Tree Removal
Old-town trees come down in pieces, on ropes, between houses and garages. Fencerow trees on the newer side of town often have open ground to work with, which makes for a quicker, simpler takedown.
Tree Service in Sun Prairie, WI
Old maples around Main Street, thousands of young trees in the neighborhoods that have gone up since, and open prairie wind over all of it. We bring tree removal, tree trimming, stump work and storm cleanup to every corner of Sun Prairie.
- Old town and new neighborhoods
- Free written estimates
- Proof of insurance on request
A fast-growing city on open ground
Sun Prairie has more than doubled in a generation. That leaves it with a compact old town full of mature trees, and miles of new streets where every tree is under twenty years old.
The old town. The blocks around Main Street, Angell Park and Sheehan Park hold the city’s big trees: silver and Norway maples, oaks, honeylocust and tall spruce, on modest lots with garages and alleys close by. Pruning here is about deadwood and roof clearance. Removals are done from the top down, on ropes.
The west side. West Prairie Village, Smith’s Crossing and the neighborhoods out toward Prairie Lakes went up on farmland. The trees are young, evenly aged and mostly a handful of species: red maple hybrids, honeylocust, linden, ornamental pear and crabapple. Many are growing two trunks, or were planted too deep, and none of them has any shelter from the wind.
The east and north. Providence, Liberty Square and the streets toward Patrick Marsh repeat the pattern, with one addition: the old farm fencerows and windbreaks that the subdivisions grew up around. Those lines of boxelder, black walnut, cottonwood and dead ash now stand along back lot lines, over sheds, fences and play sets.
The name is accurate. Sun Prairie sits on open, level ground, and summer storms arrive at full strength. Much of our work here is keeping young trees from becoming storm damage later.
Tree services we bring to Sun Prairie
The same five services we offer across Dane County. In Sun Prairie, young trees and old fencerows keep us busiest.
Tree Trimming & Pruning
Structural pruning of young street-side and yard trees is the most useful pruning in Sun Prairie: one trunk, well-spaced limbs, and no tight forks for the wind to split. Mature maples get deadwood and clearance work.
Stump Grinding
For removal stumps and for the fencerow stumps builders left behind. New subdivisions carry a lot of buried utilities in their easements, so the Diggers Hotline ticket is filed before any machine arrives.
Stump Removal
New patios, sheds, pools and fence lines are going into Sun Prairie yards all the time. Where something permanent is going on top, the stump and its main roots come out and the hole is compacted.
Emergency Tree Service
Wind is the usual cause: split double leaders, snapped spruce tops and old fencerow trees across fences and sheds. If wires are involved, Sun Prairie Utilities or your electric provider goes 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 Sun Prairie are free and written.
Sun Prairie tree rules, and who to call
Sun Prairie has its own City Forester and its own code. Madison’s tree ordinances do not apply here.
Street trees are the City’s
Trees in the street right-of-way are public, and the City Forester manages them. The city code does not allow planting in the right-of-way without the Forester’s consent, and the same goes for pruning or removing what is already there. Reach the City Forester at 608-825-0887 or Public Works at 608-837-3050.
Yard trees are yours
A tree on your own lot is your responsibility. We know of no city permit for ordinary removals or pruning in a private Sun Prairie yard. A private tree that threatens a street, a sidewalk or a neighbor is best dealt with before the City has to get involved.
New lots and builder trees
In a new subdivision, the small tree by the curb is usually a city street tree, not yours, even if the builder planted it the same week as your lawn. Trees inside the lot are yours. If you are not sure which is which, the City Forester can tell you.
Oaks follow the DNR calendar
Madison’s oak work permit does not apply in Sun Prairie, 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 any storm wound on an oak immediately.
Whose tree is it? A ten-second check for Sun Prairie
Pick where the trunk stands.
Choose one above to see who is responsible for the tree, and who to call.
The City of Sun Prairie’s. Street trees are public and managed by the City Forester: 608-825-0887, or Public Works at 608-837-3050. That includes the young tree a builder planted by your curb.
