Lake Zurich Lots and the Trees on Them
Lake Zurich isn't one kind of yard. Near the lake and the old downtown off Old Rand Road, the houses sit close together and the trees are older than most of the homes. Big oaks. Willows and cottonwoods that like the wet ground by the water. Not much room to drop anything.
Head out toward Route 22 or up Rand Road and it's mostly subdivision lots. Silver maples planted when the houses went up, a row of spruce along the back fence, a honeylocust by the driveway. A lot of those streets had ash too, and most of that ash is dead or gone now.
Every yard is its own job. That's why we ask for a photo before we talk price.
Tree Removal in Lake Zurich
Most of the tree removal work we do here is one of three things: a dead tree, a tree that's outgrown its spot, or a tree leaning somewhere it shouldn't. In a tight yard it doesn't get felled in one piece. It comes down in sections, top first, and the pieces are lowered on rope so nothing lands on the roof, the fence or the neighbor's shed.
Ash is its own problem. Emerald ash borer has killed most untreated ash across Lake County, and dead ash turns brittle fast. Every season it stands, it gets harder and riskier to take apart. If you've got one with bare branches and bark falling off, don't sit on it. Getting a dead ash down this season is easier than next.
A big removal gets a free visit before any price. We'd rather walk the yard than guess from a picture.
Tree Trimming and Pruning for Lake Zurich Yards
Good trimming and pruning is about taking the right limbs, not the most limbs. Dead wood. Branches rubbing the roof or scraping the siding. Limbs hanging low over the driveway or the sidewalk. A crown so thick the grass underneath quit growing.
Timing matters. Most trees are best trimmed while they're dormant, late fall through winter. Oaks are stricter. Don't prune an oak in the growing season, roughly spring through early fall, because fresh cuts draw the beetles that carry oak wilt. Elms are similar. A limb that's already broken or hanging is the exception, and that can come off any time.
Topping is the one request we turn down. Cutting the top flat wrecks it. If a tree's too big for its spot, we'll talk about thinning it, raising the crown, or taking it out.
Stump Grinding in Lake Zurich
A stump left behind is a thing to mow around and trip over. Our stump grinding chews it down below the surface so you can put soil and seed over the spot. You're left with a pile of chips. We can haul them or leave them for mulch, your call.
Before any grinding, the underground utilities need to be marked. Here that means calling JULIE at 811, which is free. They mark the public lines. They don't mark private stuff like sprinkler pipe, an invisible dog fence or the wire out to a lamp post, so point those out if you know where they run.
We grind stumps from trees we took down and old stumps somebody else left.
Storm Damage and Emergency Tree Work
Summer thunderstorms and wet, heavy snow both bring limbs down. When a limb snaps or a whole tree goes over, here's the rule: if it's on a house, on a car or blocking your driveway, call. Don't text. Storm calls are handled as fast as the crew can get there, and on a bad night there's a line, so we won't promise you a time.
If the tree is touching or tangled in power lines, stay back and call ComEd first. That's the power company's job before it's ours. Once the lines are safe, we handle the storm cleanup: cutting the tree off whatever it hit, clearing the driveway, hauling the mess.
Permits and Village Tree Rules
Many Lake County villages have tree rules, and some want a permit before a tree comes down, even on private property. Check with Lake Zurich village hall before we set a date. It's a quick call and it beats finding out afterward.
Two more things worth knowing. The tree between the sidewalk and the curb usually belongs to the village, not you, so ask them about that one. And if you live in an association, they may have their own say on what gets cut.
What a Lake Zurich Tree Job Costs and How Quotes Work
We don't post prices because no two trees are the same job. Text a photo of the tree, limb or stump along with your town. What you get back is a price in writing. For small jobs, the photos are all we need to quote. It's one flat price, agreed before any cutting, and the quote is free. The price depends on:
More detail is on how we price tree work.
- How large the tree is
- Its spot: out in the open, or over a roof, fence, garage or wires
- Its condition. Dead and brittle is harder than healthy
- How easy it is to get equipment to it
- Whether you want the stump gone too
Cleanup and Hauling in Lake Zurich
When the cutting's done, we're not. The crew rakes up, clears the driveway and hauls the brush and wood away. Since Illinois keeps yard waste out of landfills, the brush is chipped up and the wood is recycled, never dumped.
Want the wood? Say so before we start and we'll leave it cut where you want it. We're an insured crew based in Libertyville and we work all over Lake County, so we also handle tree work in Kildeer and jobs up in Hawthorn Woods.
What You Get With Tree Work in Lake Zurich
- Cleanup included: brush chipped, wood hauled, yard raked
- We don't top trees
- We'll tell you if a trim is enough before you pay for a removal
- Keep the firewood if you want it, cut and left where you say
- Open Monday through Saturday, 7am to 7pm, and Sunday by appointment
