Assessments, cabling and bracing to help Summit homeowners keep valuable mature trees standing safely.
Summit's tree rules lean toward preserving healthy mature trees, and removing one usually means paying for a replacement. That makes support work worth a look: a large old oak or beech with a weak fork can often be supported for years, and keeping it avoids removal and replacement costs. Cabling installs steel cables high in the crown to limit how far two stems can spread in wind. Bracing uses threaded rods through the wood for splits lower down. Neither is a cure for decay, so the tree has to be basically sound for either to make sense.
An assessment is the place to start when you are unsure. A Licensed Tree Expert looks at the crown, trunk, root flare and soil, checks for decay, cankers, insects and dieback, and tells you whether the tree needs pruning, support, treatment or removal. In Summit that written opinion carries extra weight, because the city's ordinance relies on a tree expert's judgment for hazard and emergency removals. Ash trees deserve a look. When emerald ash borer reached Summit, the city removed dozens of ash and treated others, and it urged homeowners to treat healthy ash early.
Support hardware needs follow up. Cables should be inspected every few years and adjusted or replaced as the tree grows, so ask the contractor what hardware they use and when they want to come back. If you are planning construction, ask about root protection as well. Summit's ordinance includes rules for protecting trees that stay during building work, and an arborist can help you mark a root protection zone before the excavator shows up. Checking with the city early is wise, because damaging a protected tree during construction can bring replacement costs of its own.
If the tree is sound enough to keep, supporting it means there is no removal to permit and nothing to replace. Whether cabling is appropriate depends on the tree, so start with an assessment.
When emerald ash borer reached Summit, the city advised treating healthy ash before signs of infestation and removing infested trees. An arborist can tell you which group your tree is in.
Summit's ordinance has tree protection rules for construction, and the usual approach is fencing around the root zone, keeping equipment and materials out of it and digging carefully near the trunk. Have an arborist mark the zone and check with the city about what applies to your project.
Summit's Chapter 29 Protection of Trees ordinance (Ord. 24-3321, adopted June 24, 2024) requires a Tree Removal Permit to remove private trees.
ecode360.comRemoving a living private tree of 12 inches DBH or more triggers a replacement tree of 2 to 2.5 inch caliper, planted within 12 months, or a replacement fee; fees are $50 per application plus $25 per approved tree.
ecode360.comEmergency removal of dead, diseased or hazardous trees is allowed if certified by a Licensed Tree Expert, with the application filed within five business days.
ecode360.comRemoval of dead, failing or unwanted trees on Summit lots, planned around the city's permit and replacement rules.
Pruning that keeps Summit's big shade trees off the roof and the wires and strong enough for ridgetop wind.
Grinding out stumps on Summit lots so you can plant the replacement tree, reseed or finish a project.
Help when wind, ice or heavy snow brings a tree or limb down on a Summit house, car, fence or driveway.