What counts as a tree emergency on Long Island
A tree is an emergency when delay makes the situation significantly worse — not just inconvenient. After 20 years serving Nassau and Suffolk County, we break emergency calls into three categories.
Category 1 — Immediate dispatch required:
- Tree is on the house, roof, or attached structure
- Tree has taken down power lines or is in contact with live wires
- Tree is blocking the only exit from your property (driveway, access road)
- Large limb is hanging over an occupied structure and is not stable
Category 2 — Same-day response:
- Tree is on a fence, pool, detached garage, or outbuilding
- Tree has fallen across a shared driveway or neighboring property
- Uprooted root ball is pushing against a foundation or gas line
- Large trunk section is in the road and blocking traffic
Category 3 — Next business day:
- Tree came down in the backyard away from structures, no utility contact
- Storm damage left a section of canopy hanging but not over anything critical
- Tree was already leaning before the storm and is now worse
Long Island Tree Pros responds 24/7 for Category 1 calls. For Category 2 and 3, we prioritize same-day assessment and can usually get a crew on-site the day of or after the storm.
What to do right after a tree comes down
If the tree is near power lines: Do not touch it. Call PSEG Long Island at 1-800-490-0075 and tell them a tree is down near live wires. PSEG will de-energize the line before any crew touches the tree — this is not optional regardless of how harmless the wires look. A downed line can be live even when it is not arcing or sparking.
If the tree is on your house: Get out of that room or section of the house immediately. A tree that has come through a roof is a structural event — the remaining roof members may be carrying load they were not designed for. Do not go back in to retrieve belongings until a contractor has assessed the structure.
Document everything before we arrive: Take photos from multiple angles before anyone moves or cuts anything. Your homeowner's insurance claim will go much better with pre-removal documentation. We remind crews of this on every emergency job, but it is faster if you start the moment it is safe to do so.
Call your homeowner's insurance: Do this the same day. Most LI homeowners have 30–60 days to file a storm damage claim, but waiting creates complications. Initial documentation starts from the day of the event.
PSEG coordination on emergency calls
PSEG coordination is required on every job where a tree is within striking distance of overhead utility lines — which on Long Island means a very large percentage of residential lots. We handle this differently for emergency vs. planned work.
For planned removals, we contact PSEG in advance to arrange a line hold or protective blanket. For emergency responses where a tree is already on or near lines, we do not start cutting until PSEG has either de-energized the line or confirmed it is safe to work near. This adds time — sometimes 30 minutes, sometimes several hours depending on how loaded the PSEG grid is after a storm event. That is not our schedule, and we cannot change it. What we can do is be on-site, assess the full scope, and start everything we can legally start while we wait for PSEG clearance.
After a major storm like a nor'easter or hurricane, PSEG's response timeline for non-life-threatening utility calls can stretch to 6–12 hours. We'll be transparent about this with you and keep you updated.
Emergency tree service cost on Long Island
Emergency work carries a premium because it requires immediate crew deployment, often after hours or on weekends, and involves higher-complexity situations than planned removals.
Typical emergency rate structure:
- Emergency surcharge: 30–50% over standard removal pricing
- After-hours multiplier (10 PM – 6 AM): additional 25–40% on top of the emergency rate
- Weekend and holiday calls: emergency rate applies, same as after-hours
Rough cost ranges for common emergency scenarios (2026 Nassau/Suffolk rates, including the emergency surcharge):
| Scenario | Typical Range |
|---|---|
| Small tree (under 30 ft) off a fence or pool | $500 – $1,100 |
| Medium tree (30–60 ft) on a shed or detached garage | $1,200 – $2,800 |
| Large tree (60+ ft) on or against the house, no crane needed | $2,200 – $4,500 |
| Large tree on house requiring crane | $4,000 – $8,500 |
| After-hours Category 1 call with PSEG coordination | $3,500 – $7,500+ |
These are starting ranges. The full scope — what else needs to come down, whether stump grinding is needed, how much debris exists — affects the final number. We will not start work without giving you a written price first. The only exception is an active life-safety situation where delaying a chainsaw cut is more dangerous than the time it takes to write a quote.
What homeowner's insurance covers
Most standard homeowner's policies in New York cover tree removal when:
- The tree has hit a covered structure (house, attached garage, fencing if specifically listed)
- The tree was alive and healthy before the storm — a dead or diseased tree that fell may be excluded if the insurer can show the homeowner knew the tree was a hazard
Most policies do NOT cover:
- Removal of a tree that came down in the yard but did not hit a structure
- Removal of a tree that hit a neighbor's property (their insurance covers it)
- Stump grinding (typically an out-of-pocket expense)
After an emergency removal, we provide a signed invoice with the following documentation for your insurer:
- Date and time of service
- Location and size of tree
- Description of damage caused
- Scope of work performed
- Separate line items for removal, debris haul, and stump (to help with claim documentation)
We have worked with every major insurer on Long Island — Allstate, State Farm, GEICO, Travelers, Foremost, and others. The format above is what adjusters ask for. We do not write insurance reports or provide letters of opinion on whether the tree failure was "weather-related" — that is the adjuster's determination.
After the emergency: what comes next
Once the fallen tree and immediate debris are cleared, most homeowners face a decision on what comes next.
Damaged structures: If the tree hit your house, we remove the tree; a contractor assesses the structural damage and handles the rebuild. We coordinate with your GC as needed and can give them access to the site immediately after removal.
Remaining hazard trees: After one tree comes down, neighboring trees are worth assessing. If you had one overtoppled by a storm, there may be others with similar root issues, decay, or structural defects. An ISA-certified arborist assessment is worth doing before the next storm season, not after.
Stump grinding: We can schedule stump grinding within days of an emergency removal. On emergency jobs, we often grind the stump the same day if equipment and daylight allow; if not, we schedule a return visit.
Permit research: If the emergency removal involved a tree in a village that regulates tree removal (Nassau County in particular), a permit may technically have been required even in an emergency. We research this for you and, where required, file a retroactive emergency removal notification with the applicable building department.
Frequently asked questions
Does the emergency removal price include debris cleanup?
Yes. Every job includes haul-away of all cut debris — branches, brush, and trunk sections. We do not leave piles. On large emergency jobs, we may need to stage some material at the curb for next-day haul; we tell you this upfront.
Can I use a chainsaw myself after a storm?
If you are clearing small branches (under 3 inches in diameter) from a driveway or path and the debris is well away from utility lines and structures, this is generally safe for a homeowner with chainsaw experience. Anything larger than that — or anything near wires, on a roofline, or in a compromised tree — requires a trained crew with proper rigging. Long Island has had serious injuries from homeowners attempting to cut downed trees that were under tension from the way they fell. Tension wood is not obvious. Leave it to us.
Do you work through FEMA's disaster declaration process after major storms?
FEMA assistance is available for homeowners after a presidential disaster declaration. After Ida, Sandy, and similar events, we provided documentation for homeowners filing FEMA claims. The work is the same; the documentation at the end adds a line for the FEMA case number.
How far in advance can I schedule emergency service?
You do not schedule emergency service — you call and we respond. The number is below. For planned tree work (removal of a dead or hazardous tree before a storm), contact us to schedule — we typically book 2–3 weeks out during peak season (spring and late fall).
What if the tree is on both my property and my neighbor's?
We can remove the portions on your property. Access through a neighbor's property requires their permission. In practice, most neighbors cooperate immediately when a tree has come down on both sides. We document the work separately for each property owner's insurance purposes if needed.