Frequently Asked Questions

We have not found a reliable published survey of Lubbock prices, so here are national ranges. HomeGuide's 2026 figures put most tree removals between $400 and $1,200 and most trimming jobs between $400 and $900 per tree, and Forbes puts the average removal around $1,200. Height, what sits under the tree, access from the alley and dead wood move the price most. We give you a written price after seeing the tree.

We have not found a City of Lubbock permit for removing a tree from a private single-family lot, and the city's permit pages do not list one. Commercial, multifamily and mixed-use sites built under the city's landscaping rules are different: if a tree counted toward the approved landscape plan dies or is removed, the code requires it to be replaced within 180 days. HOAs can have their own rules, so check your deed restrictions too.

For the primary lines on poles, Lubbock Power and Light handles clearance trimming through its contractor, Townsend Tree Service, and the utility says only authorized professionals may prune within ten feet of high-voltage lines. Call LP&L at 806-775-2509 to report a tree threatening a line. Outside the city, the line may belong to a different electric provider, so call the company on your bill.

City of Lubbock code requires at least 12 feet of clearance over streets and alleys and at least 8 feet over sidewalks, and it puts the trimming on the owner or tenant of the property the tree stands on. The city can also treat right-of-way obstructions as a nuisance. A clearance trim is usually a quick job compared with a full pruning.

Texas A&M's Earth-Kind guidance says late winter, while trees are dormant and before spring growth, works well for most trees, and that dead or broken limbs should come off as soon as you find them. Pines are pruned before the new candles push out in spring. The Lubbock Master Gardeners advise pruning live oak only in the hottest or coldest months and sealing oak wounds right away because of oak wilt.

On the South Plains that is very often elm leaf beetle. Texas A&M AgriLife in Lubbock County says the beetle has three or more generations a year here, with larvae skeletonizing leaves so the canopy turns rusty brown. Severe infestations several years in a row can kill limbs or the whole tree. AgriLife suggests checking new leaves for eggs and young larvae starting in April.

Homeowners can put their own brush in city dumpsters if the pieces are no more than 3 inches thick and 5 feet long, according to the city's landscape waste page. Landscapers and tree crews cannot use residential city dumpsters, even when a homeowner hires them, and must take the material to the landfill. That is why haul-off is a line on our quotes.

Yes. We work in Wolfforth, Shallowater, Idalou, Slaton, New Deal, Ransom Canyon, Buffalo Springs and other towns around Lubbock County. The estimate is free wherever you are; call (806) 855-8442 or use the form and tell us the town and the nearest cross street.

National guides put most removals between about $400 and $1,200, with small trees under 30 feet from about $200 and large trees from $850 to $2,000 or more, according to HomeGuide's 2026 figures. Big trees in tight backyards with lines in the alley sit at the top of those ranges. We give you a written price after seeing the tree.

We have not found a city permit requirement for removing a tree from a private single-family lot. Commercial and multifamily properties built under the city's landscape rules must replace a credited tree within 180 days if it dies or is removed. If you live in an HOA, check its rules before the tree comes down.

Often, yes. Dead wood dries out and can snap unpredictably, so climbing it and lowering pieces takes more care, and some dead trees are safer to take down from a lift than by climbing. HomeGuide notes that dead trees often cost more than expected for that reason. Taking a declining tree down before it is fully dead is usually easier.

Usually, yes, by lowering limbs away from the service line. If any part of the tree is within ten feet of the high-voltage lines on the poles, Lubbock Power and Light says only utility-authorized crews may prune there, so call LP&L at 806-775-2509 first. We take down the rest once it is safe.

If you want. Haul-off is a separate line on the quote, because tree crews have to take material to a landfill rather than use the city dumpsters. You can also keep the wood as rounds or firewood and the chips as mulch.

Many mature shade trees do well with a thinning and deadwood cleanup every three to five years, and young trees benefit from light structural pruning more often. Fast growers like Siberian elm and trees right over a roof or alley may need attention sooner. After any major wind or ice event, it is worth a look for hanging limbs.

