— Local Coverage —
Thirty-Three Square Miles of Mature Canopy
Farmington Hills grew up in the mid-twentieth century — more than 60 percent of its homes were built between 1970 and 1999, and another 30 percent before that — on wooded lots that were farm woodlots and orchards a generation earlier. The Rouge River threads through 211 acres of dense forest at Heritage Park and 74 more at Woodland Hills, and the neighborhoods around them carry the same oaks, maples, and hickories. Our crew works the whole city, from the 1950s ranches near Grand River to the wooded half-acre lots off 14 Mile and Drake, and we're careful around brick, pool decks, and irrigation.
— NEIGHBORHOODS & AREAS —
— What We Do —
Services in Farmington Hills
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 Farmington Hills
Thousands of Ash, Still Coming Down
Farmington Hills lost thousands of ash trees to emerald ash borer and now bans planting it. Dead trees are exempt from the city's permit rule, and a lot of the standing dead ash on private lots is exactly the tree that fails without warning in the next storm. We take it down from outside the tree.
Heritage Park and the Rouge
Heritage Park's woods and Woodland Hills' hardwood forest are the biggest blocks of mature canopy in the city, and ReLeaf Michigan planted beech, black gum, tulip tree, and bald cypress there in 2023 to fill the gaps the storms and the borer left. Homes that border those parks and the Rouge get big oaks, long removals, and the equipment to match.
West Oakland Oak Wilt
Oakland County's confirmed oak wilt is concentrated in the western half of the county, and Farmington Hills' older subdivisions are oak-heavy. Fresh cuts between April 15 and July 15 draw the beetles that carry it. We prune oaks in the dormant season, and if an oak is dropping leaves from the top down in July, call us before it spreads through the roots.
Storms Hit Here Hard
The July 2021 straight-line winds that closed I-275 at Grand River left the Farmington area among the hardest hit in metro Detroit, and DTE has been marking trees for trimming and removal here ever since. The September 2026 storms took out more than 260,000 customers across the region. A limb hanging in the tree or a trunk leaning after a storm gets a same-day call back.
— Local Rules —
Farmington Hills Tree Permits: The Two-Tree Rule
Farmington Hills is one of a handful of cities in Oakland County that regulates trees in private yards. The rules are simple once you know them, and we handle the permit side when one is needed.
Two Protected Trees a Year, No Permit
Under the zoning ordinance (Section 34-5.18), a homeowner may remove two protected trees — any tree six inches or more in diameter measured four feet up — per calendar year without a permit. Dead trees don't count against that and are exempt outright.
The Third Tree Needs a Tree Permit
A third protected tree in the same calendar year requires a Tree Permit from the Planning Office at (248) 871-2540. Trees to be removed are marked with red paint or flags and inspected by Planning before a saw touches them.
Landmark Trees Always Need a Permit
Landmark trees — generally 24 inches or more in diameter and in good condition — require a Tree Permit no matter how many you've removed that year, and the city only approves removal where there's no reasonable alternative: a hazard to people, buildings, or utilities, disease, storm damage, or a tree that blocks access. Ask us before you plan around a big one.
Street and Park Trees Are the City's
The vegetation ordinance (Chapter 31) applies to trees in streets and parks. An abutting owner may prune or remove a street tree only with written permission from the Director of Public Services, and may be asked to pay for a replacement. Division of Public Works: (248) 871-2850.
Some Trees Can't Be Planted Near the Street
Poplar, willow, and box elder may not be planted within 50 feet of any street, sidewalk, or sewer right-of-way, and no tree within six feet of a water, sewer, or gas service. Infected elms must be removed within ten days of notice under the city's Dutch elm provisions.
Lines and Digging
DTE trims around its main lines but not the service drop to your house — that's the homeowner's, and it's work we do every week. Call MISS DIG at 811 at least three business days before stump grinding or planting.
Ordinances change — confirm current requirements with Farmington Hills before planting or removing.
— Questions We Hear —
Farmington Hills Tree Service FAQs
Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Farmington Hills?+
What is a landmark tree in Farmington Hills?+
How does the Farmington Hills tree permit process work?+
Who handles the tree between my sidewalk and the street in Farmington Hills?+
When can oaks be trimmed in Farmington Hills?+
— 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 Farmington Hills
Don't see your city? Ask us — we travel across all of Southeast Michigan.