— Local Coverage —
A Resort Town That Stayed Small
Walled Lake is barely two square miles wrapped around a 670-acre lake that runs better than fifty feet deep. It grew as a lake resort — the Casino dance hall, the Flying Dragon coaster — and a lot of the housing near the water is still converted cottages on small lots, with newer, larger homes filling in around them. The 1950s streets like Gamma Road carry the mature trees; the 1980s and 90s subdivisions are just now hitting the age where planted street trees need real structural pruning. The city's own plan puts it bluntly: most of what woodland remains here sits in wetland ground.
— NEIGHBORHOODS & AREAS —
— What We Do —
Services in Walled Lake
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 Walled Lake
The City Chips Branches — Not Trees
Walled Lake DPS runs monthly branch chipping from April through October, but the program is explicit: the City does not chip trees or brush, and tells residents to hire a private contractor for tree removal or large piles. It also won't take stumps, roots, or forked branches. That's the gap we fill, and we haul everything.
Cottage Lots, Full-Size Trees
The lakefront streets off Dekalb and Coalmont are small lots with older cottages mixed among newer, larger replacement homes. Trees that went in when these were summer places are now full grown between houses that sit close together. We rig and lower in sections rather than dropping anything.
Wet Ground and Windthrow
Walled Lake sits on the divide between the Huron and Rouge watersheds, and the city's soils include Brookston and Colwood loams, Sebewa loam, and Houghton and Adrian mucks. Poorly drained ground means shallow root plates, trees that lean over time, and whole trees going over in a wind rather than limbs breaking.
Oak Grove Is Named for a Reason
The Oak Grove subdivision and the mature oaks along Walled Lake's older streets are red-oak heavy, and red oak is the species oak wilt kills fastest. It rides sap beetles into fresh cuts from April 15 to July 15 and moves underground through root grafts between neighbors. We prune Walled Lake oaks in the dormant season only.
— Local Rules —
Walled Lake Tree Rules Worth Knowing
Walled Lake is small and its published rules are short. Here's what we've confirmed, and where we check first.
First: Is Your Address Actually in the City?
The 48390 ZIP covers three different jurisdictions — the City of Walled Lake, unincorporated Commerce Township, and the Village of Wolverine Lake. Plenty of people with a Walled Lake mailing address live under a different government with different tree rules, a different DPW, and a different road authority. We confirm which one you're in before we quote.
No Published Removal Permit — But Call First
The City's permits and applications list doesn't include a tree removal, land clearing, or grading permit, and the tree provisions in the zoning ordinance are triggered by site plan review rather than by homeowners. That points to no permit for an ordinary private removal — but we'd rather confirm than assume, so we check with the City at (248) 624-4847 before we cut, especially near the right-of-way.
You Need a Permit to Plant in the Right-of-Way
The City requires a permit to plant a tree in the road right-of-way, handled case by case, because of conflicts with electric, gas, water, sewer and stormwater lines and with clear vision areas. Worth knowing before you replace what came out.
Right-of-Way Upkeep Is Yours
The City states that property owners adjacent to road rights-of-way are responsible for routine maintenance — grass, hedge trimming, and removing leaves and debris.
Corner and Driveway Sight Lines
In the sight triangles at driveways and intersections, trees may stay as long as branches are trimmed to keep clear vision to eight feet above the pavement grade. The triangles are 10 by 10 feet at a driveway and 30 by 30 at two public rights-of-way.
Species the City Discourages
The zoning ordinance lists silver maple, box elder, tree of heaven, European barberry, northern catalpa, eastern red cedar, poplar, willow, and American elm as undesirable — specifically because of susceptibility to storm damage and disease. If one of those is the tree giving you trouble, that's not a coincidence.
County Roads Are a Different Office
South Commerce, Fourteen Mile, Pontiac Trail, and Maple Road east of Pontiac Trail are maintained by the Road Commission for Oakland County. Everything else is City DPS. It changes who to call about a right-of-way tree.
Ordinances change — confirm current requirements with Walled Lake before planting or removing.
— Questions We Hear —
Walled Lake Tree Service FAQs
Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Walled Lake?+
Will the City of Walled Lake chip my tree?+
Can you remove a tree on a Walled Lake cottage lot?+
Who handles a tree in the road right-of-way in Walled Lake?+
When can oaks be trimmed in Walled Lake?+
— 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 Walled Lake
Don't see your city? Ask us — we travel across all of Southeast Michigan.