A dangerous tree is not always a dramatic one. In Schuyler County, the trees that worry us most are often quiet: an ash that died from emerald ash borer two summers ago and now sheds bark in sheets, a hemlock on a ravine edge thinning from the top, or a maple that cracked during the June 2026 tornado and has been holding on ever since.
Hazardous tree removal is about controlling where every piece goes. Jason Tubbs inspects the tree, the lean, the ground and what sits underneath during a $50 on-site consultation, then lays out options in an itemized plan. For trees that cannot wait, our Emergency Assessment and Emergency Response tiers move faster. Either way, the crew takes the tree apart from the top down, in sections, so nothing lands where it shouldn’t.
Warning signs worth a closer look in Schuyler yards
- Ash with bark flaking off, D-shaped exit holes or heavy woodpecker activity
- Hemlocks with thinning crowns or white woolly specks under the needles
- Beech with dark banding between leaf veins, a disease new to the county in 2022
- Cracks where two trunks meet, or a split that widens in wind
- Fresh soil heaving or root plates lifting on the side away from the lean
- Mushrooms at the base, hollow sounds or large dead limbs over a roof or path
Trees the June 2026 tornado left behind
On June 18, 2026, an EF-1 tornado with 90 mph winds crossed Seneca Lake from Rock Stream in Yates County into Schuyler and uprooted numerous trees. Plenty of trees that did not fall that day were still damaged. Partly lifted root plates, twisted tops and limbs hung in neighboring crowns can let go months later in a lesser wind or under wet snow. If your property was in that storm’s path, a walk-through is worth the $50.
Why brittle ash changes the method
Ash borer was found in far western Schuyler before 2018 and in the Arnot Forest that same year. Once an ash dies, the wood dries and gets brittle, which makes climbing it risky and makes limbs snap unpredictably under rigging loads. On these trees we lean on the bucket truck or the crane so the crew works from outside the tree whenever possible. That choice is a big part of why a dead ash can cost more to remove than a live tree of the same size.
When it can wait and when it can’t
A tree that is dying but standing straight over open lawn can usually be scheduled through a regular consultation. A tree that is actively cracking, leaning onto a building or blocking the only way in and out of your property is a different story. That is when the $300 Emergency Assessment, on site the next business day, or the $5,000 minimum Emergency Response makes sense. Both fees are credited toward the job.
Hazardous Tree Removal Questions From Schuyler County
The ash next to my house in Montour Falls is dead. How urgent is it?
Dead ash gets weaker every season, and it tends to drop big limbs without warning. If it can reach the house, a car or a path people use, schedule removal soon rather than next year. Jason can tell you during the consultation whether it can be taken down in a normal schedule or whether it should be handled under an emergency tier.
My hemlock above the ravine is thinning. Is it a hazard yet?
A thinning hemlock is not always dangerous right away, but hemlock woolly adelgid has been reported in Schuyler and can weaken trees over several years. The bigger question is what the tree would hit. Jason will look at the crown, the lean and the slope, and talk through options, including whether removal makes sense now or later.
Should I book a regular consultation or the Emergency Assessment?
If the tree is stable and nothing has changed in weeks, the $50 consultation is the right start. If it moved in the last storm, is cracking, or is resting on a building, use the $300 Emergency Assessment so someone is on site the next business day. Call (607) 375-7681 if you are not sure which fits.
Want the full picture? Read our hazardous tree removal guide, or see everything we do in Schuyler County.