If you have a dead or dying tree on your property, it needs to be removed. Many times, homeowners will try to avoid dealing with a dead tree, hoping it will just go away on its own (pro tip: it won’t). So if you’re at the point where you understand and acknowledge that the dead tree in your yard needs to be dealt with, congratulations! You’re ahead of the game.
But once you’ve decided that the tree really does need to be removed, the next question is, how? And, as is true with many home and garden projects (especially expensive ones), many homeowners will contemplate whether this project is a good candidate for DIY.
Tree Removal: DIY vs. Calling a Pro
When you consider whether a project is a good idea to tackle as a DIY, you’ve got to think about the different aspects of the project and its potential consequences. When it comes to removing a dead tree, we need to consider safety issues, liability issues, financial considerations, and the stress involved.
Safety
In this aspect, the answer is really simple: it’s 100% safer for you to let a pro tackle your tree removal. Whether your tree is big or small, you’re safer sitting on your couch than you are out in the garden with a chainsaw, a backhoe, or a rented cherry picker truck. From the viewpoint of safety, we have to give the nod to the “hire a pro” column. And, even if you want to take our safety into consideration, keep in mind that we have the training, equipment, and experience to ensure that your tree removal project is going to be handled safely. For any given tree removal, it’s safer to have an expert handle it than an amateur. That being said, some tree removals are safer for an inexperienced arboreal amateur than others. If your tree is very small, doesn’t interfere with power lines, buildings, fences, or other structures, and you have access to appropriate equipment, the risk to your safety isn’t very large.
Insurance
We’ve got to put the liability consideration in the “hire a pro” category, too. Although your health insurance will cover any injuries you might sustain while removing your tree, and your homeowners insurance might cover some liability for damage or injury caused to others, you’re unlikely to be well covered if you went out and took on a task that was beyond your ability and experience. If you took out the neighbor’s BMW while felling your dead tree, you might find that your homeowners insurance won’t cover you because you used a buddy’s backhoe and didn’t know what you were doing. As a professional tree removal service, we’re insured to protect the safety of us, you, your home, your neighbors, and all the surrounding property, without you having to worry about it at all. As pros, we hopefully won’t get ourselves into any sticky situations, but if we do, you won’t end up paying for any damage or injury caused. (This is an important, point though — in order to be protected, legally and financially, you need to make sure you’re hiring a fully insured, professional tree service. Ask questions about liability and insurance when you hire a tree service professional, and if they don’t have the right answer for you, call someone who does.)
Cost
It’s easy to assume that this section is firmly in the “DIY” column … but it might not be that simple. It’s true that doing something yourself, without hiring a professional, is likely to cost you less (at first, at least). You’re paying with your time and effort, rather than your money, for the removal of that dead tree. But when you consider that you will probably have to rent equipment, will have to deal with any damage caused by the removal of the tree or the use of the equipment, and, that at the end of the day, you may end up NOT being successful in removing the tree, and may have to call in the pros anyway, it’s less clear that this is a win for the DIY-ers out there. This one should be a “maybe” in the DIY column.
Hassle
Again, this is a no-brainer. The hassle and stress of researching and choosing a professional tree service to remove your tree is far, far less than the stress and hassle of actually having to do the removal yourself! (If you’re in the Cincinnati area, you can call us first and save yourself ANY stress and hassle about finding a local tree removal company.)
Of course, we might be considered biased, but we’re also experienced. And we will tell you that tree removal is NOT a great choice for a DIY project. Removing a sick, damaged, possibly infested tree can be a real pain, and we’re happy to help you lose the tree while keeping yourself happier. Call a tree service professional for your dead tree removal — don’t try to do it yourself.
