Crane tree removal in Virginia City, NV

Virginia City sits at about 6,200 feet on the side of Mount Davidson. By Census estimate more than half its homes predate 1960, one of the oldest housing stocks in our service area.

At a glance

• Median home built in 1956; about 54% of homes before 1960
• Wildfire risk to homes higher than 99.4% of US communities
• Virginia City station: about 46 inches of snow a year
• About 10.7 miles from our yard

Why does the age of the building matter to a tree removal?

Because old structures have no margin. An old roof, a brick chimney, a stone retaining wall or a wooden porch may stand for another century if left alone, and may not survive a log landing on it. When a mature tree has grown up beside such a building, the removal has to be planned around what cannot be replaced.

A crane suits that. The piece is tied to the crane before it is cut, lifted straight up and carried to a drop zone away from the building. There is no lowering line running past the eaves and no weight resting on the structure at any time.

Can a crane work on a hillside town's streets?

Often, with planning. The town is built in steps across a steep slope, so a house may sit well above or below the street that serves it. The team chooses the set-up location by looking at elevation, overhead obstacles and distance to the structures, then levels the crane on outriggers. A tree on the downhill side can often be reached from the street above. Where no position gives a safe reach, the tree comes down with a climber.

How much does snow have to do with it?

Quite a lot. The Virginia City weather station records about 46 inches of snow in an average year, more than three times the Carson City station's 14 inches. Heavy snow loads old limbs, and trees that have carried decades of it can have cracks, old breaks and decay at the forks. That hidden damage is a reason to keep a climber's time in the tree short and let the crane take the load. Our guide to storm and snow-load breakage shows what to look for.

Does fire risk make removal more urgent here?

The numbers say so. The USDA Forest Service rates Virginia City's wildfire risk to homes higher than 99.4% of US communities, the highest figure in our service area. About 75% of its buildings are in the indirect exposure class, where fire spreads by embers and from building to building. A dead tree against an old wooden house sits inside the first 30 feet that the Living With Fire guide asks owners to keep lean, clean and green.

What do I do first?

Ask for a free estimate. A certified arborist will look at the tree and tell you whether it needs to come down at all, and if so, whether the crane is the right way. Virginia City is in Storey County, and our research found no county permit rule for removing a tree on private property. If your property has review rules of its own, ask the county whether the tree is covered before you book.