Tree Service in Sewickley, PA

Tree Service in Sewickley runs on a calendar most towns don't have. The borough's Shade Tree Commission reviews applications for tree work and makes recommendations to Borough Council, and it meets at 7 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month in the Council Chambers at 601 Thorn Street. Applications have to arrive at least 10 calendar days before the meeting. Miss that window and the earliest review is a month later.

What needs approval

The borough's Application for Tree Work, Pruning or Removal, issued under Ordinance No. 1342, states that Shade Tree Commission approval is required of anyone removing a tree that could affect the public right-of-way, such as a road or sidewalk. Only the titled owner of the property can apply, so tenants and contractors cannot file on an owner's behalf. The same form says the work may only be done by tree services licensed by the borough, and the borough publishes its list of licensed tree services. Before you book anyone for this kind of work in Sewickley, check that list.

How we fit in

We can visit, look at the tree and give you a written description of the problem and the proposed work. That description is useful when you fill out the application's reason-for-work section. Trees well away from any road or sidewalk, and routine pruning of private yard trees, are simpler. If it isn't clear whether a tree could affect the right-of-way, ask the borough office at 412-741-4015 before scheduling.

A small borough on the Ohio

Sewickley was incorporated in July 1853 and covers just over one square mile of land along the Ohio River, about 12 miles northwest of Pittsburgh. The 2020 Census counted 3,907 residents and 2,008 housing units. The streets are lined with big old trees, and lots are close enough that one large tree usually overhangs two or three properties. The Sewickley Bridge, finished in 1911, connects the borough to Moon Township across the river.

The commission's longer view

The Shade Tree Commission also keeps a Master Tree Plan built on an annually updated inventory of public trees, maintains lists of recommended small, medium and large trees for streets and parks, and publishes a list of species to avoid. If you are replacing a tree near the street, that list is a good place to start choosing.

Typical requests

• Pruning large street-side oaks and maples away from roofs and chimneys
• Removing dead or failing trees, after any required approval
• Clearing limbs over driveways and narrow lanes
• Grinding stumps so a replacement tree from the borough's recommended list can go in

Replacing what comes out

When a street-side tree is removed, a replacement is often worth planning at the same time. Pick something sized for the space and the wires above it; the commission's recommended lists sort trees by mature height for exactly that reason. We can grind the old stump low enough to replant nearby.

Call (412) 789-1968 or send the form, and tell us whether the tree is near a road or sidewalk. Get a free estimate