Arborist Services in Metairie, LA

Some tree questions don’t have a saw at the end of them. Is that oak sick or just having a bad year? Can the limb over the garage be shortened instead of losing the whole tree? Is the lean new? An arborist visit in Metairie is how you get those answers before anyone makes a cut you can’t undo.

Big Easy Tree Removal offers arborist services across Metairie, from the older lots near Metairie Road and Old Metairie to the streets around Lafreniere Park. This page explains what a visit covers and how to check who you hire. For the rest of our work in the area, see our Metairie tree service page.

What we look at on a visit

A visit starts on the ground and works up. Here’s what gets checked and what you walk away knowing:

• Health. Leaf color and density, dead wood in the crown, bark damage, fungus at the base and signs of insects. The goal is to tell a tree in decline from one that is stressed but likely to recover.
• Risk. Cracks, weak unions where two stems meet, cavities, root damage from past digging, and what sits within reach if a limb fails: a roof, a car, a play set.
• Pruning plan. Which limbs to take, which to leave, and why. Good pruning can lighten a heavy side, clear a roof or lift a canopy without butchering the tree.
• Save or remove. If the tree can be kept, we’ll say how. If it can’t, we’ll explain what makes removal the safer choice and what happens next.

Sometimes the answer is support or feeding. Cabling and bracing are covered on our tree support systems page, and soil and nutrient care is on our fertilization page.

Problems worth knowing about in Metairie

Species and wind. LSU AgCenter’s wind resistance rankings put live oak, bald cypress and southern magnolia among the sturdiest trees and laurel oak, water oak and pecan among the weakest, with crape myrtle doing well among small trees. That list is useful in two directions. It helps set priorities when several trees in a yard need attention, and it is a good guide when you choose what to plant next.

Formosan termites. LSU AgCenter reports that the Formosan subterranean termite infests the wood of live trees, and that weakened trees are more likely to blow over in high winds. An arborist visit can look for mud tubes, soft wood and hollow sounds in the trunk. If the tree is worth keeping, our termite treatment page explains the next step.

Chinese tallow. LSU AgCenter says Chinese tallow outcompetes native shrubs and trees and is a common sight in Louisiana yards. If tallows are crowding a young oak or magnolia, thinning them out can give the better tree room to grow.

Protected districts. Inside the Metairie Ridge Tree Preservation District and the Old Metairie Neighborhood Conservation District, the parish code calls for a removal application with the Department of Parkways before a tree comes out. When a tree there is in question, a professional opinion on its health helps you decide whether to keep it, prune it or file for removal. The same section has a storm exception: where preservation rules apply, a hurricane-damaged protected tree can be removed right away, as long as a permit application follows within a set window, a replacement tree goes in, and an arborist, landscape architect or landscape contractor holding a Louisiana state license signs an affidavit. The details are in Section 33-6.27.

How to check an arborist’s license in Louisiana

The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) says plainly that arborist licenses are required if you work on trees for a fee. Louisiana’s arborist statute, Revised Statute 3:3808, says anyone who presents or advertises as an arborist must hold that state license, and the license covers the removal of a tree or part of a tree. Work in utility rights-of-way falls under a separate utility arborist license from LDAF.

If you searched for a licensed arborist in Metairie, the credential to ask about is that LDAF arborist license. Before you hire anyone, it is reasonable to ask for the license number and look it up with LDAF. Homeowners should also consider getting the scope in writing and asking any contractor for proof of coverage.

Parish trees have one more layer. Jefferson Parish treats sidewalks, parkways and rights-of-way as public property, and its code says only a parish-licensed tree service operator who is also licensed as an arborist by LDAF may trim or remove trees there, with a Department of Parkways permit. You may trim vegetation between your property line and the street right-of-way without a permit. For anything beyond that on the parkway strip, ask whoever you hire about the parish license and their LDAF license, and confirm who will pull the Parkways permit.

Where the visit can lead

If the tree can stay, the next step is usually a pruning plan or ongoing care. If it can’t, our page on tree removal in Metairie explains how the takedown works, and stump grinding in Metairie covers the stump. For large trees, crane work or storm damage, our fulfillment partner Gulf Coast Tree Service provides the heavy equipment and crew. Nearby, see our Kenner arborist services and arborist services in River Ridge, and our main arborist page has the general overview.

Frequently asked questions

My live oak dropped a big limb with no storm. Should I be worried?

A single dropped limb doesn’t necessarily mean the whole tree is failing, but it’s worth a look. The break point can show whether the wood was decayed, whether the limb was overextended, or whether termites or a cavity were involved. Live oaks rank among the more wind-resistant trees in LSU AgCenter’s rankings, so a failure on one is a reason to check the rest of the crown.

Can an arborist help me decide which trees to keep before I renovate?

Yes, and that is a good time to ask. Digging for a foundation, a pool or a driveway can cut roots and weaken a tree that looks fine today. A visit before construction can mark which trees are worth protecting, which are weak species or already in decline, and where root damage would do the most harm. If you’re in the Metairie Ridge district, this can also shape any Parkways filing.

Does every tree service in Louisiana hold an LDAF arborist license?

Don’t assume it. LDAF says an arborist license is required for anyone working on trees for a fee, and state law ties the license to anyone who presents or advertises as an arborist. A company name won’t show whether an LDAF license is held, so ask for the LDAF license number and look it up before work begins.

What should I plant after losing a tree in Metairie?

Start with the LSU AgCenter wind rankings. Live oak, bald cypress and southern magnolia rank among the sturdier large trees, and crape myrtle holds up well among small ones. Match the tree to the space: a live oak needs far more room than a narrow side yard offers. Our tree planting page covers choosing and placing a new tree.

Book an arborist visit in Metairie

If a tree has you uneasy, or you want a plan before you prune, call 504-732-1166 or request a free estimate. We’ll look at the tree, tell you what we see, and put any recommended work in writing.