Tree Removal
Village-center and shoreline trees come down in pieces, on ropes, and are carried out through narrow side yards. Newer neighborhoods often have room for a quicker, simpler takedown.
Tree Service in McFarland, WI
An old village center, a long stretch of Lake Waubesa shoreline and a ring of newer neighborhoods: McFarland has every kind of tree job. We handle tree removal, tree trimming, stump work and storm damage, east along the Beltline from our shop.
- Shoreline and village lots
- Free written estimates
- Proof of insurance on request
A lake village and its trees
McFarland grew from a railroad village on Lake Waubesa into one of Dane County’s busiest suburbs, and you can read that history in its trees.
The village center. Around Exchange Street, Farwell Street and the Municipal Center on Milwaukee Street, the houses and the trees are the oldest in town. Silver maples, oaks and big spruce overhang small lots, and removals are done in pieces, lowered on ropes.
The Waubesa shore. McFarland began as a lake community, with resorts along the east shore, and the shoreline lots still run deep and narrow from the road to the water. Cottonwoods, willows and old oaks stand between tightly spaced houses, and the ground at the lake end is soft. Near Babcock County Park and the Yahara River, the low ground grows the same big, soft-wooded trees.
The newer neighborhoods. McFarland grew quickly once the Beltline made the commute easy, and it is still growing to the east and north, out toward Siggelkow Road. The trees there are young and mostly builder-planted, with leftover fencerow boxelder, mulberry and dead ash along the back lot lines.
Parks and mounds. Indian Mound Park protects the Lewis Mound Group, and Orchard Hill Park and McDaniel Park anchor their neighborhoods. Trees in those parks, and along village streets, belong to the Village, which runs its own forestry program.
Tree services we bring to McFarland
Five services, one crew. In McFarland the question is usually how to get the wood out.
Tree Trimming & Pruning
Deadwood and end-weight in old maples and oaks, clearance over roofs and over the street, and early structural pruning for the young trees in the newer subdivisions.
Stump Grinding
After a removal, or for the fencerow stumps a builder left behind. We file the Diggers Hotline ticket and ask about private lines: on lake lots that often means pumps, lighting and irrigation.
Stump Removal
For additions, garages, patios and fence lines, where buried wood would let the ground settle later. Stump and main roots out, hole backfilled and compacted.
Emergency Tree Service
Lake wind and soft ground tip big trees over whole. We make the site safe, deal with the root plate properly, and document everything for your insurer. Wires go to the electric utility first.
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 McFarland are free and written.
McFarland tree rules, and who to call
McFarland is a village with its own code and its own forestry staff. Madison’s tree ordinances do not apply here.
Street and park trees are the Village’s
McFarland’s Public Works department looks after more than 4,000 public trees along streets and in parks. Work on a public tree needs the Village’s permission, so a dead or damaged street tree is reported to Public Works, not pruned by the neighbor or by us.
Yard trees are yours, including what hangs over the street
Trees on your lot are your responsibility. The village code, as we read it, expects owners to keep branches clear of the street to a height of about 13.5 feet. We know of no permit for ordinary removals or pruning in a private yard.
The lake edge
Shoreline lots can carry extra rules about clearing trees and vegetation close to the water. Before removing a tree at the lake end of a Waubesa lot, we check with the Village. Pruning, deadwood removal and storm cleanup are rarely affected.
Oaks follow the DNR calendar
There is no Madison-style oak permit for private trees here, but oak wilt is present across Dane County. The Wisconsin DNR advises against pruning oaks from April through July. We prune oaks in the cold months and seal storm wounds immediately.
Whose tree is it? A ten-second check for McFarland
Pick where the trunk stands.
Choose one above to see who is responsible for the tree, and who to call.
The Village of McFarland’s. Street trees are public, and work on them needs the Village’s permission. Report a problem to Public Works through the Municipal Center at 5915 Milwaukee Street or on the Village website.
Yours. Removal, pruning and stump work in a private McFarland yard is up to the owner, and it is what we do. Call (608) 571-1326 for a free written estimate.
