REMOVAL SERVICE IN Centreville, VA

What Are the Most Common Tree Issues in Centreville?

Since Colonial times, the shady streets of Centreville have offered a comfortable place to settle down. From the tree-lined trails of our many parks to the old trees in Historic Centreville Park, trees are part of our community. The annual honors of our Friends of Trees Awards show how much we love our trees. Part of loving and caring for our trees can, unfortunately, also include tree removal, needed to protect people, property, and other trees as well. While some trees may require removal due to construction activity, road expansion, or other planned activities, trees can also fall victim to other hazards which may force their removal. Some of the more common tree problems we encounter in Centreville include:

Tree Diseases

Many people aren’t aware that trees can catch diseases just as people and animals can. These are often spread from tree to tree by insects, or by spores that travel through the air, soil, water, or from contact between the roots of different trees.

• Thousand Cankers — This fungus, spread by bark beetles, kills black walnut trees, causing ugly growths which increasingly block a tree’s internal system for transporting water and nutrients until it causes the tree’s death.
• Anthracnose — Affecting sycamore trees around Centreville, anthracnose causes sycamore trees to drop their leaves very early (often in spring), frequently causing trees to appear dead. It takes hold most aggressively when the weather is cooler with more rain. Affected trees will usually re-leaf by summer, and barring other problems should be fine.

Insect Pests

Insects, usually invasive ones which have no natural predators here, can take advantage of that fact to infest and destroy many of our trees. Common pests of northern Virginia include:

• Gypsy Moths — Since being imported in a misguided attempt to revitalize the Massachusetts silk industry in the 19th century, gypsy moths have been a spreading and recurring pest. When active, they can infest entire swaths of forest, with caterpillars devouring leaves on hundreds of species of trees and shrubs. A single infestation can kill some trees, while two or more attacks may be fatal to others. 
• Emerald Ash Borer — A more recent threat, emerald ash borers are an invasive pest which attacks ash trees, often killing them in a short time as they eat around a tree under its bark, limiting its ability to move vital nutrients and water through its systems. Infections are almost always fatal to affected trees.
• Cankerworms — There are many types of cankerworms, though the Fall Cankerworm is most commonly found around Centreville. These pests devour a tree’s leaves, leaving it weakened and vulnerable to other diseases and infestations. An already-compromised tree may die after cankerworm infestation.
• Hemlock Wooly Adelgid — This small insect can cause tremendous harm to beautiful, lacy hemlocks, with infestations usually killing trees in several years. A hemlock wooly adelgid infestation can also make a tree more vulnerable to other infestations and diseases.

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

While property owners are normally responsible for trees on their property, Centreville and Fairfax County are responsible for tree removal on city streets and sidewalks, as well as parks and other public spaces. You can figure out which part of the city or county government is responsible by reviewing a property’s ownership via a Department of Tax Administration tool. If you want to report a hazardous or potentially dangerous tree on public property, forms and further information are available to report them on:

• Public Streets & Roads
• Sidewalks
• Fairfax County Parks
• Northern Virginia Regional Parks
• Public School Properties

Who Is Responsible For Fallen Tree Removal in Centreville?

Homeowners normally are responsible for healthy trees which fall on their properties as the result of a storm or other natural event, even if a tree belonged to a neighbor or the city. If, however, a tree was obviously in poor condition, the responsibility usually lies with the tree’s owner instead. In addition, if you alert someone to unhealthy trees on their property, and they don’t take care of the problem, their insurance company may not cover claims related to any damages caused if one of those trees falls.

If you’re a homeowner?

As mentioned, homeowners normally bear the responsibility for tree removal on their property. In some cases, insurance may help to cover some costs involved when trees fall as a result of weather events, as they are considered “acts of God”. If your neighbor’s tree falls onto your property, they are usually only liable for tree removal on your property if they were aware of a tree’s poor condition and did nothing about it. They may also be liable if a tree fell due to other negligence on their part, such as attempting to prune or cut down a tree themselves.

If you’re a renter?

