Storm-Damaged Tree Service in Baldwin County, AL

Storms along the Gulf Coast can bring down trees and break limbs. If one has fallen on or near your home, your first priority is safety. Once everyone is safe, tell us what happened and where, and we'll look for an available local tree-service professional to connect you with. We're not an emergency service, and we can't promise dispatch, arrival times or availability.

Request Tree Service

Once everyone is safe, you can also call (251) 325-2151 to be connected with an available local tree-service professional. This number is not an emergency line. If anyone is in danger, call 911.

Safety comes first

• If anyone is in immediate danger, call 911.
• Stay away from downed or sagging power lines and anything touching them, including fallen trees and water around them. Treat every line as if it's live. Keep children, pets and neighbors back, and call 911 or your electric utility.
• Don't go near a tree that is leaning, cracked or tangled in lines.
• Don't try to cut or move a large fallen or damaged tree yourself. Storm-damaged trees can be under tension and can shift without warning.
• If your home may be damaged, follow the guidance of local emergency officials.

If anyone is in danger, or a power line is down or touching a tree, call 911 or your electric utility right away, not a web form. Source: Alabama Cooperative Extension

A tree on your house, driveway or yard

Once the immediate danger has passed, a damaged or fallen tree may still block a driveway, rest on a roof or fence, or hang over a space people use. Which professional can help, and how soon, depends on conditions after the storm. Tell us what's happening and we'll look for an available professional. We can't promise how quickly anyone can respond.

Documenting damage for your insurance

Your insurance company can tell you what your policy covers and what it needs from you. If it's safe to do so, take photos or video from a safe distance before anything is moved, and keep any paperwork and receipts. Contact your insurer to ask about their process. We don't give insurance or legal advice and can't say what your policy will cover. Source: NAIC, After the Storm

What affects the price of storm tree work

We don't set prices, and we can't say what your insurance will pay. The professional you're connected with provides the quote. Storm conditions can add to the work involved:

• Hazard. Broken, dead or split trees can be brittle and under tension, and hard to control when cut.
• A tree on a roof, car or fence. Lifting it off without more damage can call for an aerial lift (bucket truck) or a crane.
• Power lines. Trees tangled in lines are dangerous work. Call your electric utility; don't wait on a quote.
• Size and debris. Larger trees take more cutting and cleanup. Ask whether the wood is hauled away or left on site.
• The stump, which may be quoted separately.

When a state of emergency is declared, Alabama's price gouging law takes effect. The Attorney General's office says a price 25 percent or more above the area's average over the prior 30 days, not explained by higher costs, is a prima facie case of unconscionable pricing. You can report concerns through the Alabama Attorney General's consumer complaint form.

Sources: Purdue Extension, Why is tree work expensive? · Alabama Attorney General, price gouging.

How to check a tree-service professional

After Hurricane Sally in 2020, Alabama officials warned residents of Baldwin County and south Alabama to watch for contractors who take advantage of disaster victims. We can't vouch for anyone, so check before you sign:

• Get quotes in writing, and never make a full or large payment up front.
• Insurance. Ask for proof of general liability and workers' compensation insurance, and call the insurer named on the certificate to confirm it's current. Alabama generally requires workers' compensation only of businesses with five or more employees. Talk to your own insurance company before you choose.
• ISA certification. It's held by a person. Look them up by name or certification number in ISA's Find an Arborist directory.
• House or roof repairs are a different trade. In Alabama, residential roof work over $2,500, or other home repair over $10,000, contracted directly with a homeowner generally needs a license from the Home Builders Licensure Board. You can look up a license at hblb.alabama.gov.
• City business license. Daphne, Fairhope and Gulf Shores require a city business license to do business inside the city (Fairhope and Gulf Shores also include their police jurisdiction). Ask whether they hold one for your city.

Sources: Alabama Dept. of Insurance, Hurricane Sally contractor warning · Alabama Attorney General, price gouging · Alabama Dept. of Labor, workers' compensation · ISA, Find an Arborist FAQ · Alabama Home Builders Licensure Law · Daphne · Fairhope · Gulf Shores.

Permit and city rules after storms

Cities in Baldwin County have their own tree rules, and they can differ in what they require, including after storms. Requirements vary by city. Check with your city, and see our tree removal permits guide for the official sources.

Preparing trees before storm season

Trees with dead wood or weak limbs are more likely to fail in high winds. A professional can look at your trees before storm season and advise whether trimming or removal makes sense. See tree trimming and pruning. Preparation can't prevent all damage. Learn more: UF/IFAS, Preparing Trees for Hurricanes (a Florida source)

How Gulf Coast Baldwin Tree Removal works

1. Make sure everyone is safe first. Call 911 for any immediate danger. For a downed or sagging line, call 911 or your electric utility.
2. Request service. Choose Storm-Damaged, pick your city and add a few details, including any urgency.
3. We look for an available professional. We try to connect your request with a local tree-service professional who works in your area. We can't promise a match, a response time or an arrival time.
4. They follow up. If a professional takes the request, they contact you to discuss the work and the price. Any agreement is between you and them.

Prefer to talk to someone? Once everyone is safe, call (251) 325-2151 to be connected with an available local tree-service professional, or request service online. This number is not an emergency line; for danger to life, call 911.

Storm-damaged tree FAQ

Is this an emergency line?

No. Our request form and phone number are not an emergency service. If anyone is in immediate danger, call 911. For downed power lines, call 911 or your electric utility.

How quickly will someone come out?

We can't promise that. Availability depends on the area and on conditions after a storm. A professional who takes your request will tell you what they can do.

A tree fell on my house. What should I do first?

Make sure everyone is out of danger and call 911 if needed. Stay away from any power lines. Then contact your insurance company and request service here.

Can I remove a fallen tree myself?

We don't recommend it. Fallen and damaged trees can be unstable, and cutting them is dangerous. Ask a qualified professional.

Will my insurance pay for it?

We can't say. Your insurer can tell you what your policy covers.

What does storm tree work cost?

It depends on the size and position of the tree, access and cleanup, among other factors. The professional provides the quote; we don't set or promise prices. See tree removal for the factors.

Do I need a permit?

Requirements vary by city. See the tree removal permits guide.

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