Tree removal in Old Southwest Reno (89509)

These are the streets people picture when they think of Reno's big trees. Trunks wider than a front door, crowns that meet over the road, roots that have been lifting the same sidewalk for decades. Taking one out is closer to dismantling a building than cutting a tree.

At a glance

• About 25% of homes in ZIP 89509 built before 1960
• About 63% built before 1980, median 1975
• Street trees in the right-of-way need a City Tree Work Permit
• Crane-assisted removal available

How do you take down a tree that is bigger than the yard?

In sections, from the top. A climber or the bucket ties off each limb, cuts it, and it is lowered under control or lifted away. With the crane, each piece goes straight up, over the house and down to the street, so nothing swings past windows or lands in a flower bed. Our team first works out where the crane will set up, and the drop zone is chosen before the first cut.

One Google reviewer (location not stated) described a pine that towered over the house being "air lifted" in pieces "up over the house and right into the shredder." (Richard V., Google review)

Whose tree is it, and does it need a permit?

This matters more here than anywhere else in Reno, because so many of the biggest trees stand in the strip between the sidewalk and the curb. A tree on your private lot needs no City of Reno permit to remove. A tree in the City right-of-way needs a Tree Work Permit, and the work must be done by a Certified Arborist. If you are not sure where the line runs, call Reno Urban Forestry at 775-321-8373 before you call anyone else.

When is an old tree past saving?

Size alone is not a reason. The signs that point to removal are decay at the base or in a main fork, large dead limbs, cracks in the trunk and a lean that is new. Interior decay is hard to see from the ground, which is why a trained eye matters. If the trunk is sound, the arborist may recommend dead wooding or cabling and keep the tree standing.

For two of the species that reach this size on old Nevada lots, see Siberian elms and cottonwoods.

Roots, sidewalks and sewer lines

Houses of this age often have original pipes, and mature roots find them. Roots pushing on a foundation, a sewer line or a driveway are a reason some owners consider removal. Removal stops new growth. It does not repair the pipe, so plan that work with a plumber. More in tree roots, sidewalks and sewer lines.

Working on a narrow, parked-up street

The crew needs room at the curb for the chipper and the chip truck, and for the crane when it comes. We set out cones and keep the work zone tight. Letting your neighbors know the date helps everyone.