Frequently Asked Questions

Usually not for a routine removal. The city's Tree Removal and Mitigation ordinance (Chapter 42, Article X of the municipal code) is tied to development approvals: grading permits, site plans and subdivision plats. Taking down a backyard tree with no development project attached generally doesn't trigger it, though HOA covenants can still apply. The strip between the sidewalk and the curb is different. That ground is public right-of-way, the trees on it belong to the city's public tree inventory, and planting a new street tree there requires a city permit and a species from the approved list. Contact Public Works Forestry before anyone prunes or removes a parking-strip tree, and we will point out any tree that looks public during the estimate.

MidAmerican Energy, which serves Des Moines, maintains trees along its lines on three-to-six-year cycles depending on the circuit, and its crews prune limbs that push, divert or wear against lower-voltage lines. Homeowners can request a free pruning visit at 888-427-5632 or trees@midamerican.com. If you are hiring private tree work near a line, MidAmerican asks for a call at least two business days ahead so it can disconnect or de-energize the lower-voltage line near the tree; that service is free, weekdays 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Never prune near energized lines yourself.

It depends on how much of the crown is still healthy, how big and well placed the tree is, and whether you are prepared to treat it on a schedule for as long as you keep it. Ash with most of its canopy intact can be protected with trunk injections. Trees that have lost a large part of their crown, or show heavy woodpecker damage and bark splits, are usually removal candidates, and dead ash gets brittle quickly.

Late fall through early spring works well for most species, because the tree is dormant, the leaves are off and the structure is easy to see. For oaks it matters most: prune them after a hard frost or between November and April to avoid attracting the sap beetles that spread oak wilt. Dead or broken limbs can be removed any time they are a hazard.

Price depends on the size of the tree, how much room there is to work, what sits beneath it and how much cleanup you want. HomeAdvisor's national cost guide puts removal of a tree up to 30 feet at about $150 to $450 and a 30 to 60 foot tree at about $450 to $1,200, with taller and harder trees costing more. Your written estimate from us is the actual price.

Get everyone out of the damaged part of the house, stay clear of any wires that came down with it, and call MidAmerican Energy if lines are involved. Take photos for your insurance company before anything is moved. Then call us at (515) 762-6977 to describe the situation; the priority is getting the weight off the roof safely and the opening covered.

Yes. Old stumps are often easier to grind because the wood has softened. Tell us the rough diameter, whether it is close to a fence, foundation or sidewalk, and whether the gate is wide enough for a small grinder. We will also ask whether you want the chips left to fill the hole or hauled off.

Yes, within limits. Des Moines collects yard waste year-round through Metro Waste Authority's Compost It! program, using Compost It! bags, store-brand bags with a green Compost It! sticker, or a 96-gallon subscription cart, set out by 6 a.m. on your collection day. Brush bundles must be tied with string, carry one sticker each, and stay under 40 pounds, 4 feet long and 18 inches in diameter. Logs and stumps aren't accepted curbside; they can be self-hauled to Metro Park East or Metro Park West landfill. On our jobs, the quote says whether we chip and haul the brush so you don't have to.

Yes. That is the most common situation in Des Moines. The tree is taken apart from the top and pieces are lowered on ropes or lifted out so nothing drops onto the roof, siding or windows.

Some marks are hard to avoid when heavy wood comes down, but we lay mats or plywood where equipment travels, especially in spring when Iowa clay is soft, and we keep heavy machines off the lawn when the job can be done without them.

Yes, and winter is often a good time. Frozen ground carries equipment with less rutting, the leaves are off so the structure is easy to see, and beds and gardens are dormant.

Only if you want it. Stump grinding is priced as its own line on the quote, and you can add it now or have it done later.

That strip is public right-of-way, and the trees on it are part of the city's public inventory, which the Public Works Forestry Division manages. Report a dead parking-strip tree to the city rather than hiring it out. If the city confirms a tree near the line is actually on your lot, we can quote it like any other removal.

