Frequently Asked Questions

Sometimes. McKinney's tree preservation ordinance protects quality trees (such as oaks, pecans and cypress) from 6 to 41 inches in diameter, and every tree 42 inches or more, and removals are reviewed under Article 4 of the city's Unified Development Code. The city's tree permit checklist lists a $0 fee for residential removal on an existing home. Dead, diseased or imminently dangerous trees can't be blocked by a Texas city under state law, but it is still worth a call to the city's Planning Department at 972-547-2000 before removing a large healthy tree.

One cost guide that tracks McKinney prices puts a medium tree removal at about $511 to $696 and pruning at about $375 to $525, with trees over 60 feet around $1,000 and hard-to-reach trees up to about $1,200. Height, access through gates, closeness to the house or lines, and whether the wood is hauled all move the price. The written estimate after we see the tree is the price.

Outside February through June. That is when the beetles that spread oak wilt are active and attracted to fresh cuts, and the Texas A&M Forest Service advises against pruning or wounding oaks then unless there is an immediate safety concern. Mid-summer and the coldest part of winter are the usual windows, and every oak cut should be painted no matter the month.

Oncor trims trees around its lines between poles, and only line-clearance-qualified crews may work near high-voltage lines. The service drop from the pole to your house is your responsibility; Oncor can schedule a temporary disconnect if you call 888-313-6862 a few days ahead. If a tree is on a line, call Oncor's outage line at 888-313-4747 and stay well back.

It needs a look soon. Emerald ash borer was confirmed in Collin County in 2024, and dieback at the top, sprouts along the trunk, bark splits and heavy woodpecker activity are typical signs. A valuable ash with little canopy loss may be a candidate for insecticide treatment by a licensed applicator; one that is already declining is usually safer to remove before the wood turns brittle.

In Texas you can generally trim branches back to your property line from your own side, as long as you don't kill or seriously damage the tree. It is worth talking to your neighbor first, especially for large limbs that need to be lowered on ropes. We can quote just the overhanging portion.

No. McKinney's yard waste rules say limbs cut by anyone other than the resident are not eligible for curbside collection. That is why our quotes include hauling unless you ask us to leave the wood.

If you are in McKinney or nearby in Collin County, call (469) 421-7984 any time to leave the details and a photo if you can. We sort storm calls by danger: trees on roofs, across driveways or blocking doors come first, then hanging limbs, then trees that are down in open yard.

Most single-tree removals on a residential lot take a few hours to a day. A large tree in a fenced backyard that has to come down in sections, or a removal that needs a crane, takes longer. The quote gives an expected time on site.

Only if you want it. Stump grinding is priced as its own line on the quote so you can decide. Some homeowners leave a stump cut low and flush for now and grind it later.

Some wear is normal where wood is dragged or equipment runs. On McKinney clay, the bigger risk is ruts after rain, so we may reschedule or use ground protection when the soil is soaked.

Usually only when a tree falls on a covered structure because of a covered event, such as a windstorm. Removing a healthy or dead tree that hasn't damaged anything is normally the owner's cost. Check your policy and take photos before any cleanup.

Yes. Wood can be carried or rolled out through a gate in small pieces, or lifted over the house with a crane when a tree is too large to bring through the side yard. The method changes the price, which is why we look at access during the estimate.

Young trees benefit from light structural pruning every two to three years. Mature shade trees usually need pruning every three to five years, or after storm damage. Fast growers near the roof may need more frequent clearance cuts.

As little as needed to meet the goal. A common guideline is to avoid removing more than about a quarter of the live canopy in one season on a mature tree, and less on a stressed one. Removing too much at once invites sprouting and decay.

Avoid it unless there is a safety problem. Live oaks and red oaks are highly susceptible to oak wilt, and February through June is when the disease spreads most. If a broken limb has to come off in spring, the cut should be painted right away.

Limbs around the service drop from the pole to your house are the homeowner's to clear, and Oncor can lower the line temporarily if you call 888-313-6862 ahead of time. Limbs near lines running between poles are trimmed by Oncor.

People use the words for the same work. Some use trimming for clearance cuts and shaping, and pruning for cuts made for the tree's health and structure. Either way, the cuts should follow the A300 standard.

Not quite. Grinding chips the stump away below the surface and leaves the deeper roots to rot. Full stump removal digs or pulls out the root ball, which leaves a large hole and costs more. Grinding is what most homeowners need.

Some species, including hackberry, elm, Bradford pear and others that sucker, can send up sprouts from roots after grinding. Grinding deeper and cutting off sprouts as they appear usually ends it within a season or two.

Yes, if the stump is ground deep and wide and the wood chips are replaced with soil. Many people plant a few feet to one side to avoid the old root mass.

Let the fill settle for a few weeks and top it up, especially in clay that shrinks and swells. Watering the area helps it settle faster.

Usually your own homeowners policy covers damage to your house, regardless of whose tree it was, when a storm knocks it down. If the tree was obviously dead and the owner had been told, the insurers may sort out responsibility between them. Call your insurer and take photos first.

Many policies pay to remove a tree that fell on an insured structure, often up to a set limit, and some cover a tree blocking a driveway. A tree that fell in an open yard without hitting anything is often not covered. Your policy and adjuster decide.

Small limbs in the open, maybe. Anything on the roof, against a wire, under tension or hanging overhead should be left to a tree crew. Spring-back and falling hangers cause many storm-cleanup injuries.

Residents can bundle limbs they cut themselves under McKinney's yard waste rules, with bundles up to 50 pounds tied with twine. Limbs cut by a contractor are not eligible, so we haul ours.

Ash has opposite branching (branches come off in pairs), compound leaves with five to nine leaflets, and on older trees bark with a diamond-shaped ridge pattern. Send us a photo of a leaf and the bark if you are unsure.

Collin County is under a state quarantine that restricts moving ash wood out of the county, though movement between quarantined counties is allowed. The simplest approach is to chip it on site or burn firewood where it was cut.

It can be for a healthy, large ash in a valuable spot, with less than about 30 percent canopy loss. Treatment has to be repeated every two to three years with emamectin benzoate, so over time it can cost as much as removal. We give you both options.

The Texas A&M Forest Service EAB hotline is 1-866-322-4512. Since the beetle is already confirmed in Collin County, reports are most useful from new areas.

The Texas A&M Forest Service reports oak wilt in 76 counties across Central, North and West Texas and does not publish a simple city-by-city list. The safe approach in any North Texas yard is to follow its guidance: avoid pruning oaks from February through June and paint every oak wound.

For oaks in Texas, yes. Paint over a fresh cut keeps the sap-feeding beetles that carry oak wilt spores from reaching the wound. For most other species, wound dressings are not recommended.

If a limb is broken or dangerous, it should come off now, and the cut should be painted immediately. If it is simply rubbing, waiting until July is usually the better choice.

Oaks are on McKinney's protected quality tree list from 6 to 41 inches in diameter, and any tree 42 inches and larger is protected, so a large healthy oak may need a city tree permit. Pruning to standard does not need one.