Service
Tree Trimming & Pruning
Good pruning is invisible. Done right, nobody notices the cuts, they just notice the limbs are off the roof, the canopy lets light through, and the tree makes it through storm season. Done wrong, you get weak regrowth and a bigger problem in three years.
What trimming and pruning covers
Not every tree job is a removal. Often the smarter move is keeping a healthy tree and managing it well. The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) describes the main kinds of pruning a good tree service does: cleaning (taking out dead, dying, diseased, and weakly attached branches), raising (removing low branches to clear the roof, driveway, or sidewalk), and reduction (shortening a tree's height or spread, often for utility line clearance, by cutting back to a side branch at least one-third the size of the cut stem).
How the cut is made matters as much as which limb comes off. ISA's guidance is to cut just outside the branch collar, never flush with the trunk, because the tissue around a flush cut often dies. Large limbs come off in three cuts so the bark does not tear. Wound paint is not recommended: research shows it does not reduce decay or speed healing.
Why topping is the wrong answer
Cutting a tree back to stubs is the fast, cheap approach some outfits still sell. ISA publishes a whole brochure against it ("Why Topping Hurts Trees") and recommends reduction instead, which keeps the tree's form and structure. If a quote says "top," "hat-rack," or "cut back by half," get another quote.
Signs your trees need attention
- Branches rubbing or resting on the roof, wearing shingles and gutters.
- Dead limbs hanging in the canopy, which will come down on their own timeline, usually the worst one.
- A cracked limb, a hollow, or a weak fork over the house, the driveway, or a play area.
- Bark peeling off an oak limb with a gray, tan, or black crust underneath. The Georgia Forestry Commission says carefully pruning branches with a local hypoxylon infection can help slow the fungus, but a tree showing its fruiting structures will not survive, regardless of treatment.
- Limbs growing into power lines, which is a job for the utility or a qualified line-clearance crew, not a ladder (see below).
How much should come off, and when?
No more than about a quarter of the crown at once, and less on a mature tree. ISA's rule of thumb is that no more than 25 percent of the crown should be removed at one time; heavy pruning is a real stress on an old tree, and routine thinning does not necessarily make a tree healthier. Each cut should have a reason.
- Dead, weak, or diseased limbs: light pruning like this can be done any time of year with little effect on the tree.
- Bigger pruning on hardwoods: growth and wound closure are best before the spring flush of new leaves. Avoid heavy pruning just after it, when the tree has spent its energy on new growth.
- Pines: the Georgia Forestry Commission prefers November through February, when bark beetles are inactive, and says to delay pruning (even for power lines) during a local beetle outbreak. It also says not to let crews climb pines with spikes for a pruning job, since the wounds invite beetles.
Who trims trees near power lines?
The utility handles its lines; the trees around the line to your house are mostly yours. What each utility says:
- Georgia Power trims limbs rubbing on or pushing the service wire on a limited basis. Tree removals and limbs over 3 inches across are the property owner's job. To have the service wire disconnected so a tree company can work, call 1-888-660-5890 at least 72 hours ahead.
- Cobb EMC trims back 15 feet on each side from the center of a primary pole on its maintenance cycle, and once told about trees near the service wire, may remove ones that are dead, weakened, rubbing, or endangering the line.
- Marietta Power runs a professional tree trimming program near its lines and gives customers free wood chips, delivered within its service area.
- Georgia law: anyone doing the work as a business must notify Georgia 811 at least 72 hours ahead (weekends and holidays excluded) before coming within 10 feet of a line over 750 volts, and wait for the utility to guard it.
Why pruning matters more in north metro Atlanta
The trees over Cobb and North Fulton homes are big, and the storms here are real: the National Weather Service recorded gusts of 50 to 65 mph across the Atlanta area during Irma in 2017, with many trees falling onto homes. ISA lists removing dead branches, improving form, and reducing risk as common reasons to prune. Clearing deadwood and weak limbs over the house before the season is cheaper than a storm cleanup after it, and when a tree is past saving, our tree removal in Marietta page covers the next step.
Timing by season is covered in more detail in our guide to the best time to trim trees in Georgia.
Honest price range
HomeAdvisor's 2026 guide puts tree trimming at about $460 on average, with most jobs between $270 and $1,800: roughly $80 to $350 for a tree under 25 feet, $150 to $800 for 25 to 50 feet, and $300 to $1,800 or more above 50 feet. Power lines, limbs over the roof, and debris hauling ($25 to $100) push the number up. Get the scope and price in writing.
Trimming & pruning questions
There is no fixed calendar. ISA says each cut should have a reason, and light pruning of dead, weak, or diseased limbs can be done any time of year. Dead wood and limbs over the roof should come off when you notice them. Bigger pruning on hardwoods is best before the spring flush, and the Georgia Forestry Commission prefers November through February for pines.
Not by itself. ISA says routine thinning does not necessarily improve a tree's health, heavy pruning is a stress, and generally no more than 25 percent of the crown should come off at once. It lists removing dead branches, improving form, and reducing risk as common reasons to prune, so ask what each cut is for, and start with dead or weakly attached limbs over the house.
Yes. Topping cuts a tree back to stubs. ISA recommends reduction cuts instead, back to a side branch at least one-third the size of the stem being cut, which keeps the tree's form and structure. A quote that says "top" is a reason to get another quote.
November through February, when bark beetles are inactive, according to the Georgia Forestry Commission. It recommends avoiding spring and summer pruning on pines, delaying any pruning during a local beetle outbreak, and not letting crews climb pines with spikes for pruning.
HomeAdvisor's 2026 guide puts the national average at about $460, with most jobs between $270 and $1,800. A tree under 25 feet runs roughly $80 to $350, 25 to 50 feet about $150 to $800, and over 50 feet $300 to $1,800 or more. Power lines, limbs over the house, and hauling raise the price.
Mostly you, through a tree service. Georgia Power trims limbs rubbing the service wire on a limited basis and leaves removals and limbs over 3 inches to the owner; call 1-888-660-5890 at least 72 hours ahead to have the wire disconnected for tree work. Cobb EMC may remove dead or weakened trees near the service wire once you report them.
Keep your trees healthy and off the roof.
Tell us what needs trimming and we connect you with a local tree service. Ask what each cut is for, and get the price in writing.