— Local Coverage —
Two Ypsilantis, Two Rulebooks
The City and the Township are different places with different trees and different rules. The City is 19th-century housing on tight lots — the historic district alone runs about 400 contributing structures of Greek Revival, Italianate, and Queen Anne — with legacy street trees over porches and short setbacks. The Township is mostly a postwar and Willow Run-era product: subdivisions with uniformly aged plantings, plus wooded and lakefront parcels along Ford Lake that fall under a woodlands ordinance the City doesn't have. We work both, and we'll tell you which set of rules applies to your address before we quote.
— NEIGHBORHOODS & AREAS —
— What We Do —
Services in Ypsilanti
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 Ypsilanti
A City Built on Maples
The City's own tree inventory found maples make up more than half of its public trees — Norway maple alone is close to a third. That's far past any healthy diversity threshold, and it means a single pest or disease event could take out a huge share of the canopy at once. It also means a lot of same-age, same-species trees hitting decline together.
Oak Pruning Is a Winter Job Here
Washtenaw County has confirmed oak wilt, and the big oaks on Ypsilanti's older streets and along the Huron are exactly the trees it goes for. Sap beetles carry it into fresh cuts from April 15 to July 15, with the worst risk in May and June, and an infected red oak dies. We prune Ypsilanti oaks in the dormant season, period.
The Ash Are Already Gone
Southeast Michigan is the original epicenter of the emerald ash borer. By the City's last count, green and white ash together were down to roughly one percent of its public trees. What's left standing is brittle deadwood that fails without warning — we take it down from outside the tree.
Riverfront and Low Ground
Both the City and the Township have mapped flood hazard areas along the Huron, and Ford Lake covers close to a thousand acres on the Township's edge. Saturated soil around Riverside Park, Frog Island, and the lakeshore means shallow root plates and higher windthrow risk.
— Local Rules —
Ypsilanti Tree Rules: City vs. Township
The City and the Township regulate trees very differently. Here's what actually applies to you.
City: No Permit for Your Own Trees
The City's tree ordinance applies only to trees on public streets, parks, and other publicly owned land. There is no City permit requirement for removing a tree on your own private property.
City: But the Street Tree Is a Different Story
No one may prune, plant, remove, or cut any tree in a public right-of-way or park without first getting a written permit from the Public Works Director — and the City says directly that this applies to contractors you hire. The permit is free. Street trees planted without one can be removed with no notice.
City: Your Duty on Overhanging Branches
Owners of trees overhanging a street right-of-way have to keep 10 feet of clearance above the street, alley, sidewalk, and right-of-way, keep streetlights and intersection sightlines clear, and remove dead, diseased, or dangerous trees and limbs. If you don't, the City can do the work and assess the cost against your property.
City: Anything Near a Power Line
The City won't work on trees within ten feet of power or utility lines and refers residents to DTE. That's a common situation on older Ypsilanti streets, and it changes who you should be calling.
Township: The Woodlands Ordinance
Ypsilanti Township has had a Woodlands Protection Ordinance since 1997. A use permit can be required to remove trees 8 inches DBH or larger in a regulated woodlands area — including all trees 8 inches or larger within 20 feet of the road's edge, and trees of any size where the woodlands area is also a regulated wetland or watercourse. The ordinance names tree removal companies directly.
Township: Dead and Storm-Damaged Trees
The Township ordinance specifically allows removal or trimming of dead, diseased, or damaged trees without a permit where the damage came from an accident or a nonhuman cause and the work uses standard forestry practice. Emergency actions are also allowed, with a report filed afterward. Healthy trees are the ones to check on first.
Ordinances change — confirm current requirements with Ypsilanti before planting or removing.
— Questions We Hear —
Ypsilanti Tree Service FAQs
Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Ypsilanti?+
Who takes care of the tree between my sidewalk and the street in Ypsilanti?+
What are my responsibilities for trees overhanging the street in Ypsilanti?+
When can oaks be trimmed in Ypsilanti?+
How much does tree removal cost in Ypsilanti?+
— 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 Ypsilanti
Don't see your city? Ask us — we travel across all of Southeast Michigan.