Emergency Storm Tree Service in Pittsburgh, PA

Emergency storm tree service is about taking weight off something without making the damage worse. A tree lying on a roof is often still under tension, held up by the rafters, the gutter or the branches pinned underneath it. Cutting it from the wrong side can drop it further into the house or send a trunk rolling. The work is done in a set order: secure the hazard, take weight off the structure piece by piece, and then clean up. When you call, we ask about people, wires and access first.

What brings trees down here

The April 29, 2025 storm is the recent reminder. It cut power to more than 300,000 Duquesne Light customers, took nine days to fully restore and brought down large trees across the city and the suburbs. Most local tree failures come from a few conditions that overlap: saturated clay soil on a slope, which lets root plates tip; wet, heavy snow on trees that still have leaves or on evergreen branches; and weak forks in species like Callery pear and silver maple that split under load. Trees with decay at the base or dead tops, including ash killed by emerald ash borer, go first.

Wires come first

If a tree or limb is touching a wire, stay away from it and anything it touches, including a wet fence, and report it to Duquesne Light. The utility has to clear or de-energize its lines before anyone can work on that part of the tree. Lines from the pole to your house can also be live. Once the utility has made the area safe, we can remove the tree and clean up.

Order of work after a big storm

After a widespread storm, calls are taken in order of danger: trees on occupied houses, blocked exits and driveways needed for medical access, then trees on garages, cars and fences, then trees down in open yards. We may stabilize a tree on a roof the first day and come back for full cleanup. A homeowner can call any time to leave details and photos so the job is in line.

Insurance and documentation

Before anything is moved, if it is safe to do so, take photos of the tree, where it landed and the damage from several angles. Homeowner policies often treat a tree that hit a structure differently from one that fell in an open yard, so check your policy and call your insurer. Our written quote describes the work so you can pass it along to your adjuster.

Hanging limbs and split trees

Not every storm call is a tree on a house. Broken limbs hung up in the canopy, often called hangers or widowmakers, can fall days later without wind. A trunk split down a fork may still be standing but will not hold. These are worth dealing with soon after the storm, before the next round of wind.