— Local Coverage —
Big Old Trees on Small Old Lots
The median Royal Oak home was built in 1956, and nearly a third of the city's housing went up in the 1950s alone. At almost 5,000 people per square mile, this is one of the densest suburbs in the region — which means 65 to 100-year-old maples and oaks standing between houses that are twenty feet apart, over garages, driveways, and overhead service lines. The city itself maintains more than 23,000 street trees across 50 park sites, 43 traffic islands, and eight boulevards. We work these blocks constantly and plan every drop before we make a cut.
— NEIGHBORHOODS & AREAS —
— What We Do —
Services in Royal Oak
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 Royal Oak
Dutch Elm Is Still in the Code Here
Royal Oak declares elms infected with Dutch elm disease a public nuisance and requires removal within 30 days, and Parks and Forestry actively surveys for it. If you've got an elm in decline, that's not a someday project — there's a clock on it.
Old Oaks, Small Lots, Short Season
Royal Oak's pre-1960 streets have big oaks a few feet from houses on both sides, and the roots underneath connect — which is how oak wilt travels lot to lot. Sap beetles carry it into fresh cuts from April 15 to July 15. We prune Royal Oak oaks in the dormant season, and if a neighbor's oak is wilting from the top, we'll want to look at yours too.
Nearly Every Ash Is Gone
Urban ash mortality in Royal Oak approached 100 percent after emerald ash borer arrived, and the city has spent years replanting street trees to fill the gaps. The private ones still standing are brittle deadwood on lots too small for a crane. We rig them down from outside the tree, piece by piece.
Vinsetta and the 1915 Medians
Vinsetta Boulevard's green medians go back to the original 1915 garden-city subdivision design, and the City has designated the boulevard's bridges a historic district covering roughly 2.9 acres of median. That median also sits over multiple utility systems. Work in there needs a light touch and a plan.
— Local Rules —
Royal Oak Tree Rules Worth Knowing
Royal Oak's tree ordinance is Chapter 710. Here's what it covers — and what it doesn't.
The Ordinance Covers Public Trees
Chapter 710 gives the Department of Public Works power and control over trees in public highways, parks, and other public places. Removal of trees on private residential property isn't permit-regulated under Chapter 710. Commercial and multifamily sites can carry separate landscaping obligations, so we confirm before we quote those.
The Curb Strip Is a Public Highway
This is the sentence that catches people. The ordinance defines public highway as all the land between property lines on either side of the street — which means the lawn strip between your sidewalk and the curb is city-controlled, and the tree in it is the City's. No one may cut, deface, or damage it without DPW permission.
Your Duty on Overhanging Branches
Property owners must maintain eight feet of clear space above the street surface and remove dead, diseased, or dangerous trees and broken or decayed limbs. Corner lots also have a sight triangle rule limiting plantings to three feet.
Digging Near a Tree
Excavating within five feet of a tree requires a written permit and a substantial protective frame box, and materials have to stay at least four feet from any tree. Attaching wire, rope, chain, or cable to a tree needs written DPW permission.
Dutch Elm: 30 Days
Elms infected with Dutch elm disease are declared a public nuisance under Article II, with removal required within 30 days. This is a real, enforceable obligation and one of the few private-tree mandates in the code.
The City Replants and Sells Trees
Where practicable the City replants at its own expense after removing a public tree, plants street trees toward a 40 percent canopy goal, and runs a resident tree purchase program at below-nursery prices — two per household, ordered before the end of January. Trees for the City easement get planted by a contractor; trees for private property are delivered but not planted. We can handle that side.
Ordinances change — confirm current requirements with Royal Oak before planting or removing.
— Questions We Hear —
Royal Oak Tree Service FAQs
Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Royal Oak?+
Can you remove a big tree on a small Royal Oak lot?+
What are the rules for elms in Royal Oak?+
Can you dig or grind a stump near a tree in Royal Oak?+
When can oaks be trimmed in Royal Oak?+
— 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 Royal Oak
Don't see your city? Ask us — we travel across all of Southeast Michigan.