Tree trimming and pruning in Lake Charles, LA
With so much canopy lost since 2020, keeping the trees you still have is worth the effort. Here's what good trimming looks like in Lake Charles.
Trimming isn't just about looks. Taking out dead and broken wood, pulling limbs back from the roof and fixing weak structure all lower the chance of a branch coming through the ceiling in the next storm. In a city that lost about a third of its canopy between 2019 and 2022, pruning is also the cheapest way to keep a healthy survivor standing.
Common trimming jobs
- Hanger removal. Taking down broken limbs still caught in the crown after a storm.
- Deadwood removal. Cutting out dead branches over roofs, vehicles and walkways.
- Raising and clearing. Giving trucks room over the drive and pulling branches off the gutters and shingles.
- Live oak reduction. Cutting long horizontal limbs back to a side branch so the weight comes off without a flush cut at the trunk.
Can anyone with a pole saw trim trees for pay?
Not legally. Louisiana's arborist license applies to paid pruning just as it does to removals. There's one narrow carve-out in La. R.S. 3:3816: work directed by the owner, on branches no thicker than two inches and no higher than ten feet off the ground. It doesn't extend to commercial establishments.
Storm-broken crowns
Trees that lost big limbs or a top in 2020 often grew back a dense bunch of fast sprouts around each break. Those sprouts can be weakly attached. A good pruner thins them out and keeps the strongest few, rather than leaving the whole cluster to get heavy.
Is topping a tree a good idea?
No. Lopping off the top leaves big wounds that rot and a flush of weakly attached sprouts that break in the next storm. A crew that suggests topping should be able to offer a proper reduction cut or thinning instead.
Branches near power lines
Branches tangled in a power line are for the utility to handle. Under the state's Overhead Power Line Safety Act, nobody unauthorized may get within 10 feet of a high-voltage line, and planned work near one needs 48 hours' notice to the line's owner. Entergy, which serves much of the Lake Charles area, asks to be notified before that kind of work.
Pricing comes from the tree company, after someone has looked at the tree, what it could land on and how equipment can get to it. We don't quote prices, and a figure given over the phone without a visit is only a ballpark.
Where we connect you with help
Common questions
When is the best time to trim trees in Lake Charles?
Many trees prune well in the cooler months, when the structure is easy to see. Broken and hanging limbs shouldn't wait, and it's smart to get them down before hurricane season opens on June 1.
Branches from next door hang over my fence. Can I cut them?
Start with a conversation with the neighbor, and avoid harming the tree. Anything bigger than light, low branches is a job for a licensed company.
Related services
More background: Lake Charles tree removal guide.
A pine leaning since Laura, a limb over the carport, or stumps the city won't haul?
Call and get connected with a Louisiana-licensed tree service that works in Calcasieu Parish.