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Salt Lake City · Storm damage
Storm Damage Tree Removal in Salt Lake City
East-wind events on the Wasatch Front tend to uproot trees whole instead of breaking them. That leaves a trunk across the yard and a root plate the size of a car standing on edge, and each needs its own handling.
Call availability varies by area and time of day. Calls are answered by an independent tree service provider.
City tree or yours
Park strip tree down
- Report it to the city
- Urban Forestry removes the tree
- Do not hire a private crew to cut it up
- Damage it caused to your property is a claim on your own policy in most cases
Private tree down
- Yours to remove
- Call a tree service and your insurer
- If it fell into the street, the city may clear the lane and leave the rest
- If it landed next door, see the neighbor rule below
When a park strip tree falls onto a house, the city still removes its tree, but getting it off the roof quickly may fall to the owner's contractor. Call the city first and document everything.
Why trees here tip instead of snapping
Canyon winds blow hard for hours from one direction. A tree is rocked back and forth until the soil around its roots loosens, and then it goes over in a single slow motion with the root plate attached.
On irrigated lawns that plate is wide and thin, often less than two feet deep. Blue spruce, Austrian pine and other evergreens are the usual casualties because their dense crowns catch wind year-round.
When the tree falls it lifts whatever its roots had grown around: sprinkler lines, the edge of a driveway, sidewalk slabs, a gas service or a fence footing. Those repairs are part of the job and are easy to overlook on the first visit.
Removing an uprooted tree
Check for utilities under the root plate
Gas, water and irrigation lines may be stretched or broken. Shut off sprinklers and call the gas utility if you smell gas.
Cut from the top toward the base
The trunk is under load from the root plate. Sections are removed so weight comes off gradually.
Control the root plate
When the trunk is cut free, the plate can fall back into its hole or roll forward. It is braced or lowered deliberately.
Remove or grind the root mass
A large plate is cut up and hauled, or ground in place.
Fill and repair
The hole is backfilled and compacted. Sprinkler and sidewalk repairs follow.
What gets handled first
| Situation | Urgency | Who acts |
|---|---|---|
| Tree on a house or car | Immediate | Private contractor, insurer notified |
| Tree on power lines | Immediate | Rocky Mountain Power |
| Tree across a street | Same day | City crews clear the roadway |
| Tree down in a yard | Days to weeks | Private contractor |
| Leaning tree with lifted roots | Within days | Arborist assessment. It usually cannot be saved. |
Trees that stayed up but moved
- Turf lifted in a ridge on the west side of the trunk
- The roots on the windward side tore loose.
- A gap between trunk and soil
- You can sometimes slide a hand in. The tree is rocking.
- New lean toward the west or southwest
- Canyon winds blow from the east, so trees tip away from the mountains.
- Sprinkler heads suddenly crooked
- The ground under them shifted with the roots.
Insurance questions that come up
- Act now
The tree hit your house, garage or fence
Removal from the structure is generally covered, subject to the deductible. Cleanup of the rest may have its own limit.
- This week
The tree fell in the yard and hit nothing
Usually not covered. Some policies offer limited coverage if it blocks the driveway.
- This week
Your tree fell on the neighbor's property
Their policy normally covers their damage unless you had been warned the tree was unsafe.
- This week
A city tree fell on your property
File with your own insurer and ask the city about its claims process.
Salt Lake City wind damage questions
Can an uprooted tree be pulled back upright?
A small, recently planted tree sometimes can. A mature tree cannot. Its structural roots have broken, and it would fall again.
Who removes the root ball after a tree falls?
For a private tree, your contractor, usually as a separate line from cutting up the trunk. For a park strip tree, the city.
Is the hole dangerous?
It can be. The root plate may drop back when the trunk is cut, and the pit can hide broken pipes. Keep children away until it is filled.
How long did cleanup take after the 2020 windstorm?
Roads were opened in days. Clearing fallen trees from parks and private yards across the valley took months, and stump work longer still.
Storm Damage Tree Removal help in Salt Lake City
Call to be connected with an independent tree company that works in Salt Lake City, UT.
(844) 955-1716Call availability varies by area and time of day
Limbwright is a referral service. Your call goes to an independent tree service company that sets its own schedule and terms. Ask for proof of insurance and a written scope before work starts. How this works
Call now
Talk to a tree service provider in your area. Have the tree's location and what it is near ready.
(844) 955-1716Call nowCall availability varies by area and time of day