— Local Coverage —
Resort Cottages, Wooded Acreage, and Everything Since
The Township describes its own history plainly: once a rural agricultural and lake resort area, now low-density suburban in a lake setting. That history is still visible in the trees. Converted lakefront cottages sit under canopy that was here when they were summer places. Newer subdivisions went in around stands the developer had to leave. And the CCC tree plantings from the 1930s at Dodge Park are still standing. It makes for a lot of large, old trees close to houses on lots that were never planned around them.
— NEIGHBORHOODS & AREAS —
— What We Do —
Services in Commerce Township
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 Commerce Township
Oak Wilt Around the Lakes
The cottage-era oaks on Commerce, Union, and Long Lake lots are old, close together, and root-grafted — which is how oak wilt moves underground from one tree to the next. Above ground it rides on sap beetles into fresh cuts between April 15 and July 15. We schedule Commerce Township oak work for the dormant season and look at the neighboring oaks, not just the one you called about.
Lakefront Rigging
Commerce, Long, Union, Lower Straits, Bogie, Carroll, Fox — the Township is defined by its lakes, and lakefront removals mean rope work over water, seawalls, and docks. We take them down in pieces rather than dropping and hoping.
Dead Ash on the Wooded Acreage
Emerald ash borer killed more than 30 million ash trees in Southeast Michigan, and Commerce Township's wooded acreage lots still hold plenty of them standing dead. Ash goes brittle fast and sheds limbs without warning. We work it from outside the tree, and since the township has no permit rule for ordinary residential lots, there's no reason to leave it up.
Storms Off the Open Water
In August 2024 severe storms closed Welch Road and Wixom Road in Commerce Township outright from downed trees and lines, with more than 260,000 out across Southeast Michigan. We're on call around the clock with the lighting and equipment to clear it at night.
— Local Rules —
Commerce Township Tree Rules Worth Knowing
Commerce Township regulates trees differently than its neighbors. Here's what we've found, and where we check before we cut.
No General Homeowner Tree Permit
Commerce Township's zoning ordinance has no woodland or tree preservation article, and its building permit requirements don't list tree removal or land clearing. For an ordinary tree on an ordinary residential lot, we haven't found a Township permit requirement — but rules change and site conditions matter, so we confirm with the Building Department before we start.
Development Is a Different Story
The Township's landscape article applies to subdivision and condominium development, not individual detached homes. Where it does apply, site plans have to identify every existing tree 6 inches DBH or larger as being saved or removed, and the Planning Commission can require a professional tree inspection.
Trees Being Saved Get Fenced
On regulated sites, four-foot orange safety fencing goes at the drip line of trees being preserved, with no equipment or material stored inside. Delimbing or root pruning a protected tree needs Building Director approval first.
Replacement Ratios on Regulated Sites
Where the landscape article applies, a damaged or destroyed tree under 6 inches caliper is replaced one for one with a 2.5 to 3 inch tree; over 6 inches caliper, one replacement per 6 inches removed.
Wetlands Are a State Matter Here
The Township has no local wetland ordinance — it defers to the state. Wetland tree work in Commerce Township is a Michigan EGLE question, not a Township one, which matters on Huron River headwaters and lakefront parcels.
County Road Trees Aren't Yours
Trees in the county road right-of-way belong to the Road Commission for Oakland County, not the adjacent homeowner. If the tree you're worried about is in that strip, that's who to call, and we'll tell you so.
Ordinances change — confirm current requirements with Commerce Township before planting or removing.
— Questions We Hear —
Commerce Township Tree Service FAQs
Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Commerce Township?+
Can you remove a tree that leans over one of the Commerce lakes?+
When can oak trees be trimmed in Commerce Township?+
Who handles a tree in the road right-of-way in Commerce Township?+
Do wetlands rules apply to tree work in Commerce Township?+
— 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 Commerce Township
Don't see your city? Ask us — we travel across all of Southeast Michigan.