How to Tell When a Tree Needs to Come Down

Dead wood and a canopy that never leafs out

The clearest warning is a tree that is dead or dying. Walk out in late spring after everything else has greened up. If part of the canopy or the whole tree stays bare, that wood is dead and brittle, and dead limbs are the ones that drop first in a wind.

Large dead branches up in the crown are a real hazard over a driveway, a deck, or a play area. A few small dead twigs deep inside are normal on most older trees. A whole section with no leaves is not, and it is worth having looked at.

Leaning, root heaving, and cracking soil at the base

Most trees lean a little and have grown that way for years. The one to worry about is a lean that is new or getting worse. Check the ground on the low side of the lean. If the soil is heaving up, mounding, or cracking, the roots are starting to pull loose and the tree is failing at the anchor.

A fresh lean after a storm, with lifted soil or exposed roots on one side, is a tree that can go over with the next strong wind. That is one to call about quickly rather than wait on.

Cracks, splits, and weak forks in the trunk

Look the trunk over for deep cracks or splits, and check the spots where the tree divides into big stems. A wide split running down the trunk or through a major fork means the tree is already coming apart and can fail under its own weight.

Pay attention to tight V-shaped forks where two stems crowd together. If you see bark pinched down inside that joint instead of solid wood, that is included bark, and it makes a weak union that tends to split out in a storm or under snow load.

Decay, fungus, and signs of insects

Decay is the danger you cannot always see, so watch for the outside clues. Shelf-like fungal conks or mushrooms growing on the trunk or at the base usually mean the wood inside is rotting. Wood that is soft, crumbly, or punky when you press it is another sign the structure is going.

Hollow spots, open cavities, and heavy woodpecker work often point to rot or insects inside. Sawdust or fine frass at the base, along with bark falling off in sheets and dead patches, can mean carpenter ants or wood-boring beetles are at work. A tree can look fine on the outside and be hollow within, which is why a close inspection matters.

Storm damage, construction, and trees too close to the house

After a Maine ice storm or a heavy wet snow, look for hanging limbs, broken branches caught in the canopy, and a split or torn crown. A limb that is hung up overhead is dangerous until it is brought down safely, and that is the kind of work to leave to a crew.

Recent digging matters too. If a driveway, foundation, or utility project cut or buried roots near a tree, it may slowly decline even though the top still looks healthy. And a tree growing into the roof, rubbing the siding, or pushing toward the foundation is worth addressing before it does damage, and that might mean pruning it back or taking it out.

Ash trees and the trees that fail most around here

Ash trees get their own warning. A thinning canopy, dead branches up top, and pale flecking on the bark where woodpeckers have been chipping at it can point to emerald ash borer. If you have ash on your property showing these signs, read our page on ash trees and emerald ash borer, because infested ash gets brittle fast and needs to be handled before it becomes unsafe to climb.

In the Kennebec Valley, ice and wet snow are what expose a weak tree, and they do it every winter. White pines with heavy one-sided crowns and old roadside maples are among the most common failures we see, so those are good ones to keep an eye on near the house and driveway.

When removal is the right call, and when it isn't

Not every flawed tree has to come down. A tree with one bad limb might just need a prune. A tree with a minor old wound the homeowner noticed might be fine to watch for a season. A good crew will tell you that straight instead of selling you a removal you do not need.

Removal is the right call when a tree is a genuine hazard or is dead or clearly declining, especially when it could reach a house, a car, a power line, or a spot where people stand. If you are looking at one of these signs and you are not sure how serious it is, that is exactly the kind of borderline tree we come look at in person, and the estimate is free.