Pruning that keeps Summit's big shade trees off the roof and the wires and strong enough for ridgetop wind.
Because Summit's rules lean toward keeping mature trees, pruning is often the smarter first call. A well pruned oak or maple can stay in a front yard on a street like Hobart Avenue or Kent Place Boulevard for decades longer than one left to grow heavy and crowded. Good trimming removes dead and broken wood, clears branches off the roof and gutters, lifts low limbs over the driveway, and thins a dense crown so wind passes through instead of pushing against it. That last point matters on a hill where storm gusts have nothing to slow them down.
Avoid anyone who offers to top a tree, which means cutting big branches back to stubs. It weakens the tree and leaves it sprouting thin, poorly attached shoots that fail in the next storm. Reduction cuts back to a healthy side branch do the same job properly. In Summit there is a second reason to care: a badly damaged tree can become a removal, and a removal can bring a permit and a replacement cost. Ask the contractor to point out which limbs come off and why before the climber goes up.
Check whose tree it is before anyone cuts. Trees along the curb strip may be city trees, and trees along the county roads that cross Summit may fall under Union County, so pruning them can need approval. On your own trees, timing can matter too. Many species can be pruned any time, but arborists commonly advise against pruning oaks in spring and early summer because fresh wounds can attract the beetles that spread oak wilt. Your pro can work out a schedule that suits each tree on the property, and can flag any species that should wait for late fall or winter.
If the tree is in the strip between the sidewalk and the street, it may be a city or county tree. Call Summit's Department of Community Services before arranging any work on it.
Routine pruning of your own trees is generally not treated like a removal, but severe cutting that kills a tree can turn into a removal issue. If you are unsure about a big pruning job, ask the city or the contractor first.
Often, yes. On a mature Summit tree, careful pruning and an assessment can extend its life and avoid the cost of removal plus replacement. If the tree is too far gone, the arborist will say so.
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.
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.
Assessments, cabling and bracing to help Summit homeowners keep valuable mature trees standing safely.