Tree Trimming and Pruning in Lubbock
Good pruning in Lubbock is mostly about wind. A crown that lets some of it through, with no dead limbs and no weak forks carrying heavy ends, is a crown that comes through March and April intact.
What trimming should and should not mean
Trimming is a word that covers everything from careful pruning to butchery, so it is worth being specific about what you are buying. The work that helps a tree is selective: dead, broken and crossing limbs out, a few heavy limbs reduced back to a side branch, the crown thinned evenly rather than stripped from the inside.
What hurts it is topping, cutting the main limbs back to stubs to make the tree shorter. A topped tree regrows a thicket of weakly attached shoots at every cut, the stubs decay, and within ten years it is more dangerous than before. If an estimate says "top" or "round over", ask what the cuts will actually be.
The jobs most Lubbock homes need
Roof and chimney clearance
Limbs resting on or rubbing a roof wear through shingles in a wind season. A few feet of clearance is usually enough, made by cutting back to a side branch rather than leaving a stub.
Alley and service-line clearance
Many older Lubbock homes take power from a line in the back alley, and the trees along the back fence grow up into it. The line from the pole to your house is often your responsibility to keep clear; the main lines along the alley belong to the utility. Anything within ten feet of a high-voltage line is a job for a utility-authorized crew only.
Deadwood after a dry summer
Drought kills twigs and small limbs first, from the top of the crown down. Taking them out before the spring wind takes them for you is the most routine pruning job in the city.
Structural pruning on young trees
In newer subdivisions in south and southwest Lubbock, much of the canopy is under twenty years old. Choosing one leader and removing competing stems while they are thumb-sized is cheap now and prevents the split forks that cause removals later.
When to prune
Most deciduous trees here are best pruned while dormant, from late fall through winter, when the structure is easy to see and the tree is not spending energy on leaves. That is also when many tree companies have more room on their calendar.
Dead and broken limbs are the exception: they can and should come out any time of year. So can a limb that is resting on the roof or the line. Avoid heavy pruning in the heat of July and August on a tree that is already drought-stressed; take out what is dead and leave the rest until it cools.
Thinking about getting the trees done before spring? Call for a free estimate and a local tree company will walk the lot and tell you what actually needs cutting.
Common questions
How much does tree trimming cost in Lubbock?
It is priced per tree and by how much work is in the crown. A small ornamental may be a hundred or two; a mature elm or pecan that has to be climbed, thinned and cleaned up commonly runs several hundred to over a thousand dollars. Several trees on one visit is usually cheaper per tree.
How often should trees be pruned?
Most mature shade trees here do well with a check every three to five years and deadwood taken out after a hard summer. Young trees benefit from a light structural prune every couple of years until they are established.
Will trimming make a tree safe in a windstorm?
It lowers the risk, mostly by removing dead wood and reducing heavy limbs over targets. It cannot make a tree with a cracked trunk or rotten base safe. That is a removal conversation.
Can you just cut back the side that overhangs my neighbour?
One-sided cuts are common and usually fine if they are made back to side branches and do not take too much of the crown. Cutting a tree flat along the fence line leaves it unbalanced and can damage it, and if the tree belongs to the neighbour it should be agreed with them first.
More tree work in Lubbock
- Tree Removal in Lubbock, TX
- Tree Service in Lubbock: Assessments
- Storm-Damaged Tree Cleanup in Lubbock
- Stump Grinding in Lubbock, TX
Also serving
Tree Trimming is available beyond Lubbock, across Wolfforth , Slaton , Levelland and Brownfield .
Get an estimate for tree trimming
Tell us about the tree and a local tree company will come and look at it, usually within a few days, sooner for a limb on a roof. Answered Mon–Sat, 7am–6pm · storm calls after hours get a call back first thing Or call (806) 515-3071. If a limb is on a roof or a line, call rather than typing.