Tree trimming in Monroe, LA
Good pruning can keep a healthy tree for decades and cut down on what falls in the next storm. Here's what to ask for.
Trimming covers everything from taking out dead limbs to lifting low branches over a driveway to thinning a crown that's grown dense and heavy. In Louisiana, pruning and trimming done for a fee is licensed work, the same as removal, under LDAF's arborist rules.
Common trimming jobs
- Deadwood removal. Dead limbs are what usually comes down first in a thunderstorm.
- Roof and gutter clearance. Cutting back limbs that rub shingles or drop leaves into gutters.
- Raising the canopy. Lifting low limbs over a driveway, sidewalk or carport.
- Crown thinning. Removing select branches to cut weight and let wind through.
- Structural pruning on young trees. Training a central trunk early so the tree doesn't grow weak forks.
Pruning water oaks
An LSU AgCenter article recommends training water oaks to a central trunk, keeping main branches at least 2 feet apart, and pruning regularly so you avoid large cuts, since big wounds become entry points for decay. If your water oak is mature and already has cavities, ask the arborist whether pruning is still worthwhile or whether removal makes more sense.
What to avoid
- Topping, which cuts big limbs back to stubs and invites rot and weak regrowth
- Removing too much live canopy in one visit
- Climbing spikes on a tree that's being kept
Branches near power lines
Limbs growing into the lines on the pole are your electric utility's to clear, and work within 10 feet of high-voltage lines falls under Louisiana's Overhead Power Line Safety Act. Clearing utility rights-of-way also takes a separate utility arborist license. A residential tree company can trim around the service drop to your house only as far as the utility allows, so call the utility first.
The tree company sets the price after it sees the tree, what's underneath it and how a truck or lift can reach it. We don't quote prices, and any figure you get over the phone before a visit is only a rough starting point.
Where we connect you with help
Common questions
When is the best time to prune trees in Monroe?
Most routine pruning can be done any time of year, and dead or broken limbs should come out whenever you notice them. A licensed arborist can suggest timing for a particular species.
Will the city trim a tree hanging over the street?
Trees in the public right-of-way may be the city's to manage. Contact the City of Monroe or West Monroe before cutting a tree near the street.
Related services
More background: Monroe, Louisiana tree removal guide.
Water oak on the roof, a dead pine by the drive or a stump in the yard?
Call and get connected with a local tree service that can come look at it.