A township where about 9% of the land is parks and fields

Tree Service in Upper St. Clair, PA

Tree work for larger lots where the woods come right up to the back yard.

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Where the Back Yard Meets the Woods

Tree Service in Upper St. Clair is shaped by how much green space the township has kept. Its 14 parks and fields cover about 733 acres, roughly 9% of a 9.8-square-mile township. Many houses back onto wooded stream valleys or onto the edges of those parks, so the trees that worry homeowners are often not the ones they planted but the tall woodland trees at the rear of the lot.

Boyce Mayview Park next door

The largest of those green spaces is Boyce Mayview Park. The township bought 238 acres of the old Mayview Farm from the Commonwealth in 1996 and combined it with its 236-acre Boyce Park. The township describes extensive woodlands, fields and stream valleys, with Chartiers Creek and wetlands along the western edge. Properties near the park and along its creek corridors tend to have the same mix of mature hardwoods.

Edge trees behave differently

A tree that grew up inside a woodland and then found itself at the edge of a cleared lot is often tall, thin and leaning toward the light. When the woods behind it were thinned for a house, it lost the shelter it grew up with. Those edge trees are some of the most common removals we quote in Upper St. Clair. We look at lean, root plate, decay at the base, and what the tree would hit if it fell, then give you a choice: prune to reduce weight, remove only the trees that threaten something, or leave the rest as woodland.

A township of family homes

The 2020 Census counted 21,160 residents in 7,506 households, and 71.2% of households were married couples, a high share for the region. That usually means swing sets, trampolines and play areas under big trees, so we put fall zones and deadwood over those spaces at the top of the list.

Planned before 1915, built out after

Freehold Real Estate Co. laid out the first major residential development along Washington Road in March 1913, and the township was originally part of St. Clair Township, one of Allegheny County's original townships in 1788. The older streets off Washington Road have the biggest street-side trees; newer subdivisions further out tend to have younger planted trees in front and older woods behind.

What we usually do here

Hazard reviews of woodland-edge trees before they reach the house
Deadwood removal over decks, patios and play sets
Removals in tight back yards with rope rigging when trucks can't reach
Stump grinding so a lawn can be extended into a cleared area
Pruning young yard trees early so they don't need major cuts later

Call (412) 789-1968 or send the form, and mention if the trees in question are at the back edge of the lot. Get a free estimate

Upper St. Clair at a Glance

About 733 acres of parks. Upper St. Clair's 14 parks and fields cover about 733 acres, roughly 9% of the township's 9.8 square miles.
Boyce Mayview Park. In 1996 the township acquired 238 acres of the Mayview Farm from the Commonwealth and combined it with the 236-acre Boyce Park. The land includes extensive woodlands, stream valleys, and Chartiers Creek and wetlands on the western boundary.
Family households. The 2020 Census counted 21,160 residents in 7,506 households; 71.2% were married-couple households and 38.9% had children under 18.
Development since 1913. The first major residential development was built along Washington Road in March 1913 by Freehold Real Estate Co. The township has had a home rule charter since 1976.

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Our Services in Upper St. Clair, PA

Upper St. Clair Questions

The woods behind my house aren't mine. Can I remove a tree that leans toward my roof?

You need permission from whoever owns the land the trunk stands on, whether that's a neighbor, an HOA or the township. You can trim limbs that hang over your own property. We can look at the tree and give you a written assessment to share with the owner.

How do I know if a tall, thin edge tree is dangerous?

Warning signs include a lean that has grown worse, cracked or raised soil on the side away from the lean, fungus at the base, and dead tops. One sign alone doesn't mean it must go, so we check the whole tree and what's in its path.

Can you thin the woods behind my yard without clear-cutting it?

Yes. Many owners here want the woods kept and only the dead or dangerous trees taken out. We mark the trees we suggest removing so you can approve each one before work starts.

Free Estimates in Upper St. Clair, PA

Free estimates for Upper St. Clair homes, from Washington Road to the township's wooded edges.

Call (412) 789-1968 Free Estimate