Shared. A trunk that straddles the lot line belongs to both owners, which comes up often on narrow lake lots. Agree in writing before anything is cut. We can quote both households together.
Public, but check whose. Village parks such as Indian Mound, Orchard Hill and McDaniel are McFarland’s. Babcock is a Dane County park. Report a fallen or dangerous tree to whoever owns the land.
The utility goes first. Call 911 if a line is down or sparking, then the electric utility named on your bill: Alliant Energy at 800-255-4268 or MGE at 608-252-7000. We take over once the line is safe.
The tree work McFarland calls us for
A lake on one side and new construction on the other make for a varied week.
- Shoreline cottonwoods and willows. Huge, soft-wooded and rooted in wet ground. Long limbs are reduced to take weight off them, and hollow or leaning trees are taken down in pieces before a storm does it badly.
- Whole trees tipped over. Saturated soil and lake wind pull root plates out of the ground. A tipped tree is dangerous to cut, because the root plate can drop back into its hole when the trunk is freed. Please leave those to us.
- Old maples in the village center. Deadwood, weak forks and decay from old storm wounds. Pruning first; removal when the trunk can no longer be trusted.
- Dead ash on back lot lines. Emerald ash borer has been through all of Dane County. Untreated ash are dead or dying and turn brittle quickly.
- Young trees in new neighborhoods. Double leaders and low, crowded limbs corrected while the cuts are still small. It is the most valuable tree care a young tree gets.
- Fencerow clearing. Boxelder, mulberry and buckthorn cleared from the back of the lot, with the stumps ground so they do not resprout.
The Village makes wood from its own forestry work available to residents, which tells you how seriously McFarland takes its trees. For storm damage on private property, start with our emergency tree service page or call (608) 571-1326.
Where we work in McFarland
The whole village, from Siggelkow Road to the Waubesa shore.
Neighborhoods and landmarks
- Village center
- Exchange Street
- Farwell Street
- Lake Waubesa shore
- Babcock County Park
- Yahara River
- Indian Mound Park
- Orchard Hill Park
- McDaniel Park
- Siggelkow Road
- Highway 51
- Juniper Ridge
From our shop, McFarland is east along the Beltline and south on Highway 51. We also work in neighboring Monona, in Fitchburg to the west, and south toward Stoughton and Oregon.
Tree service questions from McFarland
Do I need a permit to remove a tree in McFarland?
We know of no permit for removing an ordinary tree in your own yard. Street and park trees belong to the Village, and work on them needs the Village’s permission. Shoreline lots can carry extra rules about clearing near the water, so we check before quoting a removal at the lake edge.
Who looks after the tree between my sidewalk and the street?
The Village of McFarland. Public Works manages more than 4,000 public trees, including street trees, and work on them needs the Village’s permission. Report a dead, damaged or low-hanging one to Public Works. Private crews, ours included, don’t prune or remove them.
A tree on my lake lot has tipped over with the roots in the air. Is it safe to cut?
No. The weight of the trunk is holding the root plate up. When the trunk is cut free, the plate can slam back into its hole with enough force to kill someone standing in it. Keep children and pets away, and call us at (608) 571-1326.
Can you get equipment down to the lake end of a narrow lot?
Usually. We plan the route at the estimate: gate widths, steps, soft ground, septic covers and anything that can’t take weight. Where a machine can’t go, the wood is cut small and carried out by hand, and that is reflected in the written quote.
Do Madison’s oak rules apply in McFarland?
No. Madison’s April 1 to October 15 oak work permit applies only inside the City of Madison. We follow the Wisconsin DNR’s advice in McFarland: no oak pruning from April through July, caution into fall, and storm wounds on oaks sealed immediately.
Which utility do I call about a tree on a power line?
Call 911 first if a line is down or sparking, then the electric utility named on your bill. In this part of Dane County that is Alliant Energy (800-255-4268) or MGE (608-252-7000). No tree crew can touch the tree until the utility has made the line safe.
Other communities we serve
FitchburgOn our doorstep: older lots by the Beltline, new subdivisions and farm country.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.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.