— Local Coverage —
From Belleville Lake to French Landing
Belleville Lake is the largest inland lake in Wayne County — six miles long and 1,200 acres, created when the French Landing Dam went in on the Huron River in the 1920s. The city grew up as a lumber town and then a resort town, and the shoreline still shows it: old cottages under big willows and cottonwoods, newer homes on the bluffs, and Van Buren Township subdivisions from the 1970s through the 2000s spreading out behind them. Whether it's a leaning willow over the seawall or a big oak crowding the roof line, we bring the right equipment — mini skid steers, cranes when needed — and crews that clean up like it was their own yard.
— NEIGHBORHOODS & AREAS —
— What We Do —
Services in Belleville
Tree Removal
Safe takedowns of any size — from a single dead ash to full clearing along a driveway or fence line. Every branch and log hauled, yard left spotless.
Tree Trimming & Pruning
Structural pruning, canopy thinning, deadwooding, and clearance work over roofs, driveways, and power lines. Healthier trees, cleaner curb appeal.
Stump Grinding
Below-grade grinding with chip cleanup and grade repair, so you can replant, re-sod, or forget the stump was ever there.
24/7 Storm & Emergency Work
Trees on houses, trees on cars, trees blocking the road — we respond day or night with the trucks, chippers, and skid steers to make it safe fast.
Land & Lot Clearing
Overgrown lots, buildable parcels, and property line cleanup. We drop, chip, and haul so your project can start clean.
Landscape Design & Install
After the trees come down — beds, plantings, sod, and hardscape done right by the same crew that knows your yard.
— Why Homeowners Call Us —
Local know-how in Belleville
Lakefront Removals Without a Splash
Trees leaning over water or seawalls need careful rigging. We drop them piece by piece so nothing ends up in the lake — or on the neighbor's dock. Belleville's new tree ordinance specifically counts damage to a tree's roots or trunk as removal, so we stage equipment on the lake lots with that in mind.
The April 2026 Tornado
On April 4, 2026 an EF-1 tornado with winds up to 110 mph tracked through Van Buren Township from Rawsonville Road across Hull and Sumpter Roads, putting trees and lines down near East Huron River Drive and Haggerty. Then the September 2–3 storms brought what the National Weather Service called extensive tree and limb damage in the Belleville area. We've been busy here, and we're a phone call away when the next one hits.
Canopy Is Low and the City Knows It
Belleville has roughly 9,700 trees covering about 28 percent of the city — well under the 40 to 60 percent foresters recommend. The city adopted a tree ordinance in June 2025, set up a Tree Fund, and set a goal of planting 120 trees for its 120th anniversary in 2026. That's a reason to prune the good trees rather than remove them, and we'll tell you honestly which is which.
Wooded Lots and Long Drives
Out past the lake in Van Buren and Sumpter Townships it's acreage, tree lines, and driveways with dead ash along both sides. Lower Huron Metropark's 1,258 acres of river-bottom forest sit right next door. We clear fence lines, thin overgrown lots, and handle the big timber that a one-truck crew can't touch.
— Local Rules —
Belleville's 2025 Tree Ordinance & Van Buren Township Rules
The City of Belleville rewrote its tree ordinance in 2025, and it now reaches into private yards in a way most nearby cities don't. Van Buren Township is different again. Here's the short version, and we're happy to walk you through it on your estimate.
City of Belleville: No Removal Permit, But a Replacement Rule
Ordinance 2025-002 (Chapter 34, Article V), adopted June 16, 2025, does not require a permit to remove a tree in your yard. It does require that any healthy tree eight inches or more in diameter that's removed — public or private — be replaced at 50 percent of the diameter taken out. Remove a 20-inch maple and the ordinance calls for 10 inches of new trees, or a contribution to the city's Tree Fund.
Landmark Trees Replace at 100 Percent
Trees 24 inches or larger in diameter — or 18 inches for slow-growing natives — are landmark trees under the city ordinance, and their replacement is inch for inch. Dead, diseased, and hazard trees are exempt with Planning Commission sign-off, and so are prohibited species like silver maple, box elder, cottonwood, willow, and ash.
Planting Needs a Free Permit; Stumps Must Go
Belleville residents need a no-cost permit from the Building Department before planting a tree, and must call 811 first. The ordinance also requires that stumps from any removed tree be ground below the surface. We include stump grinding on every removal quote for that reason.
Street and Public Trees Are DPW's
The city's Department of Public Works maintains and removes street trees, and any contractor working on a public tree needs a city permit and proof of insurance. Topping a public tree is prohibited outright. DPW: (734) 697-9323. Note that East Huron River Drive, Columbia Avenue, and Sumpter Road are Wayne County roads, not city streets.
Van Buren Township: Homeowners Are Exempt
The township's Woodland and Tree Preservation ordinance (Section 8.106) specifically exempts a resident owner removing, trimming, or transplanting trees on their own single-family lot. The permit requirement kicks in for HOA common areas, mapped woodlands, undeveloped parcels, and anything on an approved site plan.
Township Roads Belong to Wayne County
Every public road in Van Buren Township is maintained by Wayne County or the state, so trees between the sidewalk and the road, and anything hanging into the roadway, go to the Wayne County Forestry Office at 1-888-762-3273. If you're not sure whose tree it is, we'll evaluate its location and point you to the right office.
Dangerous Trees Are the Owner's Job
Both the city and the township can order a property owner to remove a dead, diseased, or dangerous tree — Belleville gives 60 days before the city does it and bills you. If a tree on your lot is leaning, hollow, or shedding big limbs, call us before the notice arrives.
Ordinances change — confirm current requirements with Belleville before planting or removing.
— Questions We Hear —
Belleville Tree Service FAQs
Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Belleville?+
Can you remove a tree that leans over Belleville Lake?+
Who handles the tree between my sidewalk and the street in Belleville?+
Do you grind stumps in Belleville?+
How quickly can you respond to storm damage in Belleville?+
— Our Process —
How a Job Goes
- ✓Free on-site estimate, usually within the week
- ✓Clear written quote — no surprise add-ons
- ✓Scheduled crew arrives in marked trucks with proper gear
- ✓Careful rigging around houses, fences, and landscaping
- ✓Every branch and log chipped or hauled off-site
- ✓Yard raked and blown clean before we leave
— Nearby Cities —
Also serving near Belleville
Don't see your city? Ask us — we travel across all of Southeast Michigan.