Tree Trimming
Deadwood out, limbs off the roof, crowns thinned for the next storm.
Tree removal
Tree Removal in Decatur, IL
Decatur Elite Tree Service handles tree removal in Decatur, IL, from small dead ash in the back yard to 80-foot maples hanging over two roofs. We take trees down in pieces where there's no room to drop them, chip the brush, haul the wood and leave the lawn raked.
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When a Tree Really Has to Go
Honestly, most trees we get called about can stay. A trim, or one heavy limb taken off, solves a lot. The ones that go are dead, rotten at the base, split at a big fork, or leaning harder at the house than they did a year ago. If it's leaning at the house, it's not getting better.
Decatur Elite Tree Service also provides dead tree removal and storm-damaged tree removal to Decatur and nearby Illinois towns, including Mount Zion, Forsyth, Long Creek, Maroa, Harristown and Clinton. On the walk-around we'll tell you which kind of job yours is, and why we think so.
Contact UsTypes of Tree Removal We Do
How we bring a tree down depends on what sits under it. Size matters less than you'd think.
Sectional Removal
The climber works from the top down and lowers every piece on a rope. It's how we get trees out of tight yards over roofs, fences and gardens.
Felling in Open Yards
Got 100 feet of open lawn? We cut a felling notch to aim it and drop the tree in one piece. Quicker, and cheaper for you.
Bucket Truck Removal
Dead ash and other trees too brittle to climb get done from our 75-foot bucket truck, so nobody hangs off rotten wood.
Crane Removal
When a giant leans over the house and there's no drop zone, a crane lifts it out a section at a time. See crane tree removal.
Tree Removal Costs in Decatur
- Small tree, under 30 ft, open yard: $400 to $700
- Medium tree, 30 to 60 ft: $700 to $1,900
- Large tree over a house: $1,500 to $3,500
- Crane removal: $2,500 to $6,500
- Stump grinding with the removal: from $125
You get one price in writing, cleanup in it. That's the bill.
What Every Removal Includes
- A free walk-around, then the written price within 48 hours
- Ameren called if the service line is close
- Mats under the trucks wherever the lawn is soft
- Brush chipped on site, logs hauled or cut for firewood
- Stump cut low and flat, or ground if you choose
- Grass raked, drive and walks blown clean
How Much Does Tree Removal Cost in Decatur, IL?
Tree removal in Decatur usually costs $400 to $1,900 in 2026, in line with the local average of about $1,200 that cost guides report. Small trees in open yards sit at the low end. Big silver maples and oaks over a house, with no room for a truck, run $1,500 to $3,500, and crane jobs cost more.
| Tree | Typical height | Method | Typical price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ornamental pear or crabapple | 15 to 25 ft | Felled or cut from the ground | $400 to $650 |
| Dead ash, open yard | 40 to 60 ft | Bucket truck | $700 to $1,400 |
| Silver maple near the house | 50 to 70 ft | Climber with rigging | $1,200 to $2,400 |
| Pin oak or bur oak over the roof | 60 to 80 ft | Rigging or crane | $1,800 to $3,500 |
| Huge tree, no truck access | 70 ft and up | Crane | $2,500 to $6,500 |
A handful of things set the number. Is the trunk ten feet from the house or forty? Are there wires in the way? Can our bucket truck pull up in the street or on the drive? How much wood leaves the yard? A tree out back behind a 36-inch gate means hauling every log by hand, and that takes time.
Dead Tree Removal and the Ash Problem
The emerald ash borer turned up in Decatur in 2012, and since then most untreated ash here have died. Plenty are still standing. Dead ash dries out fast and gets brittle inside two or three years, so it snaps instead of bending. We've had limbs break under a climber's hand, which is why the bucket usually does that work.
We also take out a lot of elms lost to Dutch elm disease, silver maples with rotten trunks, and spruces that needle disease thinned to sticks. A dead tree never gets cheaper. The drier it gets, the more time and care it takes to bring down safely. Last year roughly a third of our removals were dead ash.
Hazardous Tree Removal
A few trees go straight to the top of the list. We call these hazardous, and we plan each one before a saw comes out:
- A long crack up the trunk, or a tight fork that's starting to pull apart
- Mushrooms or soft, crumbly wood at the base
- A lean that got worse after a storm, with soil lifting on the far side
- Big dead limbs hanging over the roof, the drive or the swing set
- Branches wrapped around the wire to your house
For a tree on the house or across the driveway right now, see emergency tree service.
What Happens on Removal Day
Day one starts with the crew lead and you in the yard. We agree where the trucks go, where the wood comes down and what nobody touches. Ground mats go out on soft grass. The climber or the bucket starts up top, and the guys on the ground run brush through the chipper as it lands, so you never end up with a mountain of branches.
Logs get hauled off, or cut to 16 inches and stacked if you burn wood. Chips stay or go, your call. The stump gets cut low and flat, or ground the same day if you added stump grinding. Before we leave, we rake the lawn and blow off the drive.
Do You Need a Permit for Tree Removal in Decatur?
Usually no, if the tree stands on your own lot. Trees in the parkway, the grass strip by the curb, can be city trees, so check with Decatur Public Works first. Subdivisions in Mount Zion and Forsyth often have HOA covenants too. A few want approval before a removal, and some ask for a new tree after.
Storm Claim? We Document It
Photos before we cut, a written description of what fell and what it hit, and an itemized invoice your insurer can read.
Contact UsWinter Trimming List
Get on our December to February list. Dormant trees, frozen ground and 10% off trims over $400.
Contact UsQuestions we hear
Tree Removal FAQs
How long does a tree removal take?
Plan on half a day to a full day with three or four of us on site. A small tree in an open yard can be gone in a couple of hours. A big maple over the house that comes down in sections, plus the cleanup, will usually take the whole day.
Will removing a tree damage my lawn?
Barely, when the crew does it right. Ground mats go under the trucks on soft lawns, and pieces get lowered on ropes instead of slammed onto the grass. You may notice a few pressed-down spots or tire lines for a week or two in spring. Ruts, no.
Do I need to be home during the removal?
Nope. Once you've walked the tree with us, we only need a way in. Plenty of folks are at work all day, and we text a few photos when the last truck pulls out. Locked gate or a dog in the back? Give us a heads-up before the crew shows up.
What happens to the wood?
Your call. By default it all leaves with us. Burn wood? We'll cut the logs to 16-inch firewood and stack it wherever you point, no charge. The chips can stay for the garden beds or ride away in the chip truck.
Can you remove a tree in winter?
Yes, and in our experience winter is often the best time. With the leaves off we can see the whole tree, and frozen ground holds the trucks without marking the lawn. Winter jobs are also easier to book, because spring and summer fill up fast after the first storms.
Our Other Tree Services
Stump Grinding
Stumps chewed out below the grass line, ready for seed.
Emergency Tree Service
Storm calls 24/7: trees lifted off roofs, cars and driveways.
Crane Tree Removal
Giant trees over houses lifted out one piece at a time.
Land Clearing
Brushy lots, fence lines and building sites cleared and hauled.
Commercial Tree Service
Trims, removals and storm work for businesses, HOAs and landlords.
Free walk-around
Got a Tree That's Bothering You?
Leave your name, number and a line about the tree. We call back to set up a walk-around, and the written price follows within 48 hours.
- Written price within 48 hours
- 24/7 storm and emergency calls
- Clean-up included in every price