Less than most people expect. Earth-Kind guidance warns against removing so much wood at once that the tree is stressed, and a tree in Lubbock already deals with heat, wind and limited water. On a mature tree we usually take out dead wood and a modest share of live growth, and leave heavier changes for later visits.

Usually, yes, for limbs that cross onto your side of the line, as long as the tree itself is not harmed; ask a lawyer or your HOA if there is a dispute. It helps to talk to the neighbor first, and many neighbors split the cost of one visit. We make clean cuts at a proper branch point so the tree is not damaged.

The Lubbock Master Gardeners advise pruning live oak only in the hottest or coldest months of the year and sealing the wounds right away to help prevent oak wilt. The same goes for Texas red oak. We schedule oak pruning with that in mind.

HomeGuide's 2026 national figures put the first stump at about $120 to $400 and each additional stump at $30 to $60, with very large or hardwood stumps running $300 to $800. Root grinding and haul-off of the chips are usually extra. We measure each stump and give a written price.

No. Grinding chips the stump down below the surface and leaves the deeper roots to decay in place. Stump removal digs out the stump and root ball, which takes heavy equipment and leaves a big hole. For most yards, grinding does the job at lower cost and with less damage.

Most stumps do not once they are ground well below grade. Some vigorous sprouters, elms among them, may push a few suckers from remaining roots; cutting those back as they appear usually ends it within a season.

You can, but it is often better to move a few feet over, away from the decaying roots and grindings. If the old tree died of Texas root rot, choose a different, less susceptible kind of plant for that spot. Tell us before the grind if you plan to replant so we can go deeper and remove more chips.

Call Lubbock Power and Light at 806-775-2509, or 911 if anyone is in danger, and keep everyone away. LP&L says to always assume downed lines are live. Once the utility has made the line safe, we can take care of the tree.

It often covers removing a tree that fell on a covered structure, such as the house or a detached garage, and some policies pay for a tree blocking a driveway. A tree that fell in open yard without hitting anything is often not covered. Check with your insurer and take photos before anything is moved.

Broken and hanging limbs should come down as soon as it is safe, because they can fall at any time. Cleanup pruning of torn branch ends can wait a little, and it is often easier to judge which limbs will recover once the tree leafs out again. We can do the urgent work now and the rest later.

Often, yes. If the trunk is sound and most of the crown is intact, a clean cut at the break and some thinning to rebalance the tree may be all it needs. If the trunk is split, the roots have lifted, or a large share of the crown is gone, removal is usually the safer call.

City code puts it on the owner, tenant or lessee of the property where the tree stands. Limbs that overhang the right-of-way must be kept at least 12 feet above streets and alleys and 8 feet above sidewalks.

Read the notice for the deadline and what it asks for, then get the limbs trimmed to the required clearance. Most notices are about low limbs over the alley or sidewalk or branches blocking a sign. Keep the invoice or photos of the finished work in case the city follows up.

Not the high-voltage lines on the poles. Lubbock Power and Light says only utility-authorized crews may prune within ten feet of those, so call LP&L at 806-775-2509. We can clear limbs around the service drop to your house and do the rest of the clearance work.

Small limbs within reach from the ground, yes; cut just outside the branch collar and use a three-part cut on anything over an inch and a half so the bark does not tear. Anything that requires a ladder near lines, or a heavy limb over the alley, is safer left to a tree crew.

On alkaline South Plains soil, Texas root rot is one common cause: leaves yellow and wilt in mid to late summer and the tree can die in about two weeks. Severe drought stress and root damage from digging can look similar. We look at the roots and base to tell them apart.

One season of elm leaf beetle damage usually will not, but AgriLife notes that severe infestations several years in a row can kill limbs or the tree. Watch new leaves in April for eggs and young larvae, which is when control works best.

That pattern often points to a nutrient the tree cannot take up well in high-pH soil, such as iron, which is common in alkaline soils like Lubbock's. A soil test through Texas A&M can confirm the soil pH and nutrient levels before anything is added.

We can tell you what defects we see, such as cracks, decay, weak forks or root problems, how likely they are to fail, and what they would hit if they did. Then you can decide whether pruning, cabling or removal makes sense.