Stumped by Tree Troubles? We're Here for You! - Get Your FREE Estimates!
Stumped by Tree Troubles? We're Here for You! - Get Your FREE Estimates!
A tree can look fine from the kitchen window and still have a problem you’d only see up close. Hiring an arborist in Kenner is how you find out what’s going on with a tree before deciding to prune it, treat it, brace it or take it down. It’s also how you avoid removing a tree that had plenty of life left.
Big Easy Tree Removal provides arborist services across Kenner, from the historic blocks of Rivertown near the river to the neighborhoods along Williams Boulevard and up toward Laketown on the lake. This page covers what a visit involves, tree issues worth knowing about in Kenner, and what Louisiana state law says about LDAF arborist licenses. The rest of our work in the city is on our Kenner tree service page.
We start by asking what worries you. A limb that dropped last week, a trunk that seems to be leaning more, leaves thinning early, a crack near the base. Then we look over the whole tree, including the parts you haven’t noticed.
At the base, that means the root flare, soil heaving, mushrooms and soft or hollow wood. Along the trunk, it means cracks, seams, old wounds and weak forks where two stems grow tight together. In the crown, it means dead limbs, thinning foliage and branches stretched far out over a roof or driveway. We also look at what the tree could hit if something failed.
From there you get a straight answer to the question that matters: can this tree stay? If yes, the visit usually ends with a pruning plan, and sometimes a recommendation for tree preservation steps or cabling. If no, we explain why removal is the safer route. Any recommended work goes into a free written estimate.
Weak species over houses. LSU AgCenter ranks laurel oak, water oak and pecan among the least wind-resistant trees, and live oak, bald cypress and southern magnolia among the most. Crape myrtle holds up well among the small trees. If a pecan or water oak has grown up over a Kenner roof, an arborist can tell you whether reduction pruning is enough or whether the tree is too much of a risk to keep.
Storm-damaged trees. Hurricane Ida made landfall near Port Fourchon on August 29, 2021, and a tree that took damage then may still carry a hidden crack or a loosened root plate. A visit can check old storm wounds for decay. If a damaged tree turns out to need a crane or heavy rigging, that work goes to our fulfillment partner, Gulf Coast Tree Service.
Formosan termites. According to LSU AgCenter, the Formosan subterranean termite infests the wood of live trees, and weakened trees are more susceptible to blowing over in high winds. Mud tubes on the bark or hollow-sounding wood are reasons to call. Our termite treatments page describes options for trees worth saving.
Chinese tallow. LSU AgCenter says it outcompetes native trees and is a common sight in Louisiana neighborhood yards. When tallows are crowding a live oak or magnolia you want to keep, a plan to remove the tallows can help the better tree.
Kenner’s tree rules are in Article IX of its Unified Development Code. A few matter for arborist work.
The code says no person may cut, disturb or interfere in any way with the roots of any public tree. That affects root pruning, trenching and grading near a street tree, so plan projects near the curb with that in mind and ask the city first. Removing a tree or shrub from a dedicated street area or other public property needs a permit from the Director of the Department of Public Works.
The Director of Inspections and Code Enforcement can also require an owner to cut down a diseased or hazardous tree. If you’ve received a notice about a tree, an arborist visit can help you understand the tree’s condition and plan the work the notice calls for.
The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) issues arborist licenses, and its arborist page states that “arborist licenses are required if you work on trees for a fee.” Under the state law (La. R.S. 3:3808), a person who presents or advertises as an arborist must get the license, and the LDAF arborist license covers removing a tree or part of one.
So if you’re looking for a licensed arborist in Kenner, the practical step is the same with any company: ask for the LDAF license number, then check it with LDAF before work starts. Trees along utility lines are a separate category under the state law, with their own utility arborist license from LDAF. For trees touching power lines in Kenner, contact Entergy Louisiana or the utility named on your bill first.
A few other habits help too. Homeowners should consider getting the scope in writing, asking any contractor for proof of coverage, and confirming who will contact the city if a permit is involved.
If the tree needs to come out, our page on tree removal in Kenner explains the process, and stump grinding in Kenner covers what’s left. In neighboring towns, see arborist services in Metairie or our Harahan arborist page. Our main arborist services page has the broader overview.
Yes. Kenner’s code allows the Director of Inspections and Code Enforcement to require an owner to cut down a diseased or hazardous tree. An arborist visit can look at the tree’s actual condition, explain what you’re looking at, and lay out the work. Keep the notice handy and read it for any deadline, and contact the city directly with questions about the order itself.
Kenner’s code says no one may cut, disturb or interfere with the roots of a public tree. Driveway work near a street tree may reach those roots. Before you pour anything, call the city about the project and have the tree and its root zone looked at. A plan drawn up early can keep the new driveway away from the roots that matter.
Ask for the LDAF arborist license number and verify it with the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry. LDAF states that an arborist license is required to work on trees for a fee. Trees in utility rights-of-way fall under a separate LDAF utility arborist license, so work near power lines is its own question for the utility.
LSU AgCenter’s rankings list live oak, bald cypress and southern magnolia among the most wind-resistant, and laurel oak, water oak and pecan among the least. Crape myrtle does well among smaller trees. When you’re choosing what to plant or deciding which of several trees to keep, those rankings are a good starting point, along with the space the tree will have when it’s grown.
If a tree has you second-guessing, call 504-732-1166 or ask for a free estimate. We’ll look the tree over, explain what we find in plain terms, and write up any recommended work befo