Tree Removal
Tight back yards near the Beltline get rigged takedowns; larger lots off Lacy and Whalen roads often have room to fell. Dead ash along old fencerows is the removal we do most in Fitchburg.
Tree Service in Fitchburg, WI
Our shop sits on the Fitchburg line, just off Seminole Highway, so your trees are practically in our back yard. Tree removal, tree trimming, stump work and storm response, from McKee Road to the farm country south of Lacy Road.
- Shop on the Fitchburg line
- Free written estimates
- Proof of insurance on request
Fitchburg’s trees, from Dunn’s Marsh to the farm fields
Fitchburg is three places in one: older neighborhoods tucked against the Beltline, newer subdivisions around McKee and Lacy roads, and open country to the south. Each grows different trees and different problems.
Along the Beltline. Around Dunn’s Marsh, Jamestown and Belmar the lots date from the 1960s and 70s, and so do the trees: big silver maples, the last of the ash, tall spruce planted a little too close to the house. Access is tight and there is always a garage, a fence or a neighbor underneath, so most tree removal here is done in pieces, on ropes.
The middle of the city. In the subdivisions along McKee Road, Fish Hatchery Road and Lacy Road, from Hatchery Hill to Swan Creek and the streets around McKee Farms Park, the trees are young. Many were planted by builders, a little too deep and staked a little too long, and are now growing two trunks where there should be one. Behind them, along the back lot lines, stand the trees the farm left behind: boxelder, mulberry, black walnut and cottonwood.
South of Lacy Road. Rural lots, oak woodlots, spruce windbreaks and long gravel drives. The work is bigger and farther from the road: dead oaks at a woodlot edge, limbs over a machine shed, a windbreak dying from the bottom up.
Fitchburg takes its public trees seriously. It has been a Tree City USA for 29 years running, is one of a small number of Tree Cities of the World, and adopted a new strategic urban forestry plan in 2026. That is the City’s side of the sidewalk. The trees in your yard are yours to look after, and that is where a local tree care service comes in.
Tree services we bring to Fitchburg
Same crew and same standards as in Madison. What changes in Fitchburg is the kind of yard.
Tree Trimming & Pruning
Builder-planted maples and lindens in the newer neighborhoods are reaching the age where a few structural cuts prevent a split trunk later. Mature oaks are pruned in the cold months only.
Stump Grinding
Common after a removal, and for the stumps builders left along back lot lines. We file the Diggers Hotline ticket. Newer subdivisions carry a lot of buried utilities in their easements.
Stump Removal
For new patios, sheds, fence lines and additions, which Fitchburg’s growing neighborhoods see plenty of. Stump and main roots out, hole backfilled and compacted.
Emergency Tree Service
Our shop is on the city line, which matters when a tree is on a roof. If wires are involved the utility goes first: MGE and Alliant Energy both serve parts of Fitchburg.
Not sure what you need?
Most people aren’t. Tell us what you are looking at and we will walk the yard with you. Estimates in Fitchburg are free and written.
Fitchburg tree rules, and who to call
Fitchburg is not Madison, and Madison’s tree ordinances stop at the city line. This is how it works on the Fitchburg side.
Street and park trees are the City’s
Trees in the public right-of-way, in parks and in city woodlots are managed by Fitchburg’s forestry staff under the city’s urban forestry plan. If one is dead, damaged or blocking a sign, report it to City Hall at 608-270-4200. Please don’t prune or remove a street tree yourself. We won’t either without the City’s say-so.
Yard trees are yours
A tree on your lot is your responsibility, and as far as we know ordinary tree removal and pruning in a private yard needs no city permit. The City can step in when a private tree becomes a public nuisance, such as a dead tree leaning over a street or a sidewalk.
Building or subdividing? Ask first
Fitchburg adopted a tree preservation ordinance in 2023 that applies to new development. If your project involves a plat, a new lot or a site plan, ask the City’s planning staff what it requires before any trees come down. We are glad to walk the site with your builder.
Oaks follow the DNR calendar
Madison’s April-to-October oak work permit does not apply here, but oak wilt does not read city limits. The Wisconsin DNR advises against pruning oaks from April through July. We keep oak work to the cold months everywhere, and seal any storm wound on an oak immediately.
Whose tree is it? A ten-second check for Fitchburg
Pick where the trunk stands.
Choose one above to see who is responsible for the tree, and who to call.
The City of Fitchburg’s. Trees in the street right-of-way are public. Report problems to City Hall at 608-270-4200. We can’t work on them without the City’s permission, and neither can you.
Yours. Removal, pruning and stump work in a private Fitchburg yard is up to the owner, and it is what we do. Call (608) 571-1326 for a free written estimate.
Shared. If the trunk straddles the lot line, treat the tree as jointly owned and get your neighbor’s agreement in writing before anything is cut. We can quote both owners together.
