Four things, done properly
Most of what goes wrong on a tree job goes wrong before the saw starts: the wrong rigging plan, the wrong access, or a cut that was never legal to make.
Tree removal
Hazard & takedownThe white pines around Sebago grow tall, grow fast, and fail at the top. When one is leaning over a roof, hanging above a power drop, or dying back over a lakefront driveway with no room to drop it clean, that is a rigging job rather than a felling job.
We take trees down in pieces and rope them out over whatever matters below. Common calls: declining oaks, storm-cracked pines, trees too close to the house to fell whole, and removals with no truck access down a camp road.
More on how we handle tree removal, and what drives the price.
Storm damage clearing
Nor’easters · ice · windIce loading and spring wind events are what put trees on Maine roofs. We clear the hazard first and sort out the rest afterward.
We photograph and document the damage before we cut, so you have what an adjuster needs for the claim. Most homeowners do not know to do this, and it costs them.
More on how we document storm damage and what to do after a nor’easter.
Lakefront view clearing
Shoreland zoneOpening a water view is the job most likely to get a homeowner in trouble, because the trees blocking the view are exactly the ones the state protects. We measure and score the buffer before anything comes down and put the plan in writing.
The rules are worth understanding before you call anyone. More on lakefront view clearing and the shoreland zone rules.
Stump grinding
Below gradeWe grind stumps well below grade so you can loam, seed, and forget the stump was there. You choose whether the grindings leave with us or backfill the hole.
Our machines fit through a standard gate, so a backyard stump does not mean tearing up the lawn to reach it.
More on how we handle stump grinding, and what happens to the chips.
Sebago is a great pond, and that changes the rules
Everything within 250 feet of the normal high-water line sits in the shoreland zone. Inside the buffer strip, which runs 100 feet from the water on great ponds, what you may cut is limited by volume, by opening size, and by a state rating grid. Most homeowners learn this from a code enforcement officer, after the fact.
- 250 ftThe shoreland zone measured from the normal high-water line of a great pond.
- 100 ftThe buffer strip adjacent to great ponds, where cutting limits are strictest.
- 40%The maximum volume of trees four inches or larger that may be removed from the buffer in any ten year period.
- 250 sq ftThe largest cleared opening permitted inside the buffer.
- 75 ftCutting is prohibited this far inland of a great pond zoned Resource Protection, other than safety hazards.
| Trunk diameter at 4.5 ft | Points |
|---|---|
| 2 to under 4 in | 1 |
| 4 to under 8 in | 2 |
| 8 to under 12 in | 4 |
| 12 in and over | 8 |
Dead trees and genuine safety hazards are exempt, though the resulting opening has to be replanted. Individual towns may be stricter than the state minimum. We check the town ordinance alongside the state rule, score the plot, and document what we found before we cut. Rules summarized from the Maine DEP shoreland zone guidance; confirm current requirements with your town code enforcement officer.
Where we work
The Sebago Lakes region and the western edge of Cumberland County. Outside this list, call anyway. We travel for larger jobs.
From the first call to a clean site
- 01
Call, or send a photo
A picture of the tree and its surroundings is usually enough for a ballpark range on the spot.
- 02
Free on-site estimate
We walk the property, flag anything else that concerns us, and put the price in writing. The written estimate is the price.
- 03
Plan the work
Rigging and access get sorted before the day. On lakefront jobs, the buffer measurement and documentation happen first.
- 04
Clean site
Chips, brush, and rounds go with us, or we cut the wood to firewood length and leave it stacked. Your call, no extra charge either way.
What people ask before they book
What does tree removal cost around Sebago?
It depends on four things, and any company that quotes a flat number over the phone is guessing. Size and species matter, but access matters more: whether a bucket truck and chipper can reach the tree, how close it stands to a structure or wires, whether the wood and brush leave with us, and whether the tree is dead or compromised, which makes it more dangerous to climb.
A 30 foot tree in an open yard sits at the bottom of the range. A 70 foot pine leaning over a roof with no truck access sits at the top. We give written estimates free, and the written estimate is the price.
Do I need a permit to cut trees on my lakefront property?
Often, yes. Property within 250 feet of Sebago Lake or any other great pond falls inside the shoreland zone, and cutting within the 100 foot buffer is limited by volume, opening size, and the state rating grid. Some towns add a permit requirement on top of the state rules.
We check both before any cutting, and document the plot score so you have a record of what was there.
Can you reach my camp road?
Usually. Tight lots and camp roads are normal work around the lakes and our equipment is sized for it. If the access genuinely will not work, we will tell you at the estimate rather than after we have started.
What happens to the wood and brush?
Your choice. We chip and haul everything off, or we cut the wood to firewood length and leave it stacked. There is no extra charge for either.
Do you work in winter?
Yes, and frozen ground is often the best time for it. Equipment does far less damage to a lawn in February than in April, and a bare canopy makes rigging easier to plan.
Tell us what the tree is doing
Call, or send a photo and a rough idea of how close it is to the house. We will come back with a range the same day.