Renters are hardly ever responsible for tree removal on the properties where they live, except in rare cases where a lease agreement specifies otherwise. Instead, landlords are normally on the hook for tree removal. As a tenant who is on the property more often than the landlord, in most cases, you can help by alerting them to any tree problems you notice on your property and neighboring lots.

If you’re a landlord?

Landlords are responsible for tree removal along the same lines as homeowners since they are the owners of the property where a tree requires removal. Regular attention to and maintenance of the trees on any properties you rent out is a great way to be a good landlord.

If you’re a neighbor?

If your tree falls onto your neighbor’s property, they are normally responsible to remove it, as long as the tree was healthy and you didn’t do anything to cause it to fall. If, however, your tree was dead, dying, splitting, or having other easily visible issues, and you didn’t do anything about it, your negligence means you are likely on the hook for its removal.

How Does the Soil Affect Trees in Centreville?

Around Centreville, we are lucky to generally have what’s called silty loam soil. Soil is made up in large part, of three types of particles, silt (grains of rocks which encourage moisture retention and drainage), sand (which enables good drainage and helps keep soil from becoming too compact), and clay (which helps hold moisture and nutrients and prevents soil from draining too quickly). The ideal combination for plants and trees to grow in most environments is loam soil where about ¾ of the soil is made up of half sand, half silt, while the remaining ¼ is clay. Silty loam usually has plenty of organic materials to promote healthy growth and allows plenty of room for roots to expand. Trees can easily find the water and nutrients they need in silty loam soil, as well as build strong, vigorous root systems.

Does Weather Affect Tree Health in Centreville?

In general, the weather in Centreville poses little risk to our trees and, in fact, generally benefits them. Occasional severe weather can pack winds that pull large limbs from trees and can even bring down whole trees, but those storms are fairly uncommon here. In winter, heavy snow and ice can burden branches and whole trees, sometimes causing damage, especially for trees with split trunks or other limb structures which make them more vulnerable to damage.

What If Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in Centreville?

Utility companies are generally responsible for trimming and removing hazardous (and potentially hazardous) trees along the paths of their transmission lines. NOVEC and Dominion Energy both have online tools and reporting systems to alert each company about trees on electric lines. Dominion Energy performs regular inspections throughout their coverage areas and trims and removes trees as needed to help ensure the safety and reliability of their part of our electric service. NOVEC also provides trimming and tree removal services along power lines in their service areas. It’s important to note that utility tree service normally only affects trees and portions of trees that directly impact public electric transmission lines. Trees and limbs that affect individual service lines (from the pole to your house) are normally the property owner’s responsibility.

How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in Centreville?

The average tree removal job around Centreville comes in around $575, though removing an already-fallen tree will almost always cost hundreds of dollars less. Because trees and the locations in which they grow (and fall) can vary so much, the cost of having them removed can be equally changeable. Some homeowners in the area may pay up to around $2,100 for their removal services. Some aspects of a tree removal job can have more of an impact on prices than others. Here are some of the most common causes for tree removal to be above or below average.

Size & Type of Tree

Most of the time, removing a smaller tree is a lot easier on your wallet than getting rid of a larger tree. For a smaller tree, there is normally less preparation needed, fewer risks and complications, and less wood to be dealt with after the tree is down. Larger trees can add all kinds of additional steps to the removal process, each of which likely costs time — and money.

Tree Location & Accessibility

A tree’s location can have dramatic consequences for the cost of its removal. When we remove a tree, we must plan and execute the job very carefully to avoid damage to your home, car, garage, patio, swimming pool, utility lines, outbuildings, landscaping, other trees, and, of course, your neighbors’ properties. The more complicated the job, the more it is likely to cost you. In some cases, using special equipment such as a bucket truck can make a tree removal job faster and easier. If the terrain or structure of your property makes it difficult to access the equipment we need, it can add to the time and effort for the job, and thus to the cost.

Additional Equipment, Services, & Labor

Whenever we need specialized equipment or a larger team of workers to safely remove a tree, that will add to your costs. In addition, many homeowners request additional services with their tree removals, such as cutting logs into smaller pieces, log splitting, limb chipping, or stump grinding. These added jobs may also add to the bottom line for your tree removal service.