Tree Service in Rome, NY

Tree Service in Rome starts with one local fact most homeowners have heard by now: the emerald ash borer was confirmed here first. In July 2016 the state Department of Environmental Conservation announced that its staff had found the beetle in the City of Rome during routine monitoring, the first confirmed case anywhere in Oneida County. A decade later, many of the ash trees that were healthy then are dead, dying or brittle, and some of them stand over driveways, garages and power drops. That is why ash trees get a close look on every Rome estimate.

Why ash trees are the first thing we look at

The beetle's larvae feed just under the bark and cut off the tree's flow of water and nutrients. DEC lists the signs: D-shaped exit holes in the trunk and branches, thinning at the top of the crown, bark that splits open, heavy sprouting from the roots and trunk, and woodpecker damage where birds have dug out larvae. DEC says most infested ash die within two to four years, and dead ash wood gets dry and snaps unpredictably. DEC notes an infested tree does not have to come down unless it could fall and cause harm, and a dead one near a house, sidewalk or road is a hazard. If you are not sure what species you have, our Hazard Tree Assessment visit starts with identifying the tree and checking for those signs.

Not every part of Rome looks like a city

Rome covers about 75.66 square miles, which makes it the second-largest city by area in New York State. That means tree work here covers two very different kinds of property. Close to downtown, East Dominick Street and the older neighborhoods, it is tight lots, fences, overhead lines and a neighbor's roof a few feet from the trunk. Out toward the city's edges, properties look more like rural parcels, with hedgerows, wooded back lots and fields that have started growing in. We price and plan those jobs differently: rigging and sectional removal in tight spaces, and equipment-based work where there is room to drop a tree whole.

Services we offer in Rome

• Tree Removal for dead ash, split trunks and trees leaning toward structures
• Tree Trimming & Pruning to lift limbs off roofs, clear lines of sight and thin heavy crowns before winter
• Emergency Storm Tree Service after wet snow, ice or wind brings limbs down
• Stump Grinding & Removal so the spot can be regraded, seeded or built on
• Hazard Tree Assessment for trees you are unsure about
• Land & Lot Clearing on the larger parcels toward the edges of the city

Snow loads are part of the plan

Rome's climate table shows an average of 101.8 inches of snow a year, plus a record low of 31 below zero. Heavy, wet snow piles onto broad limbs and pulls weak unions apart, and a dead ash with a full load of snow on it is a common source of a midwinter call. Pruning in late fall or during dormancy, before the big storms arrive, takes weight off the limbs most likely to fail.

How the city's brush rules affect your project

Rome's Department of Public Works picks up containerized green waste and brush on a weekly schedule in season, but it sets limits: limbs no longer than 5 feet, no thicker than 6 inches, and nothing in loose piles. The city's green waste notice also states that contractors may not put green waste or brush at the curb and must dispose of it themselves. That means when we take down or trim a tree, we haul the wood and brush away as part of the job, unless you ask us to leave firewood rounds. If you are doing small cleanup yourself, the City Yard on Race Street takes limbs over 6 inches during posted hours.

Getting a quote

Call (315) 743-5662 or send photos of the tree and where it stands relative to the house. We come out, look at the trunk, crown and surroundings, and give you a free written estimate that spells out what gets cut, what gets hauled and whether stump grinding is included. Costs depend on height, access and whether we have to climb and lower pieces by rope, so we quote each tree on site rather than over the phone.

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