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!
Before hurricane season, it’s natural to look up at a big tree near the house and wonder whether it will hold. Arborist services in River Ridge answer that question with a closer look: what species the tree is, how healthy it is, how it’s built and what it would hit if it failed.
Big Easy Tree Removal checks trees across River Ridge, the unincorporated stretch of Jefferson Parish between Harahan and Kenner. Our tree service in River Ridge page lists everything else we do in the area.
The goal is a clear answer about whether a tree can stay and what it needs if it does. On a visit, the tree gets checked in this order:
You leave the visit with options in plain language: selective pruning, cabling or bracing through our tree support systems service, a plan to watch the tree and check it again, or removal. Recommendations go into a free written estimate so you can compare them side by side.
Wind resistance varies a great deal from tree to tree. In an LSU AgCenter article on the subject, bald cypress, live oak and southern magnolia are listed among the most wind-resistant trees. Laurel oak, water oak and pecan are listed among the least. Among small trees, crape myrtle gets good marks.
That doesn’t sentence every water oak or pecan to removal. A well-structured tree with a healthy root zone can be a reasonable keep, especially with pruning to reduce weight on long limbs. But when a low-resistance species leans over the house or has a decayed union, the visit can point you toward pruning, support hardware or removal before the next storm tests it. Larger storm work is handled by our fulfillment partner, Gulf Coast Tree Service.
LSU AgCenter describes Chinese tallow as “a common sight in neighborhood yards throughout Louisiana” and says it “outcompetes native shrubs and trees.” If tallows have seeded into your beds or fence lines, a visit can help you sort out which ones to take out and whether the native trees nearby are being crowded. Taking out tallows can also give a young live oak or magnolia more room.
Because River Ridge is unincorporated, Jefferson Parish rules apply. Two parts of the parish code matter most for tree decisions.
Protected districts. The parish tree preservation rules apply where a base or overlay zoning district requires tree preservation. In those districts, “significant” trees include all oaks except water oaks, all elms, all magnolias and sycamore at 8 inches in diameter at breast height or more, plus any canopy tree at 24 inches or more, with exceptions for bald cypress and prohibited trees. We did not find a River Ridge overlay district, but zoning can differ between properties, so confirm with the Jefferson Parish Department of Parkways. An arborist visit can at least tell you the species and trunk diameter so you know which category a tree might fall into. The section is 33-6.27 of the parish code.
Street-side trees. Trees on sidewalks, parkways and rights-of-way count as public property. Work on a parish tree needs a Parkways permit and a parish-licensed operator, and the code requires that operator to be licensed as an arborist by LDAF. Ask anyone you hire whether they hold the parish license and an LDAF license. The rules are in Chapter 37 of the parish code.
If you’re searching for a licensed arborist in River Ridge, the license to ask about is issued by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF). LDAF says that “arborist licenses are required if you work on trees for a fee.” Under state law, the arborist license covers work including the removal of a tree or a portion of a tree, and utility right-of-way work falls under a separate utility arborist license.
Homeowners should consider asking any tree company for its LDAF license number and looking it up on the LDAF arborist licensing page before work starts. Asking for proof of insurance and a written scope is also a sound habit.
If the decision is removal, our page on tree removal in River Ridge explains how the work is done, and stump grinding in River Ridge covers what comes after. Just across the line, see our Harahan arborist services or arborist services in Kenner, and our main arborist page for New Orleans.
It can be. LSU AgCenter lists water oak among the least wind-resistant trees, along with laurel oak and pecan. Risk still depends on the individual tree: its structure, decay, root health and what’s under it. A visit can tell you whether pruning to reduce weight is enough or whether removal is the safer choice for a tree close to the house.
In certain zoning districts. Under the parish code we reviewed, the tree preservation rules apply where a base or overlay zoning district calls for them, and in those districts oaks other than water oaks count as significant trees at a set trunk size. We did not find a River Ridge overlay district, so confirm your property’s zoning with the Department of Parkways.
Often it’s worth considering. LSU AgCenter notes that Chinese tallow outcompetes native shrubs and trees and is a common sight in Louisiana neighborhood yards. Small volunteers can be pulled or cut early. A larger tallow close to a house or a young native tree may be worth removing, and a visit can help you decide which ones to take first.
Ask the company for its LDAF arborist license number, then look it up through the LDAF arborist page. For trees on the parish strip, also ask whether they hold a Jefferson Parish tree service operator license, since the parish code requires one along with the LDAF arborist license.
If you’re unsure about a tree before storm season, call 504-732-1166 or request a free estimate. We’ll look at the species, the structure and the surroundings and tell you plainly what we’d do.