ISA Certified Arborist RM-8846A
Tree Removal in Boulder, Colorado
Safe, thorough removal when a tree is beyond saving or in unacceptable conflict with people and structures.
Short answer
Removal is the right call when a tree is too far gone from disease, insects, or structural defect to be made safe, or when it is affecting people and structures in a way that cannot be resolved by pruning.
Removing a tree is often a genuine loss. A mature tree provides shade, habitat, stormwater capture, and property value that a replacement will not match for decades, and taking one down is expensive. So removal should be the conclusion of an assessment, not the opening offer.
That said, some trees are past the point of intervention. A tree in advanced decline, one with a failing union or significant decay in the stem, or one growing into a structure in a way pruning cannot fix, becomes a liability. In those cases the work needs to be done deliberately and safely, with rigging appropriate to the target underneath.
You can also decide what happens to the wood. If you want firewood rounds or usable project wood left on site, say so up front and it can be cut to length rather than chipped.
What does this service include?
- Hazard removal Trees with decay, failing unions, or advanced decline over a target.
- Technical removal Rigging and sectional dismantling where there is no safe drop zone.
- Firewood and project wood Wood cut to length and left on site on request instead of chipped.
- Ash removal timing Scheduling that accounts for how brittle and unclimbable EAB-killed ash becomes.
Where is this service available?
Tree Removal is available across Boulder County and Broomfield.
Answers
Removal questions Boulder homeowners ask
Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Boulder?
It depends on where the tree stands. Trees in the public right-of-way, which in Boulder commonly means the strip between the sidewalk and the street, are managed by the City and work on them requires city involvement and a licensed certified arborist. Trees fully on private property are generally the owner's decision. Because the boundary is not always obvious from the curb, confirm the tree's status with City of Boulder Forestry before scheduling removal.
What is the best time of year to remove a tree?
For ash trees specifically, Boulder County guidance points to roughly September through April, outside adult emerald ash borer flight season, to limit spread. For other species, dormant season removal is often easier on the surrounding landscape because the ground is firmer and there is less to damage. Genuinely hazardous trees should not wait for a season.
Why is removing a dead ash tree more expensive than removing a live one?
Once an ash is killed by emerald ash borer it dries out, becomes brittle, and is no longer safe to climb. The work has to shift to equipment or more elaborate rigging, which takes longer and costs more. The City of Boulder makes this point directly: if an infested ash is coming out, it is cheaper and safer to remove it before it dies.
Will you grind the stump too?
Stump work is quoted alongside the removal. Whether grinding makes sense depends on access for the machine, what is buried nearby, and whether you plan to replant in the same spot. That gets covered during the site visit.
Boulder County
Call for a site visit today
Early site visits and preventative maintenance catch conditions while they are still fixable. Talk to an ISA Certified Arborist about what your trees actually need.
Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm. Closed Saturday and Sunday. All site visits include a 30 minute arrival window.
Kryn Dykema · RM-8846A