— Local Coverage —
Mature Subdivisions, Regulated Woodlands
Novi was a town of under 10,000 when it became a city in 1969; today it's over 66,000, and most of its neighborhoods went in between 1970 and 2008. Village Oaks, Meadowbrook Glens, and Carriage Hill were planted in the seventies and eighties, which means the maples and oaks in those yards are now 40 to 50 years old and full size, often within reach of the roof. Newer communities like Island Lake and Willowbrook Farms were carved out of oak and pine woods, and much of that land sits inside the city's Regulated Woodland Map. We assess the tree, tell you honestly whether it needs to come down or just needs a proper prune, check whether Chapter 37 applies to your lot, and do the work cleanly.
— NEIGHBORHOODS & AREAS —
— What We Do —
Services in Novi
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 Novi
Forty Thousand City Trees
Novi's forestry section maintains roughly 40,000 trees along its roads and in its parks, prunes each street tree on a five-to-seven-year cycle, and has been a Tree City USA for more than 20 years. The strip between the sidewalk and the street is theirs; everything behind the sidewalk is yours, and that's where we come in.
Oak Wilt on the West Side of the County
Oakland County's invasive-species program reports confirmed oak wilt concentrated in the western half of the county, and Novi's older subdivisions and Lakeshore Park are full of mature oaks. Beetles carrying the fungus are drawn to fresh cuts between April 15 and July 15. We prune oaks in the dormant season and we'll say so if you ask for it in June.
Lakeshore Park and the ITC Corridor
Lakeshore Park on Walled Lake is mature pine and oak forest with ten miles of trail, and the ITC Corridor Trail runs nearly five miles north to south through wooded parkland. Properties that back up to those woods, to Wildlife Woods, or to Rotary Park get big trees, long drops, and the wind that comes across the lake. We bring the crane when the job calls for it.
Ice, Wind, and Trees Close to the House
The December 26, 2025 freezing rain glazed Oakland County and brought limbs down across the region; the September 2026 storms put more than 200,000 DTE customers in the dark. Novi homeowners plant for shade and curb appeal, and without maintenance those branches end up over the roof and gutters. Regular trimming catches damaged limbs and early disease before a storm finds them first.
— Local Rules —
Novi's Woodland Protection Ordinance (Chapter 37)
Novi protects more trees on private property than almost any city we work in. Whether you need a permit depends on where your lot is and how big the tree is. Here's how it works.
Inside a Regulated Woodland: 8 Inches and Up
If your property is inside an area shown on the city's Regulated Woodland Map, every tree eight inches or more in diameter at breast height is protected, and removing one requires a Woodland Use Permit from Community Development before any work starts. The city's environmental consultant makes the final call on whether a lot is in a regulated woodland.
Anywhere in Novi: 36 Inches and Up
Outside the mapped woodlands, any tree 36 inches or more in diameter is protected citywide, and so is any tree the city has designated as a historic or specimen tree. Residents can nominate trees for that status; specimen thresholds run by species, such as 24 inches for a sugar maple.
Protected Doesn't Mean Untouchable
A protected tree can still be removed with a permit, but it has to be replaced with native Michigan trees on a sliding scale — one replacement for an 8-to-11-inch tree, up to four replacements for a tree over 30 inches. If a tree is healthy and low-risk, the city will expect the permit and the replacements.
Dead, Diseased, and Small Trees Are Exempt
Chapter 37 exempts trees that are dead, diseased, or damaged from a natural cause, single trees under eight inches on a lot that already has its certificate of occupancy, and transplanting up to three trees a year. Trees that don't meet any of the protection tests can be removed with no permit and no replacements. We document condition on every removal for that reason.
The Penalty Is the Value of the Tree
Removing a protected tree without a permit is a municipal civil infraction, and the fine is set at the full appraised value of the tree under the standard shade-tree appraisal formula — plus possible inch-for-inch replacement. On a big oak that's real money. Ask us before you cut; the woodland check is free. Novi Forestry: (248) 347-0439.
Street Trees and the Right-of-Way
Trees between the street and the sidewalk are maintained by the DPW Forestry Section at no cost to you, and a contractor hired to prune or plant one needs a free permit from Forestry — call (248) 735-5640. The city will not allow topping or stubbing a street tree. Emergency right-of-way tree issues: (248) 348-7100.
DTE and MISS DIG
DTE trims around its pole-to-pole lines but does not trim the service drop to your house — that's the homeowner's, and it's work we do every week. Before stump grinding or planting, call 811 at least three business days ahead.
Ordinances change — confirm current requirements with Novi before planting or removing.
— Questions We Hear —
Novi Tree Service FAQs
Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Novi?+
What happens if I remove a protected tree in Novi without a permit?+
Who takes care of the tree between my sidewalk and the street in Novi?+
When can oaks be pruned in Novi?+
How much does tree removal cost in Novi?+
— 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 Novi
Don't see your city? Ask us — we travel across all of Southeast Michigan.