Tree Service in South Fayette, PA

Tree Service in South Fayette often deals with trees that were saved during construction and are now struggling. The township grew from 12,271 people in 2000 to 14,416 in 2010 and 18,394 in 2020, roughly a 50% jump in twenty years. Neighborhoods like Sterling Ridge, The Berkshires, Newbury and Forest Ridge were cut into land the township describes as mostly wooded, with small hills and floodplains along four streams.

Why saved trees decline

When a lot is graded, the trees left standing at the edge often lose part of their root system to cuts, trenches and compacted soil from heavy equipment. The damage doesn't show right away. Five to fifteen years later, the crown thins from the top down, branches die back, and a tree that looked like a selling point becomes a hazard over a deck. If your home is in one of the newer subdivisions and a big oak or maple near the house has a thinning top, that history is the first thing we consider.

Streams and soft ground

Chartiers Creek, Robinson Run and Coal Run form parts of the township's boundaries, and Millers Run takes its name from an early settler who lived at its mouth. Floodplain trees such as sycamore, silver maple and box elder grow fast in that wet ground and are prone to splitting. On a slope above a stream, the soil can stay saturated for days after heavy rain, which is when shallow-rooted trees tip.

Coal under some of it

Coal and oil were found in the township between 1860 and 1910, and mining became a major local industry. Old spoil areas and reclaimed ground can have thin, rocky soil where trees root shallowly. We take that into account when deciding whether a leaning tree is stable.

How we approach a South Fayette lot

1. Walk the edge of the lot where construction stopped and the woods begin. 2. Note which trees are dead, dying, or leaning toward the house, and which are healthy. 3. Price removals for the trees that threaten structures, and pruning for the ones worth keeping. 4. Plan wood and chip removal through the narrowest access point, since many new lots have tight side yards and fences. 5. Give you a written estimate you can approve in phases.

Growth is still coming

The township expects more building, with the Newbury Market development underway and the Southern Beltway expected to bring more residential and commercial growth. If you are building or adding on, bring us in before excavation so the trees you want to keep can be protected from root cuts and soil compaction in the first place.

Leaning trees after rain

If a tree begins to lean after several days of rain, check the ground on the side opposite the lean. Cracked, mounded or lifted soil means the roots are moving, and the tree should be treated as unsafe until it is looked at.

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