Public. City parks and woodlots belong to Fitchburg: 608-270-4200. The Capital City, Military Ridge and Badger State trails are county and state trails, so report a fallen tree to the agency named on the trail signs.
The utility goes first. If a line is down or sparking, call 911. Then call your electric utility, MGE at 608-252-7000 or Alliant Energy at 800-255-4268, whichever is on your bill. We take over once the line is safe.
The tree work Fitchburg calls us for
A handful of jobs come up again and again south of the Beltline.
- Ash trees along old fencerows. Emerald ash borer has been through all of Dane County. Untreated ash on back lot lines are dead or close to it, and dead ash turns brittle quickly, so these are better taken down sooner than later.
- Silver maples over houses. Fast-growing, heavy-limbed and prone to weak forks, the big maples near the Beltline need reduction pruning every few years, and removal once the trunk starts to hollow.
- Spruce rows thinning from the bottom. Blue spruce windbreaks across southern Wisconsin are losing their lower branches to needle cast disease. Dead ones come out; the rest do better with air and light around them.
- Young trees with two leaders. Ten minutes of structural pruning now saves a split tree in fifteen years. It is the most valuable tree care a new neighborhood can get.
- Buckthorn and boxelder thickets. Cleared from back lot lines and woodlot edges, with the stumps ground so they don’t resprout into the same problem.
The windstorms of June 2022, May 2024 and the spring of 2026 hit Fitchburg the same way they hit Madison. If a tree is down on your house or your driveway, see our emergency tree service page or call (608) 571-1326.
Where we work in Fitchburg
All of it, from the Beltline to the town line.
Neighborhoods and landmarks
- Jamestown
- Dunn’s Marsh
- Belmar
- Hatchery Hill
- Swan Creek
- Fitchburg Center
- McKee Farms Park
- Quarry Ridge
- Chicory Meadows
- Western Hills
- Nine Springs
- Seminole Highway
- Fish Hatchery Road
- Lacy Road
- Whalen Road
We cover every part of Fitchburg, including the rural properties in the south. Our neighbors in the other direction are covered too: Verona to the west, McFarland to the east, and Oregon to the south.
Tree service questions from Fitchburg
Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Fitchburg?
For an ordinary tree in your own yard, not as far as we know. Street and park trees belong to the City, and new development falls under Fitchburg’s 2023 tree preservation ordinance. City Hall (608-270-4200) can tell you which applies, and we check before quoting.
Who looks after the tree between my sidewalk and the street?
The City of Fitchburg. Trees in the public right-of-way are managed by the City’s forestry staff. Report a dead, damaged or low-hanging street tree to City Hall at 608-270-4200. Private crews, ours included, don’t work on them without the City’s permission.
Does Madison’s oak permit apply in Fitchburg?
No. Madison’s April 1 to October 15 oak work permit stops at the city line. Oak wilt doesn’t, so we follow the Wisconsin DNR’s advice everywhere: no oak pruning from April through July, caution into fall, and any storm wound on an oak sealed right away.
How close is your shop to Fitchburg?
About as close as it gets. We are at 4269 W Beltline Hwy, just off Seminole Highway, on the Madison side of the Fitchburg line. Most of the city is a short drive south of us.
Do you work on rural properties south of Lacy Road?
Yes. Long driveways, woodlot edges, windbreaks and trees over outbuildings are regular work for us. Tell us about gates, soft ground and overhead lines along the drive when you call, so we bring the right equipment.
Which utility do I call about a tree on a power line?
Call 911 first if a line is down or sparking. Both MGE (608-252-7000) and Alliant Energy (800-255-4268) serve parts of Fitchburg, so use the number on your electric bill. No tree crew can touch the tree until the utility has made the line safe.
Other communities we serve
VeronaHometown USA: old maples downtown, young trees on the hilltops.MiddletonThe Good Neighbor City: mature shade trees, conservancy edges and lakeshore lots.MononaSmall lots, big oaks and a long stretch of Lake Monona shoreline.McFarlandA lake village: old shade trees in the center, shoreline lots on Waubesa.Sun PrairieDane County’s fastest-growing city: old Main Street maples and thousands of young trees.
We also work throughout Madison and in Waunakee, Oregon, Cottage Grove, DeForest, Windsor, Stoughton, Mount Horeb, Cross Plains, Shorewood Hills and Maple Bluff. See all service areas.
Request a free estimate
Tell us what you’re looking at and we’ll call to set a time to walk the yard. If a tree is down or hanging, call instead.
Tree Service Madison
4269 W Beltline Hwy, 1st Floor
Madison, WI 53711
4269 W Beltline Hwy, 1st Floor
Madison, WI 53711
Monday to Saturday, 7am to 6pm
Storm calls are triaged by hazard.
Storm calls are triaged by hazard.