Tree Service in Urbandale, IA

Tree Service in Urbandale has meant a lot of storm work over the last several years. The city of about 45,580 people, incorporated in 1917 as a streetcar suburb of Des Moines, now spreads across roughly 22.5 square miles in Polk and Dallas counties. Its older eastern neighborhoods carry mature shade trees; the western areas toward the Dallas County line are newer. Both have taken hits.

The storm record

August 10, 2020. A personal weather station about a mile west of Urbandale estimated an 85 mph gust as the derecho passed around 11 a.m. Tree damage was reported at 75th Street and Diamond Avenue, and a fence was blown down at 128th and Douglas.

June 30, 2018. Over 7.3 inches of rain fell, including 7.32 inches at 67th and Meredith, where about 8 inches of water rushed down 67th Street.

July 15, 2024. An EF1 tornado started about 1.4 miles northeast of Clive and ran 6.88 miles. NWS noted extensive tree damage and downed power lines across parts of the metro that evening.

Damage that shows up later

Not every storm-damaged tree falls on the day of the storm. Cracks in the main union, a lean that slowly gets worse, a partly torn root plate, or a hanging broken branch caught in the crown (arborists call these hangers) can sit unnoticed for months. Trees that lost a large limb also tend to push out dense sprouts around the wound, and those sprouts are weakly attached. A few years after a big storm is a good time to have mature yard trees looked at again.

Clearing a damaged tree safely

A storm-broken tree is under tension in ways that are hard to read. A trunk pinned under a fallen top can spring when it is cut, and a limb resting on a service line may be energized. Keep people and pets away, stay clear of any downed wire and let MidAmerican Energy know about lines that are down. We take storm-damaged trees apart in an order that releases the stored tension a little at a time.

Planning around Urbandale's neighborhoods

• Older east side: larger trees close to houses and overhead lines, more piece-by-piece removals.
• Central and north: established subdivisions with mid-sized trees that benefit from crown thinning and clearance pruning.
• West, toward Dallas County: younger trees that need structural pruning more than removal.
• Near Living History Farms: the 500-acre open-air museum sits in Urbandale, and properties near open ground catch more wind.

About 78.1% of homes in Urbandale are owner-occupied and 87.2% of residents were in the same house a year earlier, according to the Census. People here tend to stay, so we often set up a multi-year plan: the most urgent trees this year, routine pruning on the rest over the next few seasons.

Estimates

We come to the property, inspect each tree you want looked at and write up exactly what we recommend and what it costs. Nothing is added after the fact. Call (515) 762-6977 or fill in the form. Get a free estimate