Tree Service in Aspinwall, PA

Tree Service in Aspinwall comes with a rule many homeowners don't know about. Under the borough's shade tree ordinance, a shade tree is any tree, shrub or woody plant planted in the right-of-way, or with at least half of its trunk, branches or roots reaching into it. The Aspinwall Shade Tree Commission has exclusive custody and control of those trees, and anyone who wants to plant, remove or trim one, or any part of a tree that extends over the right-of-way, needs approval in advance. Requests go in writing and are reviewed at the commission's monthly meetings.

What that means for your own tree

Aspinwall is small and tight. It has about 0.35 square miles of land and about 2,916 residents, roughly 8,300 people per square mile. On streets that dense, a private front-yard tree often has limbs over the sidewalk or street. Under the ordinance, trimming those limbs can need commission approval even though the trunk is on your lot. If you're not sure whether a tree is in the right-of-way, the borough says to call the borough office at 412-781-0213.

For sidewalk or branch problems caused by a tree, the commission asks residents to contact it before pruning any roots or branches. It can advise on how to do the work properly and in some cases may help.

A borough built in a hurry

Aspinwall separated from O'Hara Township in December 1892 and was built out in three phases between 1893 and 1905, starting nearest the Allegheny River. Streetcar line 94 served it from around 1910 until 1960. Many houses date from those first decades, and the backyard trees that grew up with them are now large and close to neighboring houses and garages.

The commission's planting work

The Shade Tree Commission was set up in 2009. It runs an annual planting program with Tree Pittsburgh and the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy's TreeVitalize program, and residents apply for planting spots each February and March. It has planted well over a hundred trees, commissioned a full inventory of borough shade trees in 2014, and prunes young street trees in winter with volunteer Tree Tenders. The Arbor Day Foundation lists Aspinwall as a Tree City USA community.

Where we help

We handle the trees that are yours: backyard maples, oaks and locusts that have outgrown their space, deadwood over roofs and garages, and removals on lots where a truck can't get in. If any part of the job reaches over the right-of-way, we'll tell you so on the estimate and you can get the commission's approval before we schedule.

Small lots, careful rigging

With houses this close together, almost every Aspinwall removal is done in sections, lowered on ropes into the yard or onto the street, with neighbors' roofs and fences protected along the way.

Call (412) 789-1968 or use the form. Get a free estimate