Tree Removal
Nearly every Monona removal is rigged: dismantled from the top and lowered on ropes between houses, garages and the lake. Large oaks and cottonwoods are planned piece by piece before the first cut.
Tree Service in Monona, WI
Monona packs a lot of large trees into a small city: old oaks in Frost Woods, shade trees on every block, cottonwoods along the lake. We take trees down safely on tight lots, prune the ones worth keeping, and clean up after storms.
- Tight-lot removals on ropes
- Free written estimates
- Proof of insurance on request
A small city with very big trees
Monona is three square miles, wrapped by Lake Monona and the Yahara River and surrounded by Madison. Nearly all of it was built out decades ago, and the trees have had all that time to grow.
Frost Woods and the south end. This is one of the most heavily wooded neighborhoods in Dane County. Houses were fitted in among oaks that were already old when the streets were laid out, and many of those trees are still standing, over roofs, driveways and each other. Work here is slow, careful pruning and the occasional very technical removal.
The lakeshore. Along Tonyawatha Trail, Winnequah Road and the streets off Monona Drive that run down to the water, lots are deep and narrow. Cottonwoods, willows and silver maples grow enormous in the wet ground at the lake end, and the only way in is a side yard the width of a gate.
The middle of town. Around Winnequah Park, Ahuska Park and the blocks either side of Monona Drive, post-war houses sit under maples, ash, honeylocust and spruce planted when the houses were new. Many are now at the age where deadwood, weak forks and old storm damage need attention.
Almost nothing in Monona can be felled in one piece. Trees come apart from the top and are lowered on ropes, and a good day is one where the neighbors barely notice.
Tree services we bring to Monona
The same five services we offer across Dane County, adapted to small lots and large trees.
Tree Trimming & Pruning
Deadwood out of mature oaks, weight off long limbs over roofs, and clearance over the street. Monona’s oaks are pruned in the cold months only, to keep oak wilt out of the neighborhood.
Stump Grinding
Narrow side yards are normal here, and compact machines are planned for at the estimate. The Diggers Hotline locate is filed for you, and older lots often hide private lines worth mentioning.
Stump Removal
For new garages, additions and patios on lots where every foot counts. Roots running toward a foundation or under a walk are cut and left, never pulled.
Emergency Tree Service
Big trees over small lots mean a fallen limb usually lands on something. We make it safe first and document the damage for your insurer. MGE is Monona’s electric utility: wires go to them 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 Monona are free and written.
Monona tree rules, and who to call
Monona is its own city with its own public tree program, even though Madison surrounds it on three sides.
Street and park trees are the City’s
Monona’s public tree program covers the trees in the street right-of-way and in city parks, under the City Forester. Problems with a public tree go to Public Works at 608-222-2525. Private crews, ours included, don’t prune or remove them.
Yard trees are yours
Residents are responsible for the trees on their own lots. We know of no city permit for ordinary removals or pruning in a private Monona yard. If a private tree threatens the street or a neighbor, deal with it early; it is far easier than dealing with it after it falls.
Ash on the terrace
Monona has roughly a thousand public ash trees to manage through the emerald ash borer years. As we understand the City’s policy, a resident who wants to protect a terrace ash may arrange treatment themselves after notifying the City. Ask Public Works before you book anyone.
The lake edge
Shoreline lots can carry extra rules about clearing trees and vegetation near the water. Before removing a tree at the lake end of a lot, we check with the City. Pruning, deadwood removal and storm cleanup are rarely an issue.
Whose tree is it? A ten-second check for Monona
Pick where the trunk stands.
Choose one above to see who is responsible for the tree, and who to call.
The City of Monona’s. Street trees belong to the City’s public tree program. Call Public Works at 608-222-2525. If it is a terrace ash you would like to protect, ask them about resident-arranged treatment.
Yours. Removal, pruning and stump work in a private Monona yard is up to the owner, and it is what we do. Call (608) 571-1326 for a free written estimate.
Shared. On Monona’s narrow lots this comes up a lot. A trunk that straddles the line belongs to both owners, so agree in writing before anything is cut. We can quote both households together.
The City’s. Winnequah Park, Ahuska Park, Woodland Park and the other city parks are public land. Report a dead, leaning or fallen tree to Public Works at 608-222-2525.
MGE goes first. Call 911 if a line is down or sparking, then MGE at 608-252-7000. Stay well back and treat every wire as live. We take over once MGE has made the line safe.
The tree work Monona calls us for
Old trees, close neighbors and a lake on the doorstep decide most of what we do here.
- Deadwood and end-weight in old oaks. The Frost Woods oaks are the reason people live there. Removing dead limbs and shortening the longest ones over a roof keeps them safe without changing how they look. It is tree preservation in the most practical sense.
- Lakeshore cottonwoods and willows. Soft-wooded, fast-growing and huge. They drop limbs in every storm and hollow out with age. Reduction pruning buys years; removal is a job for ropes and patience.
- Silver maples with old storm damage. Torn limbs from past storms leave decay behind. We look at the old wounds before deciding between pruning and removal.
- The last of the ash. Emerald ash borer has been through all of Dane County. An untreated yard ash with a thinning crown should come down while it can still be climbed.
- Trees sharing a lot line. Two owners, one tree, and often a garage on each side. We sort out the agreement first and the rigging second.
Monona took the same windstorms Madison did in 2022, 2024 and 2026. If a tree is on your house, your car or your driveway, go to our emergency tree service page or call (608) 571-1326.
Where we work in Monona
All three square miles, lake to river.
Neighborhoods and landmarks
- Frost Woods
- Tonyawatha Trail
- Winnequah Road
- Monona Drive
- Winnequah Park
- Ahuska Park
- Woodland Park
- Schluter Beach
- Aldo Leopold Nature Center
- Yahara River
- Lake Monona shore
- Bridge Road
From our shop it is a straight run east along the Beltline to the Monona Drive exit. We also work next door in McFarland, across the river on Madison’s east side, and east to Cottage Grove.
Tree service questions from Monona
Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Monona?
We know of no city permit for removing an ordinary tree in your own yard. Street and park trees belong to the City’s public tree program, and lakeshore lots can carry extra rules about clearing near the water. We check with the City before quoting a removal at the lake edge.
Who looks after the tree between my sidewalk and the street?
The City of Monona. Street trees are part of the City’s public tree program under the City Forester. Report a dead, damaged or low-hanging one to Public Works at 608-222-2525. Private crews, ours included, don’t prune or remove them.
Can you remove a large tree from a narrow lakeshore lot?
Yes. It is the most common hard job in Monona. The tree is dismantled from the top and each piece is lowered on ropes to a small drop zone, then carried or wheeled out through the side yard. It takes longer than an open-yard removal and is planned in detail first.
I have a big oak in Frost Woods. When should it be pruned?
In the cold months. Madison’s oak work permit does not apply in Monona, but oak wilt does, and one infected oak can pass it to its neighbors through the roots. We prune oaks from late fall through winter and seal any storm wound on an oak immediately.
Can I have the ash tree on my terrace treated?
Ask the City first. As we understand Monona’s policy, residents may arrange treatment of a terrace ash themselves after notifying the City. Treatment is done by a certified pesticide applicator. Public Works (608-222-2525) can tell you the current rules.
A neighbor’s tree hangs over my roof. What can I do?
Talk to them first. In Wisconsin you can generally trim what overhangs your side, back to the property line, as long as you don’t harm the tree. On Monona’s narrow lots it usually works out better to prune the whole tree properly, with both owners agreeing.
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.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.