Tree Removal in Bayonne, NJ

Tree removal in Bayonne starts with geography. The city sits on Bergen Neck, a narrow strip of land with Newark Bay on the west, the Kill Van Kull to the south and Upper New York Bay to the east. Trees here grow in salt air and take the wind straight off open water, so storm damage and broken limbs can show up here after weather that barely registers a few miles inland.

Front yard or backyard: the question that comes first

Bayonne's tree chapter may treat trees differently depending on where they stand. Section 14-3(a) requires a permit before a protected living tree is removed. Section 14-3(d) then states that "the provisions of this subsection shall not apply to private trees located in the rear yard or backyard." The code does not spell out exactly which parts of Section 14-3 that sentence covers, so a backyard tree should not be assumed to be exempt. Ask the Bureau of Building how the rule applies to your tree before anything is cut. When we walk your property for the estimate, we note where each tree sits so you know which questions to bring to the city.

How the city measures a protected tree

The ordinance counts a deciduous tree once its trunk is more than two inches across, measured four feet off the ground. Conifers count at more than four inches. Flowering dogwood and American holly count at just one inch. In other words, even a young street-facing tree can be covered, so we suggest checking with the Bureau of Building before any front-yard removal.

Close quarters on a crowded peninsula

With more than 12,000 people per square mile, Bayonne leaves little room to lay a tree down in one piece. On a lot this tight, we take a tree down in sections: we climb or rig the tree, lower limbs on ropes away from roofs, fences and parked cars, and cut the trunk down in short pieces. If there is no clear path for a chipper, the wood is carried out by hand and the area is raked and blown clean before we leave.

After a storm comes off the water

When Hurricane Sandy pushed water over the shoreline in October 2012, the gauge at Bergen Point reached about 14.6 feet above mean lower low water. Flooded soil weakens root plates, and salt water can stress trees for seasons afterward. If a nor'easter or summer squall leaves a tree cracked, hung up in another tree or resting on wires, call (201) 957-7596. For anything touching a power line, call the utility first and keep everyone clear.

What we handle in Bayonne

• Full removals in sections, with rigging over homes and garages
• Trimming to lift limbs off roofs and away from the street
• Stump grinding so the yard can be replanted or paved
• Dead and storm-damaged trees, including emergency calls
• Crane-assisted removal when a trunk is too compromised for a climber