— Local Coverage —
City or Township? It Changes Everything
Northville is two jurisdictions with two very different rulebooks. In the City of Northville, every proposed tree removal has to be reviewed by the Building Department before any work is done — including trees that are already dead or dying. In Northville Township, the rules are much lighter: the Township does not require a permit to remove a tree on residential property when an existing home occupies the lot, unless your deed restrictions or HOA say otherwise. We work both sides of that line every week, and we'll tell you which set of rules applies to your address before we quote the job.
— NEIGHBORHOODS & AREAS —
— What We Do —
Services in Northville
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 Northville
Century Homes, Narrow Lots
The Northville Historic District — listed on the National Register since 1972 — is 73 contributing structures of Greek Revival, Queen Anne, and Gothic Revival on narrow platted lots. Old street trees over porches and parked cars, short setbacks, no room to swing a crane. We rig instead.
Oak Wilt Has a Calendar
Michigan DNR guidance is not to prune oaks between April 15 and July 15 — fresh cuts in that window draw sap beetles carrying oak wilt spores, and once a red oak is infected there's no saving it. Northville's canopy is oak-heavy, so we schedule oak work around those dates. If you need an oak touched in season, we'll tell you why we'd rather wait.
Standing Dead Ash
Southeast Michigan is the original epicenter of the emerald ash borer, and the ash left behind fails without warning. It's brittle, unpredictable, and unsafe to climb. We take it down from outside the tree.
Woods, Parks, and Big Timber
Maybury State Park's 944 acres, the 350 acres at Legacy Park, and the Hines Park corridor along the Middle Rouge all start here. Properties backing up to that kind of mature forest get big trees and long removals, and we bring the equipment for it.
— Local Rules —
Northville Tree Permits: City vs. Township
This is the single most common thing Northville homeowners get wrong. The two jurisdictions have opposite rules.
City of Northville: Every Removal Gets Reviewed
All proposed tree removals must be reviewed by the Building Department official before any work is done on the tree. That includes trees that look dead, diseased, or dying — those still have to be evaluated. Permits require an on-site inspection and are not processed the same day.
The Determination Is Free
There is no cost to apply for a determination of whether you need a tree permit at all. That's the right first step for any City address, and we're happy to start it with you.
Protected and Landmark Trees
The City protects trees by species at set diameter thresholds measured at 4.5 feet — oak at 20 inches, ash at 18, and smaller thresholds for species like dogwood and American hornbeam. Removal of a protected or landmark tree without a permit exposes the property owner and the contractor to fines.
Northville Township: Usually No Permit
The Township does not require a permit to cut down trees on residential property when an existing home occupies the lot. That's the Township's own language. It's a genuinely different standard than the City's.
But Check Your HOA
The Township flags this itself: deed restrictions and homeowners association rules can be stricter than the Township ordinance. Northville Township is dense with HOA subdivisions, so this comes up often.
New Construction Is a Different Story
Township woodland and tree replacement requirements kick in with site plan review, land division, and new construction — with replacement obligations based on the total diameter removed. If you're clearing for a build rather than maintaining an existing home, plan for it.
Ordinances change — confirm current requirements with the City of Northville before planting or removing.
— 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 Northville
Don't see your city? Ask us — we travel across all of Southeast Michigan.