Frequently Asked Questions

The stump removal process is done with a Stump Grinder. A stump grinder is a machine with a series of cutting teeth on a cutting wheel. The wheel goes back and forth across the stump and down to a depth of between 4 inches and 2.5 feet. The depth is determined by how deep the stump goes below the ground.

Sometimes the stumps are on inclines or tight spaces that affect the depth we can grind. When indicated, roots are removed. We take the time to trace all VISIBLE surface roots within a reasonable distance to the stump. However, sometimes small roots slip by us, and we cannot be responsible for them. We can remove stumps and roots within about 2 inches of concrete, stones, and other obstacles. However, hitting these items could cause damage to them or the stump grinder. Therefore you may have some areas of the stump that we are unable to remove.

IMPORTANT: As a standard procedure, we backfill the stump hole with the chips manufactured in the grinding process. The bigger the stump, the bigger the pile of chips. The customer assumes all responsibility for their removal. The woodchips make excellent root mulch for landscape beds. We can remove the chips and replace the area with soil and seed for an extra fee. The customer is responsible for informing us of underground wiring, sprinklers, or drainage around the grinding zone. We will call utilities, and stump and or root removal may be ceased if the markings are too close.

Tree work is a highly skilled and dangerous profession. When working on your trees, we use the safest methods available for the tree, the property, and the worker. Trees can be hazardous, depending on factors such as the size of the tree in your yard or how close it is to other structures such as power lines. In those instances, we may need to use a crane to aid us in getting the pieces safely to the ground. We never use spikes or gaffs on a tree we are not removing. Instead, we may use ropes to help us lower large limbs or swing them away from objects to avoid damage.

Tree stump removal or grinding is a separate service; our tree service company can provide a quote if the service is requested.

We will try to inform you when the crew will arrive at the job site. If your job is scheduled and the weather prevents us from safely doing your job, then we may have to reschedule. Weather problems that occur between your acceptance of the job and the job itself may cause delays. Also, if a damaging storm has passed through the area, we may need to address emergency work, which can delay us from getting to you.

From time to time, the crew may arrive unannounced. This may be because your job is relatively small, and we try to squeeze it in when our staff is in the area. If a customer cancels or the team cannot do a job, they will call us for other work. Our company will try to send them to the site closest to where they are located. They may show up unannounced for this reason.

Stein Tree Service uses the most modern and safest equipment possible. Our trucks and equipment are inspected regularly. In addition, due to issues that heavy-duty equipment can have on a residential property, we will not bring heavy equipment into your yard without your permission. We are very skilled at tree climbing and are very capable of doing your trees by hand when the use of a bucket truck or a crane is prohibited.

We try to leave your yard in the same or better condition than we found. However, dragging the limbs to the chipper along with the back-and-forth foot traffic may mat down your lawn. The grass will spring back. Trees are heavy. Although we try not to damage properties, the weight of falling wood and debris removal can sometimes cause minor damage. We will not be responsible for damage caused by the normal safe course of our work.

Our rates are based on an hourly figure. So when you call us for an estimate, you get a firm quote. The estimating comes from our end. We look at a job, estimate how long it will take, and put a dollar figure on it based on the time we estimate it will take us to complete it.

The crew at Stein Tree are tree care specialists with decades of collective experience and knowledge. In addition, our company carries more insurance than most other tree removal companies due to the nature of some industries where we provide services. They require us to have more insurance due to the danger involved. Therefore, we are more than covered for residential work. When asked, we can have our insurance agent provide you with a current certificate of insurance.

Before our arrival, the customer is responsible for informing us of any hidden wiring, watering systems, drainage pipes, and septic systems. We need to know if you had anything buried on your lawn. We cannot be responsible for something we can’t see and didn’t know existed. Please move all lawn ornaments and furniture out of our working area if possible.

Our employees have gone through many hours of training to execute their jobs safely while on your property. We hold weekly safety meetings and constantly review safe working practices. All of our drivers are properly licensed to operate the size truck they are driving. We also require random drug testing.

The main reason to trim or prune your trees is that it helps keep them healthy. For example, if you notice dead or diseased branches on your tree, you should remove those branches to help prevent further damage or disease spreading to other parts of the tree. Another reason for pruning your trees is to help them grow stronger and healthier with more consistent growth patterns.

Other reasons for tree trimming and pruning include safety reasons, such as preventing limbs from potentially falling onto nearby structures like houses or power lines. Many homeowners who live near large trees may have this concern, especially during high winds or storms when large branches can fall off unexpectedly, causing damage to property as well as injury to people standing nearby.

Fall and winter are generally the ideal times to trim and prune trees. This is because deciduous trees lose their leaves in the winter, revealing all of the branches previously hidden under the foliage. This makes the task of diagnosing issues and trimming trees much more manageable. Bare tree canopies also make the tree structure much easier to see. As a result, arborists and other tree specialists can more easily remove dead or vulnerable branches.

In addition, trees and shrubs are dormant during winter, which halts growth until the following spring growing season. This inactivity means that wounds from trimming and pruning during late fall and winter will heal more quickly since the tree is not expending energy on new growth.

Another reason that the fall and winter are the best times for tree trimming and shrub pruning is that disease and insect damage are less likely. However, trimming at other times of the year is advisable if a tree has specific health or structural issues that need immediate care and the pruning is performed correctly.

Tree trimming should be performed on a regular basis. Tree care professionals can trim most mature trees every 3-5 years, but your specific timeframe may vary. Reach out to a tree care specialist to inspect your trees, who can then consult you on the amount of regular maintenance needed. One benefit of regular trimming and pruning is that these services may help reduce potential liability for accidental injury or damage if a homeowner has routine maintenance records.

Tree trimming and pruning are terms that are often used interchangeably. However, there is a difference between the two. Tree trimming refers to removing branches or limbs or shaping the tree, while pruning refers to cutting back or removing damaged limbs to improve the overall health of the tree.

The larger a tree is, the greater the risk of harm to people and structures around it. For example, long, heavy branches extending over roofs, roads, and patios can break off during strong winds or storms. In addition, because of the size, trimming and pruning a very tall tree requires much more care, precision, and specialized equipment than a relatively small tree.

For example, most homeowners do not have anything to help them reach the top of a 30-foot-tall tree. Tree professionals, however, have specialized climbing equipment or vehicles like a bucket truck or a spider lift to help them reach the top of large trees.

If you have a large tree in your yard, contact a professional tree care company to handle any trimming and pruning work safely.

You can trim and prune trees yourself, but proper trimming and pruning require a lot of training and knowledge to make the right cuts to preserve the tree’s health. Also, the bigger and more branches a tree has, the more difficult it is to prune. Calling a professional will help you get the best results, and if there are underlying issues, the professional may be able to catch them before major damage has occurred.

This is one of the most common of our frequently asked questions about tree trimming and pruning. The answer depends on certain factors regarding the tree’s safety and can vary in different counties or states. However, in general, the following is often the case:

• If your neighbor’s tree poses a hazard and is hanging over your property, notify them immediately and request that they remove it. You may also hire a tree care professional to remove the portion of the tree that specifically overhangs your property.
• If your neighbor’s tree hanging over your property line is deemed non-hazardous, then your neighbor will not likely be deemed negligent. You can trim the overhanging tree branches, but only up to your property line and no further. And all the work must be performed while on your own side of the property line.

Yes! For your protection, make sure the tree service company you hire is licensed and insured. If an accident occurs on your property that results in property damage or some type of physical injury, you could be liable if your tree care professional is uninsured.