— Local Coverage —
Old Farm Fields That Grew Into Woods
The city's own master plan explains why Wixom looks the way it does: black cherry, elm, sassafras and aspen colonized abandoned farmland, and after decades those areas matured into real woods. Layer on the housing — over a third of Wixom's homes went up between 1970 and 1979 — and you get 45 to 55-year-old yard trees on modest quarter-acre lots, surrounded by pockets of genuine woodland. That combination is exactly why Wixom wrote one of the stricter woodlands ordinances in the area, and why the tree in your backyard may not be as simple to remove as you'd expect.
— NEIGHBORHOODS & AREAS —
— What We Do —
Services in Wixom
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 Wixom
Oaks Are Landmark Trees at 16 Inches Here
Wixom's landmark tree list sets species-specific thresholds well below the general 24-inch rule — oak at 16 inches, ash and maple at 18, hemlock and red cedar at 12, dogwood at 8. A 16-inch oak is an ordinary yard tree. It's also a landmark tree in Wixom, and landmark trees never fall under the homeowner exemption.
Oak Wilt Has Hard Dates
Michigan DNR guidance is not to prune oaks between April 15 and July 15 — beetles carry oak wilt spores into fresh wounds and risk peaks in May and June. Between that window and the 16-inch landmark threshold, oaks are the trees to plan furthest ahead on in Wixom.
Woods, Wetland, and 292 Acres of Habitat
Wixom Habitat is a 292-acre preserve at Wixom and Potter, Gilbert Willis Park is 46 acres of woods and rolling hills, and the city holds over 400 acres of parkland. Properties backing onto that kind of ground get big trees, soft ground, and access problems. We plan the approach before we bring equipment in.
Ash Is Banned From Replanting
Wixom's zoning ordinance bars ash, box elder, poplar, catalpa, soft maple, and nut-bearing horse chestnut from required new plantings — a direct legacy of the emerald ash borer. If you're replacing a tree we took out, we'll steer you to something the city will actually accept.
— Local Rules —
Wixom Tree Permits: What Actually Applies
Wixom's Woodlands Protection Ordinance regulates every site in the city with trees 8 inches DBH or larger. Here's how it works for a homeowner.
Yes, You Generally Need a Permit
It's a violation to remove a tree in Wixom without a tree removal permit from the Department of Public Services, and the ordinance applies to all sites with trees 8 inches DBH or greater. The ordinance defines 'person' to expressly include tree removal companies working on behalf of others — so it binds us too.
The Two-Tree Homeowner Allowance
On an occupied one-family lot you may remove two non-landmark trees per calendar year without a permit. On lots of an acre or more, that rises to eight trees a year or ten percent of the trees on the lot, whichever is less. Landmark trees are excluded from both allowances — always.
What's Exempt Regardless
Any tree under 8 inches DBH, plus box elder, poplar, elm, and domestic fruit trees at any size. Dead trees are also exempt — the city says so directly. So is removing or trimming trees damaged by an accident or a nonhuman cause, using standard forestry practice.
Inside a Wetland, Every Tree Counts
This is the trap that catches people. In a woodlands area that is also a regulated wetland or watercourse, removing a tree of any diameter requires a valid wetland permit — the 8-inch threshold and the two-tree allowance don't apply. Wixom maps its own wetlands, and there are a lot of them around Gallagher Lake, Norton Creek, and southeast Loon Lake.
You Don't Need a Sealed Survey
Larger applications require a tree location survey sealed by a registered land surveyor and verified by a certified arborist. But the city may substitute an on-site examination for permits on occupied single-family lots, or where fewer than three trees are coming out. Most homeowner jobs land there.
Storms Suspend the Rules for 30 Days
After high winds, storms, tornadoes, floods, freezes, or fires, the Department of Public Services may suspend the permit requirements for thirty days in the affected areas so damaged trees can come out fast. That's what lets us respond immediately and handle paperwork after.
Who Owns the Tree by the Road
The Wixom DPW handles street tree evaluation and replacement — call (248) 624-0141. But Wixom Road, Beck, Charms, Pontiac Trail, Grand River, Glengary, Maple and 12 Mile are Road Commission for Oakland County roads, so right-of-way work along those is a county matter, not a city one.
Ordinances change — confirm current requirements with Wixom 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 Wixom
Don't see your city? Ask us — we travel across all of Southeast Michigan.