---
title: Speedline: A Rope Line for Moving Cut Pieces Away
url: https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/speedline/
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/)
- Speedline

# What is speedline?

A speedline is a taut rope or cable stretched at a slope from an anchor high in a tree to a lower point some distance away, along which cut pieces are slid sideways and down. It moves wood over a roof, pool or garden that the crew cannot lower pieces onto directly.

## What it is for

Ordinary rigging lowers a piece straight down from where it is cut. A speedline carries it out horizontally first, so it lands in a chosen spot well away from the tree. It is a specialist rigging system built from rated rope, pulleys and anchors, and it is the sort of thing that is planned before the first cut (see [rigging](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/rigging/)).

This page names the system; it does not describe how to build one.

## Why it matters in Northern Nevada

Many backyard trees stand behind houses with no vehicle access, over pools, decks or fenced gardens, or in tight lots in older Reno and Carson City neighborhoods. A speedline can bring pieces out over those targets. If the lot is open to a truck and the tree is large, a crane (see [crane pick](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/crane-pick/)) may do the same job without a speedline. See [removing a tree in a tight backyard](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/tree-removal-tight-backyard/).

Which method suits a job depends on the tree, the access and what is underneath.

## What an arborist does about it

Choosing between ropes, a speedline, a boom truck or a crane is a planning decision made by the certified arborist after looking at the site. The choice follows ANSI Z133 rigging practice. Battle Born can bring a crane and a 75-foot boom truck to a site when the job calls for it. Call [775.232.8243](tel:775.232.8243) and we will look at your yard.

You are unlikely to see the word on a quote, but you may see the line in the yard. If a crew rigs one, it usually means the site was too tight for a crane and the pieces had to travel over something worth protecting.

### 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/)
- [Removing a tree in a tight backyard](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/tree-removal-tight-backyard/)
- [Crane vs climbing vs bucket truck: which job needs which](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/crane-vs-climbing-vs-bucket-truck/)
- [Our equipment](https://battleborntreeservice.com/equipment/)

## See also

[Rigging](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/rigging/) [Sectional dismantling](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/sectional-dismantling/)