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 that came through a hurricane, stood in floodwater or started crowding the house raises a fair question: is it still sound? Arborist services in LaPlace are about getting a real answer before you spend money on pruning, care or removal. The goal is a clear picture of the tree’s health and risk, and a plan that fits what you want from your yard.
Big Easy Tree Removal offers tree assessments for homeowners in LaPlace, from streets off Belle Terre Boulevard to homes near Airline Highway. To see everything we do in the area, visit our LaPlace tree services page.
We start at the base and work up. Root flare, soil around the trunk, bark condition, cavities, cracks, the angle of lean, the unions where big limbs meet the trunk and the amount of deadwood in the crown all tell part of the story. Then comes the question of what the tree could hit if something fails: a roof, a car, a fence, the utility line along the street.
From there you get options in plain language. Some trees need a cleanup cut through our tree trimming service. Some can be helped along with tree preservation care, fertilization or tree support systems. Some are past saving, and removal is the honest answer. When removal involves a very large tree, crane work or storm damage, our fulfillment partner Gulf Coast Tree Service brings the heavy equipment.
LaPlace sits close to wet country. Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries describes the Maurepas Swamp Wildlife Management Area, which lies partly in St. John the Baptist Parish, as a cypress-tupelo swamp, with bald cypress and tupelo dominating it. Those species grow in standing water there. Other trees can be less tolerant of soil that stays saturated.
For homeowners thinking about what to plant next, the parish’s approved tree list for its Major Corridor Overlay includes live oak, water oak, sweet gum, slash pine and longleaf pine. That list was written for a development corridor, but it’s a useful reference when you’re choosing a replacement. An assessment can help match a species to the spot, with room for its mature size and distance from the foundation.
The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) says arborist licenses are required if you work on trees for a fee. The state law behind the program (Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 3, Section 3808) says the arborist license covers the removal of a tree or a portion of a tree, and it provides a separate utility arborist license for work in utility rights-of-way.
That gives you a practical step. Before you pay anyone for tree work, ask for their LDAF license number and confirm it yourself on LDAF’s arborist program page. If the number doesn’t check out, keep looking.
LaPlace is an unincorporated community, so St. John the Baptist Parish sets the rules. The tree provisions in the parish code that we found apply to development, such as tree retention in new subdivisions and the Major Corridor Overlay list. We have not found a parish permit for a homeowner removing a tree on an existing lot, but confirm with St. John the Baptist Parish Planning and Zoning before a large job, and review any subdivision covenants.
If the answer is removal, our page on tree removal in LaPlace explains how that works, and LaPlace stump grinding covers what’s left behind. Our main arborist page goes deeper into assessments, and for a nearby comparison, see our Kenner arborist services.
Sometimes. It depends on the species, how long the water stayed, how the roots and crown are holding up and whether decay has set in. Bald cypress, for example, grows naturally in the swamps near LaPlace, while many yard trees have less tolerance for wet soil. An assessment looks at crown thinning, bark and the base of the trunk to judge whether care is worth trying.
Start with the utility that serves your street. Under state law, work in utility rights-of-way falls under a separate utility arborist license. Don’t try to prune or remove limbs near an energized line yourself. Once the utility has made the line safe, the rest of the tree can be assessed and handled.
Yes. Under state law (Revised Statutes Title 3, Section 3808), the arborist license covers the removal of a tree or a portion of a tree. LDAF also states that arborist licenses are required if you work on trees for a fee. Ask any contractor for the license number and check it with LDAF before work begins.
Not automatically. A crack where two trunks meet can sometimes be managed with pruning to reduce weight or with a support system, depending on the size of the split and the health of the tree. A split that runs deep, is widening or sits over the house may point toward removal. That call is exactly what an assessment is for.
If a tree has you second-guessing, call 504-732-1166 or request a free estimate. We’ll look at the tree with you, lay out the options and put any recommended work in a free written estimate.