Common Questions
Answers to what we're asked most.
Height, condition and what the tree could land on set the price. Around here a tree under 30 feet usually runs $300–$700, 30–60 feet $700–$1,500, and over 60 feet $1,500–$3,500. Storm removals get their number on-site after we see the hazard. Those are typical east-central Illinois ranges from published industry cost guides; your free written estimate covers your own tree and yard.
That's between you and your policy. Coverage is likelier when a tree lands on a covered structure like the roof, a fence or a shed, and less likely for taking down a dead, leaning or borer-killed ash that hasn't hit anything. Ask your insurer. If it helps the claim, we'll photograph the tree and write up its condition; after spring storms and straight-line winds, we do that a lot.
Not for a tree on your own lot. Charleston's tree chapter, Title 4 Chapter 5, deals with public trees and the owners next to them: keep branches 9 feet above any public way, and treat or remove a tree so diseased or insect-ridden it threatens public trees (§ 4-5-3). A neglected tree that endangers people can also be called a nuisance (§ 4-2-3(I)). See our Charleston tree permit guide.
One tree usually takes a few hours to a day. A dead ash in an open side yard that drops in one piece is quick. A big bur oak over the house that has to be climbed and lowered in sections takes longest, and add stump grinding and it may spill into a second morning. Storm jobs depend on what the tree is lying on. You'll get an honest time frame at the visit.
Spring and summer bring the prairie's thunderstorms, straight-line winds and the odd tornado, and winter can add ice. Expect snapped trunks, split crowns and trees tipped out of wet silt loam. Afterward, keep clear of anything that's down and any wire it may touch. Snap photos for insurance if you can do it safely, then call; storm calls jump ahead of routine work.
Leaving it saves money now; grinding usually saves more later. A stump in the mowing line nicks blades, trips people and feeds carpenter ants and termites, and oak or walnut can take years to rot. We grind it under the grass so you can seed or sod. Pricing: $100–$400 for one stump by diameter, $50–$150 per extra stump, and $75–$200 more for deep grinds or root chasing.
Yes. We cover all of Coles County, including Mattoon about ten miles west on IL-16 and small towns from Ashmore and Lerna to Humboldt and Oakland. Beyond it we reach Arcola and Tuscola in Douglas County, Toledo, Greenup and Neoga in Cumberland, Casey and Westfield in Clark, Kansas in Edgar, and Windsor in Shelby. Unsure about your road? Ask us.
It rides out with us the day of the job, trunk to chips, unless you want firewood. Inside Charleston, burning rubbish is strictly banned, and rubbish includes wood, branches and yard trimmings (§ 4-3-4). Landscape waste goes by licensed hauler, a wire-mesh compost pen on site or another approved method, never a landfill. Outside city limits, ask your fire protection district before lighting anything.
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