Tree Service in Farmington Hills, MI
Written by Robert Burgund, ISA Certified Arborist MI-4857A · Updated September 2026
- 5.0 Stars · 16 Google reviews
- ISA Certified Arborist MI-4857A
- Oakland County Since 2013
- Licensed & Insured
What tree work looks like in Farmington Hills
Farmington Hills is a leafy city. Mature red oak, sugar maple, beech and black walnut stand through the established neighborhoods and down along the Rouge River corridor.
Because the ordinance is written to keep those trees, most of what we do here is trimming rather than removal: taking weight off a limb that has grown too long, cleaning deadwood out of a canopy over a driveway, and reducing a crown that has closed in on a roof. Removal is the answer when a tree cannot be made safe, and on a lot of Farmington Hills properties it needs the city’s agreement first.
Stricter than it looks. A permit is required for trees 6 inches and wider, measured across the trunk at chest height. Homeowners may remove two protected trees per calendar year without one, but Landmark trees, generally 24 inches and up in good condition, always require a permit no matter the count. Dead trees are exempt. In practice that means a single healthy mature tree can need approval even when nothing else on the lot is being touched. We put that call in to the city before we quote. Rules change and parcels differ, so check with the city rather than with us if it matters. Our permit guide lines the cities up side by side.
The two-tree allowance is not what it sounds like
Homeowners hear that they get two trees a year and assume they are covered. Two things undercut that.
First, the size threshold is low. Six inches across the trunk is a tree you could put one hand most of the way around, not the mature specimen people picture.
Second, the allowance does not apply to Landmark trees at all. A healthy tree around 24 inches or more needs a permit whether it is your first removal of the year or your third. So the sequence that gets people into trouble is taking down two small trees in spring and then assuming the big oak in autumn is free. It is not.
What we do in Farmington Hills
We trim and reduce the crowns on mature hardwoods, cut to the ANSI A300 standard and never by topping. We clean the deadwood out over drives and patios. And where a tree cannot stay, we take it down and handle the permit with it.
Dead ash removal, which is exempt from the permit, is a regular job here. We grind the stumps afterward, and storm calls come in at any hour, documented for your insurer.
Pruning & tree trimming → Tree removal → Stump grinding → Emergency response →
Hardwoods, and a lot of dead ash
Red oak, sugar maple, beech and black walnut through the established neighborhoods, with willow and cottonwood down in the wet ground near the Rouge. There is ash too, most of it dead from the emerald ash borer. The oaks get winter-only pruning from us; the dead ash should not wait for winter at all.
What removal costs in Farmington Hills
A typical removal here falls between $600 and $2,500. A large Landmark-sized oak close to a house sits at the top of that or beyond it, because the tree has to come apart slowly with the weight held. Trimming a canopy back is a different and much smaller job, and worth asking about before you assume a tree has to go. The cost guide has the detail.
From our Google reviews
“We had several trees trimmed on our property. Everything went well from start to finish. Would not hesitate to hire Tree Pros in the future.”
Brian D., June 2026
Read all 16 reviews on Google. Tree Pros, LLC is licensed and insured, and Rob gives every Farmington Hills estimate in person, free. Hours: Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Sunday for emergencies.
Common questions
Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Farmington Hills?
Often, yes. Farmington Hills protects trees 6 inches and wider, measured across the trunk at chest height, which is a smaller tree than most people picture. Homeowners may remove two protected trees in a calendar year without a permit, but that allowance has a hard limit: Landmark trees, generally 24 inches and up in good condition, always need a permit no matter how many trees you have or have not removed that year. Dead trees are exempt, which is why a dead ash can come down without the paperwork. The mistake we see most is a homeowner using the two-tree allowance on small trees in spring and then assuming a large oak in the fall is covered. It is not. We confirm your parcel and your tree with the city before we quote, so the price already covers whatever the ordinance requires.
What is the difference between an arborist and a certified arborist?
Anyone can use the word arborist, because Michigan does not license the trade. An ISA Certified Arborist has passed an examination from the International Society of Arboriculture covering tree biology, diagnosis, pruning standards and safety, and has to earn continuing education credits to keep the credential. The certification number is public and checkable, so you can confirm it before anyone touches your tree. Rob’s is MI-4857A. In a city like Farmington Hills the difference shows up in the advice as much as the cutting. A certified arborist can tell you whether a limb over the roof needs the tree removed or just reduced, and can measure and document a protected tree the way the city expects. Certification is not insurance, so ask for proof of both before you hire any crew.
How much does tree removal cost in Farmington Hills?
Most Farmington Hills removals fall between $600 and $2,500. The established neighborhoods have room to work, which helps, but the trees are mature hardwoods, and a Landmark-sized red oak or sugar maple close to a house comes apart slowly with the weight held on every piece. That is what pushes a job to the top of the range or past it. Two things can bring the number down. Dead ash, which is exempt from the permit, usually costs less as long as it comes down while it can still be climbed safely. And if the problem is one limb over the roof rather than the whole tree, ask about reduction first; it costs a fraction of a removal. The stump is a separate line, and the permit question is settled before the estimate is written.
Written by Robert Burgund
ISA Certified Arborist · MI-4857A
Rob owns Tree Pros, LLC in Bloomfield Township and runs every job himself. He has climbed and cared for trees in Oakland County since 2013. More about Rob and how we work.
Nearby, we also cover Novi and West Bloomfield. See the Oakland County page for everywhere else.
Ask before you assume the tree has to come down.
Free on-site estimates across Farmington Hills. We check the city’s position and tell you honestly whether trimming would do the job instead.
Call or Text 248-672-8058Request a Free Estimate