Lake Charles, LA Tree Removal Guide: Licenses & Storms

Updated October 25, 2026. This guide is general information, not legal or engineering advice. Rules change, so confirm with the agency listed before you start work.

Quick reference

Topic	What to know	Source
Who needs a license	Anyone paid to remove, prune, trim, cable, fertilize or do cavity work on trees	LDAF Horticulture Commission; La. R.S. 3:3808
Getting licensed	Pass the state exam with 70% or more; carry general liability (and workers' comp when it applies); use a written contract	LDAF; LSU AgCenter
Homeowner pruning carve-out	Owner-directed cuts on branches up to 2 inches thick and no more than 10 feet up; excludes commercial sites	La. R.S. 3:3816
Post-disaster permits	90-day temporary license for arborists licensed by exam elsewhere or ISA-certified, with insurance	La. R.S. 3:3816
Canopy loss	33% loss in Lake Charles from 2019 to 2022	Green Infrastructure Center
City curbside debris	Limbs 4 feet or less and under 4 inches across; no stumps or items over 50 lb	City of Lake Charles via KPLC (2024)
Overhead lines	Stay 10 feet from high-voltage lines unless authorized; give the owner 48 hours' notice	La. R.S. 45:141-146; Entergy
Stump grinding	811 needs 48 hours' notice before excavation, weekends and holidays not counted	La. R.S. 40:1749.13
Annual rain	59.75 inches at Lake Charles Regional Airport, 1991 to 2020 average	Wikipedia climate table (NOAA)

Does Louisiana license tree work?

It does, which puts it in a small group of states. La. R.S. 3:3808 makes it illegal to hold yourself out as an arborist without a state license. The Horticulture Commission at LDAF spells out the practical reach: if someone is paid to work on a tree, they need that license, and the covered work includes taking trees down, pruning and trimming, cabling, fertilizing and cavity repair. Clearing trees along utility rights-of-way falls under its own utility arborist license.

The bar to entry is an exam score of 70 percent or better plus current general liability insurance, and workers' compensation where the business is required to carry it. LDAF posts a list of every licensed arborist in the state, so you can confirm a name and number before work begins.

For homeowners, the LSU AgCenter's storm guidance fills in the details. Someone licensed only in Texas or another state can't legally take on routine tree work in Louisiana. Picking up limbs and trunks that have already landed on a roof, drive or lawn counts as debris cleanup, while any cut on a standing tree or a still-attached branch is licensed work. Every licensed arborist has to sign a written contract with the owner covering the scope and the payment, and company vehicles with advertising must show the license number. Checking licenses and insurance is the owner's job, not the state's.

When is a license not required?

Homeowners will mostly run into two situations. First, under La. R.S. 3:3816, a person working under the owner's specific direction may remove branches without a license as long as each branch is no more than two inches across and no higher than ten feet off the ground; the carve-out doesn't reach commercial establishments. Second, once a catastrophe has been declared an emergency, the commissioner can grant a temporary 90-day arborist license. Applicants have to hold another state's exam-based license or ISA certification, prove they're insured, and apply within 90 days of the declaration.

What did the 2020 hurricanes do to Lake Charles trees?

Hurricane Laura made landfall near Cameron on August 27, 2020, as a Category 4 hurricane with 150 mph sustained winds. Roughly half the mature trees in Lake Charles were blown down, stripped of branches or broken. Hurricane Delta came ashore about 12 miles east of Laura's landfall six weeks later. Entergy reported that all nine transmission lines delivering power into Southwest Louisiana were catastrophically damaged, and that by September 10 it had replaced 8,809 poles in Lake Charles and Sulphur.

The Green Infrastructure Center's 2022 canopy assessment found a 33 percent canopy loss in Lake Charles between 2019 and 2022, across four federally declared disasters from fall 2020 through spring 2021. The Current has since reported city canopy at about 10.6 percent, against a city goal of returning to the 15 percent it had before Laura.

Which trees fail most in Gulf storms?

The LSU AgCenter's hurricane guidance draws on University of Florida surveys of more than 18,000 trees. At the strong end of the ratings sit live oak, bald cypress, southern magnolia, American holly, crape myrtle and cabbage palm. At the weak end are both water and laurel oak, southern red oak, pecan, tallow, Bradford pear and Leyland cypress. Longleaf pine was among the trees with survival below 50 percent. Risk factors include brittle wood, larger and older trunks, greater height, and shallow roots in saturated soil. Native species generally did better than non-natives, and trees grown in groups of five or more tended to fare better than trees standing alone.

What will the city pick up?

After an April 10, 2024 storm, the City of Lake Charles asked residents to set vegetative storm debris at the curb, including limbs, branches, shrubbery and vines. Limbs had to be cut to 4 feet or less and be less than 4 inches in diameter, and items heavier than 50 pounds, such as tree stumps, weren't eligible. Rules can change by event, so check with the city for current details.

How close can a tree crew get to a power line?

Not within 10 feet of a high-voltage overhead line, unless arrangements are made first. That's the core of Louisiana's Overhead Power Line Safety Act, La. R.S. 45:141-146, and it applies to equipment as well as people. Whoever is in charge of the job has to tell the line's owner at least 48 hours ahead and agree on safety measures before anyone starts. Entergy, which serves much of the Lake Charles area, explains the process on its Louisiana power line safety page.

Is an 811 call needed before a stump is ground?

Yes. A grinder cuts below grade, and La. R.S. 40:1749.13 treats that as excavation. The regional notification center has to get notice at least 48 hours ahead, not counting weekends or holidays, so utilities can mark buried lines. Settle in advance whether you or the tree company will place the request.

What should I ask before hiring?

Can I have your Louisiana arborist license number and a current insurance certificate?
Is pruning a real option here, or does the tree need to come out?
What's the plan for lowering it, and how will the roof, yard and any septic lines be protected?
Does the price cover brush, the trunk wood and the stump, or just the cutting?
Who handles the 811 locate and any notice to the power company?

Common questions

Is a license needed just to trim trees in Louisiana?

For paid work, yes. The LDAF arborist license covers pruning and trimming as well as removal. The only carve-out is owner-directed cutting of branches no thicker than two inches and no higher than ten feet.

Can a Texas tree service legally work in Lake Charles?

Not on routine jobs without a Louisiana arborist license, per the LSU AgCenter. LDAF may issue 90-day temporary licenses to qualified out-of-state arborists after a declared emergency.

How far ahead do I call 811 in Louisiana?

Give at least 48 hours' notice before any digging or grinding, and don't count weekends or holidays.

Lake Charles, Louisiana tree removal guide (2026)