Yours. Removal, pruning and stump work in a private Sun Prairie yard is up to the owner, and it is what we do. Call (608) 571-1326 for a free written estimate.
Shared. Old fencerow trees often stand right on the line between two new lots. 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. Angell Park, Sheehan Park, Wetmore Park and the other city parks and greenways are public land. Report a dead, leaning or fallen tree to the City Forester at 608-825-0887.
The utility goes first. Call 911 if a line is down or sparking, then the electric utility named on your bill. Much of the city is served by Sun Prairie Utilities; other addresses are Alliant Energy (800-255-4268). We take over once the line is safe.
The tree work Sun Prairie calls us for
A young urban forest on a windy prairie has its own list of problems.
- Double leaders. The single most common defect in the newer neighborhoods. Two trunks from one tight fork will split apart eventually, usually in a July storm. One is cut back while the wound is still small.
- Trees planted too deep. A trunk that goes into the ground like a telephone pole, with no flare at the base, was planted too deep or buried in mulch. We can expose the root flare and tell you whether the tree is worth keeping.
- Ornamental pears coming apart. Fast, upright and brittle, with every branch leaving the trunk at the same point. Reduction pruning helps for a while; a split one is usually a removal.
- Old fencerow trees over new yards. Boxelder, cottonwood and dead ash left from the farm. Emerald ash borer has been through all of Dane County, and dead ash turns brittle quickly.
- Spruce windbreaks thinning out. Needle cast disease is working through blue spruce across southern Wisconsin. Dead trees come out; the rest need air and light.
- Mature maples in the old town. Deadwood over roofs and alleys, and the occasional hollow trunk that has to come down in pieces.
After a storm, go to our emergency tree service page or call (608) 571-1326.
Where we work in Sun Prairie
The whole city, from the old town to the newest streets on the edge.
Neighborhoods and landmarks
- Downtown Main Street
- Angell Park
- Sheehan Park
- Wetmore Park
- West Prairie Village
- Smith’s Crossing
- Prairie Lakes
- Providence
- Liberty Square
- Patrick Marsh
- Token Creek
- Bristol Street
- Windsor Street
Sun Prairie is the northeast corner of our service area. We also work in the communities between there and our shop, and beyond: DeForest, Windsor and Cottage Grove, plus Monona and Madison’s east and north sides.
Tree service questions from Sun Prairie
Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Sun Prairie?
We know of no city permit for removing an ordinary tree in your own yard. Street trees are different: they are public, managed by the City Forester, and can’t be planted, pruned or removed without the City’s consent. The Forester’s number is 608-825-0887.
Is the small tree by my curb mine or the City’s?
Almost certainly the City’s. In Sun Prairie’s newer neighborhoods the tree between the sidewalk and the street is a city street tree, even if the builder planted it. The City Forester (608-825-0887) looks after it. Trees inside your lot are yours.
My young maple has two trunks. Should I worry?
Deal with it now and you won’t have to worry. Two trunks from a tight fork push against each other as they thicken, and the fork eventually splits. While the tree is young, one trunk can be cut back with a small wound that seals in a season or two.
There is an old farm tree on my back lot line. Whose is it?
If the trunk sits entirely on your side, it is yours. If it straddles the line, it belongs to both owners, and you need your neighbor’s agreement before it is cut. We check where the line runs before quoting, because fences in new subdivisions are not always on it.
Do Madison’s oak rules apply in Sun Prairie?
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 Sun Prairie: no oak pruning from April through July, caution into fall, and storm wounds on oaks sealed immediately.
Sun Prairie is a long way from your shop. Do you really cover it?
Yes. It is the northeast corner of our service area, about 16 miles from our shop on the Beltline as the crow flies, and it is part of our regular service area. Estimates are free and written, the same as everywhere else.
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.McFarlandA lake village: old shade trees in the center, shoreline lots on Waubesa.
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.