— Local Coverage —
Big Wooded Lots, Real Equipment
Highland is 36 square miles with about 19,000 people, nearly two dozen lakes, and the 5,900-acre Highland State Recreation Area in the middle of it. Lots run one to three acres and more, more than half the homes went up before 1990, and the township's own master plan describes significant woodlands across the south, east, and north. That means 90-foot oaks over garages, tree lines a quarter mile long, and shoreline trees on Duck, White, Woodruff, and Highland Lakes that lean the wrong way. We bring chippers, mini skid steers, and cranes when the job calls for it, and we clear it without tearing up the property.
— NEIGHBORHOODS & AREAS —
— What We Do —
Services in Highland
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 Highland
Oak-Hickory Country, and Oak Wilt With It
Haven Hill, inside the recreation area, is a National Natural Landmark because it holds every major forest type in southern Michigan on one hill — oak-hickory on the ridges, beech-maple below, tamarack and cedar in the swamps. Highland's yards are the same woods. Oakland County's confirmed oak wilt is concentrated on this western side of the county, so we prune oaks only in the dormant season and never between April 15 and July 15.
Lake Lots and Long Driveways
Nearly 1,700 acres of Highland is lake — Duck, White, Woodruff, Highland, Charlick, Taggett, Tomahawk, and more. Trees leaning over water, seawalls, or a long gravel approach need careful rigging and the right machine to reach them. We've dropped plenty of both piece by piece so nothing lands in the lake or on the dock.
Ash on Acreage
Highland's zoning ordinance bans planting ash outright because of emerald ash borer, and the standing dead ash on wooded lots here is some of the largest we see. It's brittle and it fails without warning, especially along driveways and tree lines nobody walks. We take it down from outside the tree.
Service Drops Through the Woods
Rural Highland means long overhead service drops from the pole to the house, often through a tree line. DTE trims around its main lines but will not trim the drop to your home — that's on the homeowner, and it's the number-one line-clearance job we do out here. The December 2025 ice storm and the September 2026 winds both showed why it matters.
— Local Rules —
Highland Township Tree Rules
Highland keeps it light for homeowners, but the road right-of-way belongs to the county and new construction has its own tree rules. Here's what to know.
No Permit for Trees on an Existing Home Lot
Highland Township does not require a permit to trim or remove a tree on an existing residential lot. The township's tree preservation rules live in the zoning ordinance (Articles 12 and 15) and apply to projects going through site plan or plat review — not to a homeowner maintaining a house that's already built.
Building or Splitting a Lot Changes That
For new development, Article 15 requires an inventory of every tree six inches or more in diameter that the project affects, tags every tree over 18 inches, and sets clearing limits. Trees marked to remain are protected at the dripline during construction, and if one is damaged or cut, it has to be replaced with equivalent size or total diameter. If you're clearing for a build rather than maintaining a home, plan for it.
Shoreline and Wetland Setbacks
Highland's natural-features rules also cover lakes, streams, wetlands, and floodplains. Clearing along a shoreline or through a wetland can require township review even on a residential lot, and state permits can apply near the water. We'll tell you if your job looks like one of those before we start.
Roads Belong to the Road Commission
Highland has no township road crew or forestry department. Every public road is a Road Commission for Oakland County road, and any tree work in the road right-of-way needs an RCOC permit. Dead or fallen trees in the right-of-way go to RCOC at (248) 858-4804. If you're not sure where your property ends and the right-of-way begins, we'll evaluate it on the estimate.
No Ash, Please
The zoning ordinance prohibits planting white or green ash anywhere in the township because of emerald ash borer. If you're replacing a tree, we'll suggest species that fit the site and the soil.
Call 811 Before You Dig
Stump grinding, planting, and any excavation on acreage means calling MISS DIG at 811 at least three business days ahead. Rural lots have septic fields, wells, and buried lines in places nobody remembers, and we mark before we grind.
Ordinances change — confirm current requirements with Highland before planting or removing.
— Questions We Hear —
Highland Tree Service FAQs
Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Highland Township?+
Can you handle big trees on Highland's acreage lots?+
Who is responsible for a tree in the road right-of-way in Highland?+
When can oak trees be trimmed in Highland Township?+
Will DTE trim the line running to my house in Highland?+
— 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 Highland
Don't see your city? Ask us — we travel across all of Southeast Michigan.