Tree Removal in Medina, OH

What tree services can you request in Medina?

Medina Tree Removal takes requests for most residential and commercial tree work in and around Medina, from one dead ash in a back yard to a few acres of overgrown brush:

• Tree removal for dead, dying, leaning or unwanted trees
• Tree trimming and pruning for deadwood, clearance and storm risk
• Stump grinding after a removal, old or new
• Emergency storm tree removal when a tree or limb lands on a house, car or drive
• Land and lot clearing for building sites, fence rows and overgrown acreage
• Crane tree removal for big trees with no room to drop them

Who owns the trees between the sidewalk and the street in Medina?

In the city of Medina, the strip between the street and the sidewalk is the treelawn, and the trees in it are public trees under the city's care. The Forestry Department looks after about 13,000 of them, plus trees in city parks and at city buildings. Where a street has no sidewalk, the right of way is measured from the center of the road and varies by street.

The city prunes those trees on a five-year cycle in five zones, removes dead or hazardous ones, grinds the stumps and usually replants where the site suits a new tree. Most removals are done by city staff and the largest are contracted out, with a phone call to the resident first. If the tree you are worried about is in the treelawn, call Forestry at 330-722-9031 before hiring anyone.

Do you need a permit to remove a tree in Medina?

Any work on a public tree in Medina, whether planting, pruning or removal, needs the City Forester's authorization. Contractors and utilities working where they could damage a public tree need a provisional permit, applied for at least five working days ahead and good for 45 days.

The code also protects trees 10 inches across and larger inside conservation easements or private tree preservation areas. The code page reviewed for this site lists no permit for other trees on private lots, but a quick call to the city before work starts is cheap insurance.

What does Medina require for dead or overhanging trees?

Owners have to keep branches over a street at least 13 feet above the pavement and at least 8 feet above the rest of the right of way. Keeping a diseased or hazardous tree that could fall across a street, sidewalk or public place is unlawful.

The Service Director or City Forester can send a registered-mail notice giving the owner 30 days to fix it. If nothing happens, the city can do the work and bill the owner for the cost plus 15 percent, and unpaid bills can go on the property tax. Getting ahead of a notice with pruning or a planned removal is usually simpler.

How have ash borers and storms affected Medina trees?

In October 2006 the Ohio Department of Agriculture put all of Medina County under its emerald ash borer quarantine after finding an infested ash along I-71 just south of US 224. Infested ash typically die within five years, and by 2014 the U.S. Forest Service reported significant ash mortality across northeast Ohio.

Wind does the rest. On April 7, 2020, the National Weather Service rated an EF-1 tornado with winds up to 100 mph that ran from Lorain County into the city of Medina and caused extensive damage to trees and power lines. The city asked residents to pull branches to the treelawn for pickup afterward. See emergency storm tree removal for what to do first.

What about trees growing near power lines?

Ohio Edison, the FirstEnergy utility serving the area, trims along its lines on a four-year cycle and included Medina County in its 2024 program. It works only around the wires, leaves larger wood for the owner and does not prune for phone or cable lines.

FirstEnergy asks people not to work on trees near power lines. When a tree between the pole and your house has to come out, the service may need to be disconnected first, and the homeowner pays for the removal. Mention any nearby lines in your request so the contractor can plan for it.

How does a tree service request work?

1. Send the form with your address, the trees involved and the service you need.
2. Your request goes to a local tree contractor who works in your area.
3. The contractor contacts you, looks at the job and gives you a price.
4. You agree on the work, timing and cleanup directly with the contractor.

Sending a request costs nothing and commits you to nothing. Medina Tree Removal is a referral service, not a tree company; the contractor who contacts you quotes and does the work.

How do you choose a tree contractor in Medina?

The International Society of Arboriculture suggests a short checklist before you hire anyone for tree work:

• Ask for proof of insurance and call the insurance company to confirm it.
• Check for any local permits and licenses the job needs.
• Get more than one estimate, ask for references, and don't automatically take the lowest bid.
• Be wary of people who go door to door offering bargains, especially after a storm.
• Get the scope in writing, including cleanup, wood and stump.

ISA certification is voluntary, so plenty of good crews don't have it, but you can confirm any certified arborist's credential with the free lookup on TreesAreGood.org.