Young trees benefit from light work every two to three years. Mature shade trees in good condition usually need attention every three to five years, or after a storm leaves broken limbs.

It's best not to. In the Midwest, oaks should not be cut or wounded from April through October because fresh wounds attract the beetles that spread oak wilt. Schedule oak pruning for November through March.

Thinning and reducing long, heavy limbs lowers the leverage wind has on them and removes weak or dead wood. It doesn't make a tree storm-proof, but it reduces the chance that a big limb fails over the house.

Topping cuts a tree's main stems back to stubs. The stubs decay and the dense new sprouts attach weakly, so the tree becomes more dangerous within a few years. Crown reduction cuts back to a side branch instead.

Typically several inches below the surface, which is enough for grass or sod. If you plan to plant a new tree in the same spot or build over it, tell us and we will go deeper and wider.

Most species die back once the stump is ground. Some, such as silver maple, boxelder and cottonwood, may send up a few sprouts from remaining roots; mowing over them usually ends it within a season.

Usually yes. The grinder can work close to a fence, sidewalk or foundation, though the last few inches right against a structure may be left to avoid damage.

Not necessarily. If the stump is accessible, the gate is unlocked and utility marks are in place, we can grind and leave a note. We will confirm the plan with you first.

Stumps and logs aren't accepted in Metro Waste Authority's Compost It! curbside program; they have to be self-hauled to Metro Park East or Metro Park West landfill. Grindings are mostly chips and soil, and dirt isn't accepted curbside either. That's why the quote spells out whether we haul the grindings away or leave them to fill the hole.

Many policies cover removing a tree that falls on the house, a garage or another covered structure, usually up to a set limit. A tree that falls in the open yard without hitting anything is often not covered. Check your policy and call your agent.

Not while the line is involved. Call MidAmerican Energy's tree emergency line at 800-799-4443 and keep everyone back. Once the utility has made the line safe, we can deal with the rest of the tree.

In many cases, each owner's insurance covers damage on their own property when a healthy tree falls in a storm. If the tree was obviously dead or dangerous beforehand, responsibility can shift. Talk to your insurer.

Small limbs on the ground are fine for a careful homeowner. Trunks under tension, trees still partly attached to the root plate and anything near a wire or on a roof are not; they can spring or roll unexpectedly when cut.

Ash has compound leaves with five to nine leaflets arranged in opposite pairs along the twig, and mature bark with a diamond-shaped ridge pattern. If you're not sure, send a photo of a leaf and the bark.

If the tree has lost more than about a third of its canopy, treatment is unlikely to bring it back. Trees with thinning only at the very top are often still good candidates.

Depending on the product, injections protect the tree for one to three years, then need to be repeated. Treatment continues as long as you want to keep the tree.

If it can't hit anything, it may be left as wildlife habitat. Near a house, drive, street or play area, dead ash should come down because the wood becomes brittle and breaks without warning.

Trees between the sidewalk and the curb are public trees in Des Moines, and the city has been removing ash from that inventory itself. Call Public Works Forestry about that tree rather than hiring it out; we can treat or remove ash that stands on your own lot.

Many things can cause it, including drought and leaf diseases, but rapid wilting and browning from the leaf edges on a red or pin oak in early summer is a classic oak wilt sign. Have it looked at quickly, and do not prune it or nearby oaks until it's diagnosed.

Sometimes. Trees can stand for decades with some internal decay if the sound shell is thick enough and the tree isn't leaning toward a target. A large cavity, a crack or decay at the root flare changes the picture.

No one can predict that exactly, but some defects make failure much more likely: dead tops, cracks, tight forks with included bark, root damage and decay at the base. An assessment identifies those so you can deal with them first.

Yes. During drought, a slow, deep soaking under the outer half of the canopy every week or two helps, especially for trees planted in the last few years. A layer of mulch, kept away from the trunk, holds moisture in.