Deadwood out. Clearance back. Shape kept.
Most trees do not need to come down. They need the dead limbs out, the roofline cleared, and enough taken off the crown that the next windstorm has less to push against. Done right, nobody can tell it was pruned.
What does tree pruning actually do?
Pruning takes out dead, broken and crossing limbs, lifts the canopy off roofs and driveways, and thins the crown so wind passes through instead of loading the whole tree. On a healthy tree it is the cheapest thing you can do to avoid a removal later.
American Tree Care prunes trees and large shrubs across Snohomish and King County, and does tree topping where a customer wants the height taken down.
Four jobs, one visit.
Most properties need two or three of these, and doing them together costs less than calling us back out for each one.
Take the dead limbs out
Dead wood is what comes down in wind and what lands on cars and roofs. It is also the easiest thing to remove and the cheapest visit we do.
Get it off the structure
Limbs on the roof, over the driveway, into the gutters, or rubbing the siding. Clearance pruning buys the roof years.
Let the wind through
Selective crown thinning drops the sail area so a storm has less to push on, without leaving the tree looking hacked at.
Bring the height down
Where a customer wants the height reduced, we top. We will also tell you honestly when thinning would serve you better.
Half the trees we look at do not need to come down.
People call about removing a tree and leave with a pruning quote instead, because the problem was three dead limbs over the driveway rather than the tree itself. We will tell you that even though it is the smaller job, which is most of why people call us back years later.
In and out, usually the same day.
Walk and agree
We go around the property with you and agree what comes off before anyone puts a saw in a tree.
Climb, do not spike
A tree that is staying gets climbed on rope, not spiked. Spikes wound a tree you intend to keep.
Cut to the collar
Clean cuts at the branch collar so the wounds close properly, rather than stubs that rot back into the trunk.
Finish the site
Brush chipped, chips blown off the hard surfaces, to the level of cleanup we agreed on at the estimate.
The rest of what we do.
Pruning visits often turn up one tree that is past saving. If so, you get the number for that at the same visit.
Tree Removal
Rigged down in sections when there is no room to fell it.
See the page →
Hazard & Storm Trees
Leaning, split, uprooted, or already on the structure.
See the page →
Wind Thinning & View Clearing
Open the sightline back up without stripping the property.
See the page →
Stump Grinding
Below grade, so you can plant, sod or mow over it.
See the page →Pruning questions, answered.
When is the best time to prune?
Do you top trees?
How much should I take off a tree at once?
Can you prune limbs hanging over my roof?
Will pruning fix a leaning tree?
Do I pay anything up front?
Do you do shrubs and hedges too?
Tell us what needs cutting back.
Call, text, or send the form. A photo of the tree and what it is hanging over tells us most of what we need.
A photo tells us more than a paragraph. Texting is usually the fastest way to a number.
Serving Snohomish & King County
WA #AMERITC887JO
Get it pruned before it becomes a removal.
Deadwood out, roofline cleared, crown thinned. The estimate is free and it does not change.