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Trees come down in gales, limbs tear out under snow, and occasionally a tree that looked fine on Friday has moved by Monday. This page is about what to do in the meantime and what happens when we arrive.
If you are dealing with one of these now, ring 07388 094829 rather than filling in a form. Emergency work is arranged by phone because the first thing anybody needs is a conversation about what has actually happened.
What Counts as an Emergency
- A tree that has come down, or partly come down
- A limb hanging in a crown, caught rather than fallen
- A tree that has moved, or whose lean has changed, after a storm
- Soil lifting or cracking at the base of a tree
- A fresh split at a main fork
- A tree or limb across a drive, a path, a road or a roof
- A tree blocking access, or leaning on a building or a fence
What to Do Before Anybody Arrives
- Keep everybody away from underneath it, and from the area a limb would reach if it came down. This is the whole of the immediate safety advice
- Do not try to cut it yourself. A fallen or partly fallen tree is under tension in ways that are not obvious, and storm-damaged timber behaves unpredictably when it is cut
- Keep clear of any cables. If a tree is on or near power lines, that is the network operator's emergency number before it is ours
- Photograph it, from a safe distance and from a few angles, which helps both us and any insurance claim
- Move cars and anything valuable out of the area if it is safe to do so
What Happens When We Get There
The tree is assessed before anything is cut. Storm-damaged trees hold tension, and a limb under load can move a long way when it is released — so the order of cutting is worked out first and the work is done in a sequence that releases that load predictably.
The immediate hazard is dealt with first: making it safe, clearing access, getting the weight off a roof or a fence. Tidying up and deciding what happens to the rest of the tree is a separate conversation, and it does not have to happen that day.
What Our Emergency Service Covers
- Fallen and partly fallen trees made safe and cleared
- Hanging and broken limbs removed
- Trees leaning on buildings, fences and outbuildings
- Access cleared to drives, paths and doorways
- Unstable trees taken down where they cannot safely be left
- Wind-thrown root plates dealt with
- Written details and photographs for an insurance claim
- All material removed
Insurance
Storm damage is frequently covered, and what the insurer generally wants is evidence of what happened, what was done and why. We can provide a written description of the work and photographs taken before and during it. It is worth telling your insurer before non-urgent work goes ahead, though nobody expects you to wait for a claim to be processed before a tree is made safe.
A Note on Prevention
Most of what we are called to in a storm was visible beforehand — a lean that had increased, soil lifted on the windward side, a split at a fork, large deadwood over a driveway. Reducing the sail area of an exposed crown is far cheaper than dealing with the same tree after it has come down, and autumn is the sensible time to look at it.
Tree Surgery Work Across Hertfordshire
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Emergency Tree Removal in Your Part of Hertfordshire
We cover the whole county. Each town has its own tree surgery page covering the ground, the plots and the access that shape the work there.
Emergency Tree Removal — Common Questions
How quickly can you come out?
Ring 07388 094829 and we will tell you honestly. After a major storm everybody is busy, and we would rather give you a real time than a hopeful one.
What should I do right now?
Keep everyone away from underneath it, do not cut anything yourself, and if there are cables involved call the network operator first.
Will my insurance cover it?
Storm damage often is covered. We can provide written details and photographs of the work for a claim, but we are not able to advise on your policy.
Can you just make it safe and come back later?
Yes, and that is frequently the sensible approach. Dealing with the hazard and deciding about the rest of the tree are two different conversations.
Do you work on trees that have fallen onto a neighbour's property?
Yes. It is worth establishing early whose tree it was, because that usually decides whose insurer is involved.
Get a Quote for Emergency Tree Removal
Tell us what needs doing across Hertfordshire and we will quote for the work. Call 07388 094829, message us on WhatsApp or use the form below.