Dead & Hazardous Tree Removal in Jersey City, NJ

Dead and hazardous tree removal takes more planning than removing a healthy tree. Dead wood dries out and turns brittle, so limbs can snap under a climber's weight or break unpredictably when cut. Decay inside a trunk may not show from outside. In a dense city, where a dead tree often stands over a house, a parked car or a sidewalk, the safest removal is a planned one.

Emerald ash borer

The emerald ash borer was first confirmed in New Jersey in Bridgewater in 2014, and the state Department of Agriculture advises treating every ash tree in New Jersey as high risk. The state Department of Agriculture estimates New Jersey has about 24.7 million ash trees and warns that once infested, nearly all of them die, often within a few years. Dead ash is especially brittle. If an ash tree has a thinning crown, bark splits or woodpecker damage, removal may be the practical choice; whether it can be treated is a question for a New Jersey Licensed Tree Expert.

Signs a tree may be dead or failing

• No leaves in season, or leaves only on part of the crown
• Bark falling away, cracks or cavities in the trunk
• Mushrooms or fungal growth at the base or on the trunk
• A new lean, or soil heaving on one side of the base
• Large dead limbs hanging over the house, sidewalk or street

How we remove dead trees safely

Where a climber cannot safely work in a dead canopy, we use a lift or a crane so the crew is not relying on brittle wood. Sections are kept small and controlled, and the drop zone is cleared and protected.

Dead trees and town rules

Several towns in the area require notice or a permit even to remove a dead tree, and some waive fees for dead or dangerous trees when documented. If the tree is a street tree, the town is usually responsible for it. We tell you what applies before scheduling.

Lanternflies and other pests

The spotted lanternfly quarantine covers every New Jersey county, including Hudson. Lanternflies favor the invasive tree-of-heaven, a fast-growing weed tree that often springs up along fences and in neglected corners of yards, and owners who want it gone can have it cut down along with other work, though it tends to resprout from its roots. Jersey City also has history with invasive pests: the Asian longhorned beetle was found here in 2002, and the state was declared free of it in 2013 after a long eradication effort.