---
title: Directional Felling: Aiming a Tree to Fall Where Planned
url: https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/directional-felling/
business: Battle Born Tree Service
address: 6301 US Highway 50 East, Carson City, NV 89701
phone: 775.232.8243
hours: Office Monday-Friday 8:30 am-5:00 pm; phones answered seven days a week; 24-hour emergency service
credentials: ISA Certified Arborist WE-11728A on staff; Nevada Business License # 20131580674; fully insured
type: Tree service (removal, crane work, pruning, stump grinding, defensible space, snow removal, firewood)
---

- [Home](https://battleborntreeservice.com/)
- [Arborist glossary](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/)
- Directional felling

# What is directional felling?

Directional felling is cutting down a tree so that it falls in a chosen direction, into a space cleared for it. It depends on a notch, a back cut and a hinge, and it is only used when there is room for the whole tree to come down without hitting anything.

## What it needs

There must be an open lane at least as long as the tree is tall, with nothing in it: no roof, fence, vehicle, wire or neighbor's tree. The feller must also have a clear escape path and a trunk sound enough to hold a hinge (see [felling notch](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/felling-notch/) and [hinge wood](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/hinge-wood/)). The tree's lean, its crown weight and the wind all influence where it wants to go, and the cuts have to work with that or against it deliberately.

A lean toward the house is the case people ask about most. See [a tree leaning toward the house](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/tree-leaning-toward-house/).

## Why it matters in Northern Nevada

Whole-tree felling suits open acreage and large lots, such as the clearing described in [lot clearing](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-services/lot-clearing/). On most residential lots a tree stands within reach of a house, wires or a fence, so there is no safe lane. In those cases the tree is taken down in pieces or lifted out. See [how crane-assisted removal works](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/how-crane-tree-removal-works/).

Wind matters too: gusts off the Sierra can push a tree off its intended line.

## What an arborist does about it

The arborist measures the space, reads the tree and decides whether directional felling is safe. If not, the job is planned as a rigged or crane removal. Safety practice follows ANSI Z133. This page does not teach felling; it explains why the answer on most local lots is that a tree cannot simply be dropped. Call [775.232.8243](tel:775.232.8243) and the arborist will look at your tree.

Ask the arborist directly whether your tree could be felled whole and, if not, why. The answer usually names the thing in the way, a roof, a line or a fence, and tells you why the quote is built around sections or a crane.

### Sources

- [International Society of Arboriculture, Trees Are Good: Why Hire an Arborist](https://www.treesaregood.org/Portals/0/TreesAreGood_Why%20Hire%20An%20Arborist_0321.pdf) (read October 17, 2026)

### Talk to the office

[775.232.8243](tel:775.232.8243)

| Monday to Friday | 8:30 am - 5:00 pm |
|---|---|
| Saturday and Sunday | Office closed, phones answered |

Phones answered seven days a week. 24-hour emergency service.

[Free estimate](#quote)

### Keep reading

- [Arborist glossary](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/)
- [Tree leaning toward the house: what to check](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/tree-leaning-toward-house/)
- [How crane-assisted tree removal works](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/how-crane-tree-removal-works/)
- [Tree removal](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-services/tree-removal/)

## See also

[Felling notch](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/felling-notch/) [Sectional dismantling](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/sectional-dismantling/)