Tree Removal
Full removals of dead, storm-damaged or badly placed trees, including tight residential blocks.
Learn more →Storms here come from two directions
Winter is the frontal season. A deep low crossing Geographe Bay brings sustained north-westerlies and rain, and the trees that fail are the ones with saturated ground around a shallow root plate — peppermints in coastal sand, and anything on a lifted plate that survived last winter.
Summer is the other half. Thunderstorms inland, and the well-known local habit of marri and other smooth-barked eucalypts dropping large limbs in hot, still weather with no warning at all. Summer limb failure is what puts branches through carports and across driveways in Bunbury and Busselton in January.
Both are predictable enough that the honest advice is to deal with obvious defects before the season rather than after. A tree that has dropped one major limb will usually drop another.
What to do before anyone arrives
- Stay away from power lines. If any part of the tree is touching or near the network, call Western Power on 13 13 51. Do not let a contractor near it either — that work has clearance rules and requires accreditation.
- Clear the area underneath. Cars, bins, kids, pets. A limb hung up in the canopy can come down hours later on a still day.
- Do not climb on it, and do not cut a loaded limb. A branch under bending load will move violently when it is cut. This is how people get hurt in the days after a storm, not during it.
- Photograph it. Before anything is moved, for your insurer.
- Tarp what you can safely reach. If a roof is open and more rain is coming, and it can be done from inside or from a stable position.
How the job runs
Emergency work is usually two stages. The first is making it safe: removing what is loaded, hung up or over a structure, cutting enough to free access, and stabilising anything that could move. The second is the rest of the tree — the remaining trunk, the stump, and the tidy-up — which can be booked normally rather than paid for at emergency rates.
Ask for the two stages to be priced separately. A crew that quotes it as one number after dark is not necessarily overcharging you, but you cannot tell either way.
Afterwards
A tree that has lost a major limb has a torn union and an unbalanced canopy. Sometimes that is manageable with a reduction; often it is not, and removal is the sensible call. Get it assessed rather than waiting for the next front to decide for you. On rural blocks, storm season and firebreak season bracket the same year, and the same deadwood is a problem in both.
Ring (08) 9785 0207. If it is not urgent, the contact page and the FAQ will get you sorted. We cover the whole South West.
More services
Explore our other services
Tree Lopping
Weight reduction and selective branch removal on overgrown marri, gum and peppermint.
Learn more →Tree Pruning
Crown lifting, deadwooding and clearance pruning done to keep the tree, not just cut it back.
Learn more →Stump Grinding
Grinding the stump below ground level so you can turf, pave or plant over it.
Learn more →Stump Removal
Stump and root plate dug out entirely where footings, pipes or a new build need the ground clear.
Learn more →Land Clearing
Clearing house pads, paddock regrowth and overgrown lifestyle blocks, within the clearing rules.
Learn more →Firebreaks & Hazard Reduction
Firebreaks, fuel-load reduction and overhanging limb work to meet your shire's annual notice.
Learn more →
FAQs
Frequently asked questions
What should I do first when a tree comes down?
Keep everyone away from it, including out from under any limb still hanging in the canopy. If it is on or near a power line, call Western Power on 13 13 51 and do not approach. If it is on a house or blocking the only access, ring us and describe exactly what is touching what. Photograph it before anything is moved, for your insurer.
Will my insurance cover storm tree damage?
That is between you and your insurer, and policies differ considerably on whether removal of a fallen tree is covered when it has not damaged a structure. Photograph everything before work starts, keep the written quote and the invoice, and ring your insurer before authorising non-urgent work so you know what is claimable.
Does emergency work cost more?
Usually, and for real reasons: out-of-hours crew time, working around a damaged structure, and rigging load off a tree that is already compromised and unpredictable. Making the site safe and removing the rest of the tree are often two separate jobs, and the second one can be scheduled normally at a normal price.
How quickly can someone get there?
Genuine emergencies get triaged ahead of quote visits. After a significant front crosses the South West, though, everyone rings at once and crews work through by severity — trees on dwellings and blocked access first, fallen limbs on lawns last. Tell us honestly what it is sitting on so you are ranked correctly.
Free, no-obligation