Tree Service in Oakland County, 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
One county, four kinds of tree work
After more than a decade working every corner of Oakland County, this is roughly how we map it.
Out west, around West Bloomfield, Waterford and Commerce, trees stand in wet ground near the water. They root wide and shallow, so they tip over whole rather than snapping. Getting to them means working around docks and seawalls.
The inner ring around Royal Oak and Ferndale is a different job. Lots are narrow, garages sit on the property lines, and utility lines run through the back yards. Almost nothing there can simply be felled, so the tree comes down on ropes, a piece at a time.
The estate corridor of Bloomfield Hills, Birmingham and Franklin holds century-old oak and beech. There, keeping the tree is nearly always worth more than removing it.
The north, up through Rochester Hills, Novi and Clarkston, still holds real remnant woodland. That gives the top of the county both the biggest trees we work on and the most oak wilt exposure.
And every town lays its own ordinance over the top.
Find your community
The trees, the access and the rules change from one town to the next. Each page below covers what applies where you live: the local ordinance, the species we see most, and what removal tends to cost.
- Tree service in Birmingham
Tight lots and construction damage. Private trees are the owner’s call. - Tree service in Bloomfield Hills
Our home base. Estate oaks worth saving, and a permit that counts trees. - Tree service in Clarkston
The biggest woodland timber we work on. Assess first, remove second. - Tree service in Commerce Township
Lake and wetland setbacks decide the job. 25 feet from water, 15 from a wetland. - Tree service in Farmington Hills
A strict 6-inch permit rule and Landmark trees. We make the city call first. - Tree service in Milford
Fast-growing river trees along the Huron. Check them after a wet year. - Tree service in Novi
Trees 36 inches and up are protected almost everywhere in the city. - Tree service in Pontiac
Standing dead ash. Cheaper down now than after it goes brittle. - Tree service in Rochester Hills
Forest-grown oaks and a permit most homeowners are exempt from. - Tree service in Royal Oak
Narrow lots, garages on the line, power lines overhead. Rigging work. - Tree service in Troy
Overgrown silver maples and dead ash in the subdivisions. - Tree service in Walled Lake
Small lots plus lakefront rules. Boundary and shoreline checked first. - Tree service in Waterford
More water than most townships. Shoreline rules matter more than tree rules. - Tree service in West Bloomfield
Wetland lines, woodland maps and a 25-foot setback come before the saw.
We also work in Ferndale, Madison Heights, Huntington Woods, Pleasant Ridge, Berkley, Clawson, Oak Park, Bingham Farms, Franklin, Rochester, Auburn Hills, Lake Orion, Oakland Township, Holly, Union Lake, White Lake, Wixom, Farmington, Sylvan Lake, Keego Harbor and Orchard Lake. If your town is not listed, call us anyway. If it is in Oakland County, we cover it.
What we do, everywhere we go
- Tree removal and crane work. Sectional dismantling beside buildings, and a crane when a tree is too large or too decayed to climb safely.
- Pruning, trimming and risk assessments. Cut to the ANSI A300 standard. We never top a tree. Written assessments so you decide with real information.
- Stump grinding. Ground below the surface so the spot can be seeded or replanted.
- Emergency storm response. Around the clock, documented for your insurance adjuster. Our storm damage guide covers what to do first.
- Planting. Anything we plant goes in at the right depth, so the root flare is never buried.
Worth reading before you book anyone
Three guides answer the questions we hear most. The first is what tree removal costs in Oakland County, with real ranges by size and the six things that move the price. The second covers permits community by community, because the rules vary a lot from one town to the next, and a fine costs more than a phone call. The third is what to do first after storm damage, including what your insurer will want documented.
If you have oaks, read the oak wilt guide before you schedule any pruning. If you have a bare ash, the emerald ash borer guide explains why it should not wait. If someone has suggested topping a tall tree, read why topping does more harm than good first.
From our Google reviews
“Treee pros came out after a recent storms handled what seems an insurmountable task in a calm professional efficient manor. I cannot say enough or thank them enough for what they did for me and my family. Many tree companies to choose from but when you need it done right and right now they are the guys”
Gregory S., October 2026
“I highly recommend Tree Pros! They helped us remove a large fallen tree, and I couldn’t be happier with their work. From start to finish, they prioritized safety, were extremely considerate of our property, and took every precaution to ensure our house was not damaged during the removal process. They were professional, efficient, and kept the work area clean and organized throughout the job. Once the tree was removed, they thoroughly cleaned up after themselves and left everything looking great.…”
Taylor H., September 2026
Read all 16 reviews on Google. Tree Pros, LLC is licensed and insured, and Rob gives every Oakland County 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
Are arborists licensed in Michigan?
No. Michigan does not license arborists, which means anyone at all can advertise as one. The credential that does mean something is ISA Certified Arborist, a voluntary certification from the International Society of Arboriculture. It is earned by passing an exam on tree biology, diagnosis, pruning standards and safety, and kept current with continuing education. Every certificate carries a public number, so you can check it before anyone climbs your tree. Rob Burgund holds MI-4857A, which you can verify by name in the ISA’s directory. When you compare estimates, ask for the number, and ask for proof of insurance as well, because certification does not replace it. A crew with neither is a risk you carry: if someone is hurt or something is damaged on your property, the claim can land on you rather than on them.
What is the cheapest time of year for tree removal?
Winter, usually. The ground is firm enough to carry equipment without wrecking the lawn, and bare trees are far easier to assess and rig because you can see the structure. Demand drops once storm season ends, which makes both scheduling and pricing better. Winter is also the right time for oak work, since cuts made between mid-April and mid-July risk spreading oak wilt, and the safest season for most other species too, because a dormant tree seals a wound well. Two exceptions. A dead tree gets more expensive the longer it stands, because brittle wood turns a climbing job into a crane job, so a dead ash should come down as soon as it can be scheduled. And a tree that is hazardous now should not wait for a season at all. For everything else, booking in late fall or winter usually gets you the best price and the quickest date.
How much does tree removal cost in Oakland County?
Most residential removals in Oakland County fall between $600 and $2,500. Small trees under 30 feet with clear ground beside them sit at the bottom. Large trees over a house, which come down in sections with each piece roped or held by a crane, sit at the top or past it, and the biggest woodland oaks in Clarkston or Rochester Hills can run well beyond $2,500. What moves the number is less the height than what is underneath and around the tree: roofs, fences, power lines, docks and how close we can bring equipment. A dead tree costs more once it is too brittle to climb. Crown reduction or cabling is a much smaller job than removal and is often the right answer for a healthy tree with one problem limb. Stump grinding is priced separately. Our cost guide breaks all of this down.
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.
Free estimates across Oakland County.
Rob walks the property with you, explains what the tree actually needs, and leaves a written estimate with no hidden extras.
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