Tree Removal in Wichita, KS

Remove it or keep it: what points to removal

A dead tree, one leaning further than it used to, one with a cracked or hollow trunk, or one that has lost a large share of its crown is usually past the point where trimming buys you anything. Dead is the clearest call. Dead wood goes brittle, and limbs can come down whether or not anyone is working on the tree.

Lean is more of a judgment call. Some trees lean for decades without changing. What we ask is whether the lean is new and whether anything at the base has moved with it.

Where the structure is sound, we'll say so and suggest trimming or pruning instead. Taking weight off the side that worries you and getting limbs back off the roof costs less than a removal. When a tree is too far gone for that, we'd rather tell you straight than sell you a trim that won't hold.

A common next step is tree trimming. Need tree service in Wichita for another job? Start on our home page.

More answers: Budgeting for Tree Service: Real Price Ranges Explained · When a Problem Calls for Tree Service: Signs to Watch

Climber, bucket truck or crane

We use a crane, a bucket truck or a climber, depending on the tree and the site. Open lawn with nothing below can often be handled by a climber working the tree down in pieces. A tree hanging over a roof, a fence or a driveway is a different job, and that's where a bucket truck or a crane earns its cost.

On a crane-assisted removal, we attach each section to the crane with a rope or sling before we cut it. When the saw finishes, the piece is already held, so it gets lifted away instead of dropping. That's how we take a big tree apart over a house without putting anything on the house. A bucket truck reaches the work from a driveway or street where it can set up. A climber goes up with a chainsaw and a hand saw.

Two questions settle the method more often than the tree's height does. Is there room to set a crane or bucket truck, and will the ground carry it once it's there? And what's underneath if a piece gets away?

What removal costs

Removing a tree up to 30 feet tall typically runs $900 to $1,800. Tell us the tree's size and where it stands when you call, and we'll give you a ballpark inside that range. We firm it up after we've looked at the job in person.

Where you land inside that range depends on access and method. A tree in open space comes down faster than one we have to work over a roof or between a fence and a shed. Roping each piece to a crane takes more equipment and more setup than working sections down onto open lawn, and the price reflects that. Time on site moves with the same factors: height, how many sections have to be lowered and whether a crane is on the job. We won't commit to a duration until we've seen the tree.

Wet ground, flood-prone lots and storms

Ground conditions are what homeowners rarely think about and we plan around. Rosehill silty clay, found in the Wichita area, is in hydrologic group D. It takes in water very slowly when wet, so saturated ground sheds runoff instead of soaking it up. A soaked yard may not be ground we can drive a truck or set a crane on. That can push the job toward a climber, or toward a plan that keeps equipment on hard surface.

Flooding is a real local consideration. Cowskin Creek in Wichita has had major flooding, and the Arkansas River flooded during the Halloween flood event. Whether or not your lot has ever taken water, we look at where equipment can set and how the tree gets worked if it can't get close. If the ground is soft, we'll talk timing with you rather than drive on a yard that won't hold and leave you ruts to fix.