Before we get there: get everyone out from under the tree and out of rooms it is resting on, stay away from any downed wire and assume it is live, and photograph the damage from a safe distance for your insurance claim.
What's included
- Same-day response, and after-hours response for trees on structures.
- An access path cut first so you can get in and out of the driveway.
- Weight taken off the structure in controlled sections rather than dragged off.
- Tarping coordination for an open roof [VERIFY: whether the client tarps or refers this out].
- Photos and an itemized invoice you can hand to your insurance adjuster.
- Full haul-off and cleanup once the emergency part is over.
What it costs
Emergency work is priced for the conditions and the hour, and we tell you the number before we start cutting.
$900 – $4,500 for typical storm response on a house, car, or drive
What moves the number:
- Time of day and whether the crew is working at night or in weather.
- What the tree is resting on and how much load has to be released by rigging.
- Whether a crane is needed to lift wood off a roofline.
- Access — a tree across the only drive gets cut open first.
- Total volume of wood and brush to haul once the tree is off the structure.
Storm season in the Triangle
Two things flatten trees here: winter ice loading pines and hardwood limbs until they fail, and summer thunderstorms or hurricane remnants driving through saturated ground and lifting whole root plates. After a big event everyone calls at once, so we triage by danger first — trees on houses and trees on wires ahead of trees in yards. Tell us what the tree is resting on and we can place you accurately.
Questions about emergency tree service
How fast can you get here?
Same day for a tree on a house, a car, or blocking a driveway, and often within a few hours. After a regional ice or wind storm we work in danger order, so describing what the tree is on helps us place your call correctly.
Do you work at night and on weekends?
For genuine emergencies, yes. Cutting in the dark is slower and more dangerous, so if a tree is stable and nothing is at risk, first light is usually the better and cheaper call. We will tell you honestly which one yours is.
There is a wire under the tree. What do I do?
Treat every downed wire as live, keep everyone well back, and call Duke Energy first. We cannot safely work a tree that is on primary lines until the utility clears it, and we will tell you the moment that is the situation.
Will my insurance pay for emergency tree removal?
Typically yes when the tree damaged a covered structure, subject to your deductible and policy limits. Call your carrier early, keep our photos and itemized invoice, and do not let anyone talk you into signing over your claim.