Storm Damage & Emergency Work · Kitchener
Storm Damage and Emergency Tree Work in Kitchener
When a tree is on the house, the first call is to make sure nobody is under it and nothing is live. The second call is to us, and a tree on a structure or across a wire goes to the front of the schedule.
Kitchener's storm damage comes in three flavours. Freezing rain loads every branch with ice and the soft-wooded maples and willows shed limbs or split down the middle. Heavy wet snow in late fall or early spring does the same thing when the leaves are still on or just coming out. Straight-line summer wind, the kind that comes through with a thunderstorm, pushes whole trees over when the ground is saturated. What all three leave behind are the same jobs: a tree or a limb on a roof, a hanger caught in the canopy over the yard, a leader split away from the trunk but still attached, and trees across drives and fences.
What counts as an emergency
A tree on a house, garage or vehicle, a tree across a drive you need to use, a split tree that is going to finish falling onto something, or a tree on or near a power line. Those get priority response: we get the call to the crew immediately and get to you as fast as the storm's queue allows, which after a region-wide ice storm is honestly a matter of hours to a day rather than minutes. A branch down on the lawn, a snapped ornamental or a hanger over an empty back yard is damage, not an emergency, and it is scheduled normally and priced normally.
What happens first
- Power. If a tree is on a line or the service wire has been pulled off the house, stay away from it and from anything touching it. Enova Power is called before any cutting happens. A service wire can be live on the ground.
- Making safe. The first visit is often about removing the immediate danger: getting the weight off the roof, cutting the hanger down, stabilising a split trunk so it does not finish the job overnight. The full removal and clean-up may be a second visit once the queue clears.
- Photographs and a written description. Insurers want to know what failed and why. Cover gets settled between you and your insurer, but we document the tree before it is touched and describe the failure in writing so the adjuster has what they need.
- Tarping and the roof. Once the tree is off, the roof is somebody else's trade. We can get a tarp over an opening as a temporary measure where it is safe to do so.
City trees in a storm
A boulevard tree that has dropped a limb on your car or across the sidewalk is the City of Kitchener's to deal with, through 519-741-2345, and the City's crews work their own priority list after a storm. We cannot cut a city tree for you, though we can remove what has landed on your private property once it is clear whose it is.
Before the next one
Nearly every storm failure we attend was visible beforehand: a dead ash, a maple with included bark in the main union, a long horizontal limb over the roof with no support. An hour's look at the trees around the house in a dry week is the cheapest emergency call there is.
Frequently asked questions
Can you come today?
For a tree on a structure, a vehicle, a drive you need, or a line, we treat it as a priority and get there as fast as the day allows. After a region-wide storm there is a queue and we will be straight about where you are in it. Ordinary storm clean-up is scheduled like any other job.
Will my insurance cover tree removal?
That depends on your policy and on what the tree landed on, and it is a conversation for your insurer. What we provide is photographs before anything is cut and a written description of the failure, which is what adjusters ask for.
The tree is half down and leaning on the garage. Should I leave it?
Yes. Do not go under it and do not try to cut anything holding weight. A partly failed tree is under tension in ways that are not obvious and it is the most dangerous thing in arboriculture. Call and we will deal with it in order.
Serving Kitchener and surrounding areas. Contact us for a no-obligation quote specific to your property.