Tree planning library

St. Louis tree guides

Use these guides to understand the scope, safety questions, cost drivers, and local checks that belong in a tree-care conversation.

Choose the question you need to answer

Tree-work cost planner Build a broad starting range from project type, access, and nearby hazards Tree removal cost factors Size, access, rigging, cleanup, stump work, and proposal comparisons Prune, preserve, or remove? How condition, targets, goals, and qualified assessment change the decision Storm-damaged trees Immediate hazards, documentation, temporary action, and professional review Stump grinding and removal Depth, roots, utilities, debris, backfill, and finished-use planning Permits and utility lines City trees, overhead conductors, excavation, Missouri 811, and Illinois JULIE

Prepare for an on-site conversation

Photograph the entire tree from more than one direction, the trunk base, visible defects, affected limbs, and nearby structures without entering a hazardous area. Note when the condition appeared, whether it changed after wind or rain, how equipment could reach the tree, and what you want done with logs, chips, and the stump.

Ask each provider to describe the proposed method, site protection, equipment, cleanup, exclusions, and responsibility for permits or utility coordination. When the central question is tree condition or risk—not simply carrying out a defined scope—ask whether an appropriately qualified tree professional should assess the tree before work is selected.

These pages provide general education, not a property-specific tree-risk assessment. Keep people away from damaged trees or limbs when an immediate hazard may exist, and contact the utility or emergency services when lines or public safety are involved.