Trees and Yards in Round Lake: Old Blocks vs. New Subdivisions
Start near the tracks. The older part of the village, around the Metra station and along Cedar Lake Road and Route 134, has houses that have been there a long time and trees to match. Big silver maples. Box elders. A few old oaks. Siberian elms that seeded in along the back fence and never left. Most are taller than the house they stand next to, and plenty lean over a garage or a neighbor's shed.
Head out toward Fairfield Road or down to Route 120 and it changes. Newer streets, smaller trees, most of them planted the year the house went up. Honey locust, red maple, ornamental pear, crabapple, and a row of spruce or arborvitae along the back line. They aren't giants yet. The trouble is how close they were planted to the house, the driveway and each other.
Lakefront Tree Service works both halves of the village. The crew is insured for tree work, based in Libertyville, and covers every town in Lake County.
Tree Removal in Round Lake
Most removal calls here come down to three trees. The dead ash. The silver maple that has dropped one big limb too many. And the ornamental pear that split down the middle in a wind.
Ash first. Emerald ash borer has killed most untreated ash across Lake County, and there were plenty along the back lot lines in this village. Dead ash dries out and turns brittle fast, which makes it harder to take apart the longer it stands. If yours has no leaves and the bark is flaking off, read about taking down a dead ash and get it on the calendar.
In a tight yard a tree doesn't get dropped whole. It comes down from the top in pieces, each one lowered on a rope so nothing lands on the roof, the fence or the neighbor's shed. The full rundown is on our tree removal page.
Tree Trimming and Pruning for Round Lake Homes
Trimming is the cheaper way to solve a lot of tree problems. A limb over the roof. Branches scraping the siding. A canopy so thick the lawn under it gave up. None of those need the whole tree gone.
- Dead wood taken out of the crown before it falls on its own
- Limbs lifted off the roof, the gutters and the driveway
- A crowded canopy thinned so wind passes through it
- Young subdivision trees shaped early, so they don't split later
When to Prune, and What We Won't Do
Timing matters. Most trees do best when they're trimmed dormant, from late fall through winter. Oaks and elms should wait for winter no matter what, because fresh cuts during the growing season draw the beetles that spread oak wilt. A dead or broken limb is the exception. That can come off any day of the year.
The crew doesn't top trees. Cutting the top off flat is bad practice. It leaves big wounds and the tree grows back weaker than before. There's more on doing it properly under trimming and pruning.
Stump Grinding After the Tree Is Gone
A stump in the middle of the lawn is something you mow around for years. Grinding chews it down below the grass line and leaves a pile of chips and dirt you can rake level, top with soil and seed.
Before any grinding, the buried utilities have to be marked. In Illinois that's a free call to JULIE at 811. It takes a few days, so plan for it. The newer subdivisions have a lot running underground, often right through the front yard where the builder's tree was planted. Our stump grinding crew can handle the stump along with the removal or come back for an old one.
Storm Damage and Emergency Tree Work in Round Lake
Summer thunderstorms are hard on soft-wooded trees. Silver maples and pears take the worst of it. If a tree or a big limb is on your house, on your car, or lying across the driveway, call (224) 944-8652. Don't text for that one. Storm calls get handled as fast as the crew can get there.
One rule. If the tree is touching or tangled in power lines, stay away from it and call ComEd first. That's the power company's job before it's anyone else's. Once the lines are clear, we do the storm cleanup: cutting the tree off whatever it hit, clearing the limbs, and hauling it all out.
Permits and Tree Rules: Check With the Village First
Many Lake County villages have rules about trees. Some want a permit before a tree comes down, even on your own lot. Your village may require one, so check with village hall before the job is scheduled. Ask about the tree between the sidewalk and the street while you're at it, since that strip often isn't yours. And if your subdivision has a homeowners association, give them a call too.
How a Quote Works and What Round Lake Tree Service Costs
Text a photo of the tree, limb or stump to (224) 944-8652 and tell us you're in Round Lake. Small jobs get priced right from the photos. A big removal gets a free visit first so nobody's guessing. Either way you get a written price. One flat number for the whole job, agreed before any cutting starts.
There's no price list, because no two trees are the same job. The number depends on a handful of things, and our pricing page walks through each one.
- The size of the tree
- Where it stands: open yard, or over a roof, fence, garage or wires
- Its condition. Dead and brittle is harder work
- How easily equipment can get to it
- Whether the stump is part of the job
How We Handle Tree Jobs in Round Lake
- 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
