Tree Service in Shaler Township, PA

Tree Service in Shaler Township means working on hills. The township is largely hilly, with three stream valleys running north to south into the Allegheny River. Pine Creek and Little Pine Creek converge downstream in Etna, and Girtys Run flows out of Shaler into Millvale. Most Shaler homes are on a slope of some kind, and many back yards drop off into wooded ravines.

Why creek-side trees matter here

In September 2004 the remnants of Hurricane Ivan dropped 5.95 inches of rain on Pittsburgh over two days. Girtys Run crested at 21 feet in Millvale, against a flood stage of 11 feet, and more than 400 homes and businesses flooded in Etna. Since then, pillars have been installed upstream in Shaler to catch debris before it reaches Etna. Fallen trees and loose logs are a big part of that debris.

That history doesn't make every creek-side tree a problem. But if a dead tree on your property leans over Pine Creek, Little Pine Creek or Girtys Run, it is likely to end up in the water during the next big storm. Taking it down while it can be cut and hauled out in a controlled way is easier on everyone downstream, and on your bank. We usually leave the stump and roots in place on a stream bank so the soil stays held together.

A postwar suburb of hillside lots

Shaler was established in 1847 and became an affluent suburb after World War II, when many Pittsburgh families moved out and home building surged. It is still mostly residential, with about 28,132 residents in 2020. Much of Glenshaw lies in the township, along with part of Allison Park. The trees planted with those 1950s and 60s homes are now large, and on a sloped lot they are often uphill of the house, which changes how they have to be taken down.

Typical Shaler work

• Sectional removals of large oaks and maples above houses on steep lots
• Dead ash and dead or hollow trees along creek banks and ravines
• Pruning limbs off roofs and driveways on narrow hillside streets
• Storm cleanup after wind or heavy wet snow
• Stump grinding where the slope allows; flush cuts where it doesn't

Girty's Woods

Part of Girty's Woods, a permanently protected natural area, is in the township. If your lot borders protected or public land, we only work on trees that are clearly on your side of the line.

Snow and wind on the ridges

Shaler's ridgetops are more exposed than its hollows. Heavy wet snow and summer thunderstorms tend to break tops and large limbs on trees along the ridges, while trees in the valleys more often fail at the roots when the ground is soaked. Both are common reasons for calls here.

Call (412) 789-1968 or use the form, and tell us whether the tree is near a creek or on a slope. Get a free estimate