Tree Removal in McKinney, TX

Tree removal in McKinney usually comes down to one of four reasons: the tree is dead or dying, it has a structural defect that can't be pruned out, it is growing into the house or foundation area, or it is the wrong tree for the spot. Most of the removals we price here are on fenced suburban lots, where the tree is 25 to 50 feet tall, the gate is four feet wide and there is a pool, a roof or a neighbor's fence under it.

Signs a tree may need to go

• Dead wood over a third or more of the crown, or no leaves in late spring.
• A new or increasing lean with soil cracking or heaving on the opposite side.
• Fungus or mushrooms at the base, or soft, hollow wood at the root flare.
• A long split down from a fork, common in Bradford pears.
• An ash tree with dieback at the top, bark splits and woodpecker damage, now that emerald ash borer is in Collin County.
• Trunks or roots lifting a slab, driveway or pool deck.

How a removal works on a tight lot

If there is open room, a tree can be notched and felled in one piece. On most McKinney backyards there isn't, so the tree is climbed or reached from a lift and taken down in sections, with heavier pieces lowered on ropes instead of dropped. When a tree is very large, leans over a house or is too weak to climb, a crane is sometimes the safest way to lift it out piece by piece. Clay soil matters too: after heavy rain, equipment can rut a lawn badly, so we may wait a few days or lay down ground mats.

Permits and HOA approval

McKinney protects quality trees, including oaks and pecans, from 6 to 41 inches in diameter, and any tree 42 inches or larger, under its tree preservation ordinance. A healthy protected tree may need a city tree permit before it comes down; the city's checklist lists a $0 fee for residential removals at an existing home. Texas law keeps cities from blocking the removal of a dead or diseased tree, or one that poses an imminent threat. Many HOAs also require approval for front-yard trees and may require a replacement tree. We note on the quote anything that needs a permit or approval first.