Wichita Emergency and Storm Tree Service
A tree down on the house, the car or the yard? Do these things in this order.
Call (316) 854-1376or send the form, and tell us what happened.
What to do first
Stay clear. Keep people and pets away from the tree and anything it touches.
Call 911 for a downed power line, an injury or immediate danger. Stay at least 30 feet from a downed line, and do not touch a tree that is touching one.
Do not climb or cut a tree that is on a roof or leaning on something. The weight shifts when the first cut is made.
Call us. Say where the tree is, what it is on, and whether a road or driveway is blocked.
The City of Wichita runs emergency lines for City trees. They are listed on the City's Forestry operations page. They are for City trees only.
Make-safe or full removal
Make-safe means cutting and clearing just enough to stop more damage: the limb off the roof, the trunk off the car, the way into the driveway. Full removal is the whole tree and the cleanup. Which one you need depends on what we find when we look.
If the tree has opened a hole in the roof, covering it with a tarp is a separate step from the tree work. Mention the roof when you call and ask what the job covers and whether you need a roofer for the tarp.
Who picks up what
- Private storm debris. The City does not pick up private storm debris. The exception is a rare, declared catastrophic event announced by the City Manager. See the City's tree rules FAQ.
- Private trees. City crews do not work on private-property trees. That is on the owner.
- Street trees. A tree in the street right-of-way goes to City Forestry.
- City trees after a storm. Forestry does emergency work after storms with public safety first. It clears roads and secures storm-damaged City trees. Routine forestry may pause, and debris piles can sit at the curb for a while. That applies to City trees only.
So a limb in your own yard is yours to deal with. A tree out front in the right-of-way is the City's.
What moves emergency pricing
Storm work is not priced the way a standing tree is, so the tree cost calculator does not cover it. What changes the cost:
- A tree on a structure. Roof, garage, fence or car.
- Crane access. Whether a crane can reach the tree or has to work around a house.
- How much debris. One limb or a whole crown.
- Make-safe or full removal. Cutting just enough to stop the damage is a smaller job than taking the whole tree and cleaning up. We decide on site.
The real price comes from looking at the job.
The 2005 ice storm
Wichita has seen what ice does to trees. NWS Wichita records the ice storm of January 3 to 4, 2005 as the costliest in Kansas history. Between a quarter and a half inch of ice built up. At one point, more than 50,000 people in Sedgwick County were without power. 56 counties were declared disaster areas. There was tree damage near the National Weather Service office.
K-State reports that Siberian elms accounted for 30 to 80 percent of the loss in older sections of Wichita. If you have an old one near the house, see tree removal. A tree that is still sound is better trimmed before a storm. See tree trimming.
How it works
- Call or send the form. Tell us what the tree is on and whether a road or driveway is blocked.
- We come out and look at the tree, the access and what is under it.
- We make it safe, then take the tree down and clean up as agreed.
Serving Wichita and nearby towns.
Ready to talk? Call (316) 854-1376 or send the form. For a line down, an injury or immediate danger, call 911 first.