Tree Update

As mentioned in a previous post, I have two large 45-year-old oak trees on my property. Most of my neighbors have similar trees as they seem to have been planted when the neighborhood was developed back in the early 60's.

I have since learned that these trees are primarily laurel oaks (although some are live oaks and I can't tell the difference) and have a life expectancy of... 45 years. They can live to 75 in the wild, but with trimming and root congestion common in residential areas, 45 is the norm.

Because of their size, they are not cheap to remove. This is compounded by the fact that the lots are small and the houses are close together necessitating a crane to lift the tree over the house.



A neighbor across the street had one such tree removed last week (which did little for my work productivity). The homeowner reported that the operation cost $5000 and had received estimates as high as $8000. This does not include any hidden roof repair costs that I think may be in store after watching the tree guys tromp all over the concrete tiles. I've learned since owning my own tile roof that you must walk on them carefully. Not so much to avoid cracking the tiles, but to prevent them from shifting and tearing the felt paper beneath, which is the water barrier.



Fortunately, I only have one tree that will require the crane. My next door neighbor has two. I know another house that has four. A front yard tree should only cost $2500 to remove.

But it has gotten me to thinking. If there are 200 houses in the neighborhood, and guessing that there is a 1.5 tree average, that's 300 trees. Assuming that half are in backyards, that's $1,125,000 in tree work that will have to be spent over the next few years. It seems that the neighbors would be wise to join together to negotiate a large operation. It seems a tree company would be wise to court the neighborhood for such a deal. It seems there is opportunity for an enterprising individual to bring these two together and maybe make a buck or two.

I'm not saying that I'm that individual. There are some cantankerous old farts living around here that I don't think I have the patience to deal with. But it is something to think about. I wonder how many other neighborhoods are facing the same problem.