Wayne B.Google review
★★★★★
I have been using K&M for several years. Prices are good, crew is great and they always clean up. They take care of my property like it's theirs.
Tree Service in Mountain Brook, AL
Trimming, cabling, removal, and storm cleanup for Mountain Brook's big trees, plus what the city requires before one comes down.
- Licensed and insured
- Open 24 hours
- 4.7 stars, 85 reviews
Mountain Brook has been a Tree City USA for decades and has its own city arborists. Its tree board started as a Tree Commission in 1993 and is now the Board of Landscape Design. In a city that values its canopy this much, the first question about a problem tree is often whether it can be saved with trimming or support instead of removal.
K&M Professional Tree Service has worked across the Birmingham area for over 30 years, is based in Columbiana, and is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Owner Kenny Malone personally oversees every job. Below is what is specific to Mountain Brook.
Tree work in Mountain Brook
- Tree Trimming & Pruning: Dead limbs out, canopies shaped, branches off your roof and lines.
- Cabling & Bracing: Support for weak limbs and split trunks so a good tree can stay.
- Tree Hazard Assessment: Dead, dying, or dangerous? Have it looked at before you decide.
- Tree Removal: Safe removal of any tree, any size, with the yard left clean.
- Storm Damage Tree Cleanup: Downed trees, broken limbs, and storm debris cleared. Insurance claims welcome.
- Stump Grinding: Stumps ground below grade so you can plant, sod, or build.
Also available: Dangerous & Dead Tree Removal, 24 Hour Emergency Tree Service, Crane Tree Removal, Land & Lot Clearing, Demolition, Grading & Excavation.
Mountain Brook's rules for tree removal
Permits. According to the city's FAQs, you do not need a permit to remove a tree that endangers your property, such as your house, garage, or car. Site work that disturbs the ground can need a separate disturbance or excavation permit.
Licensed contractors. The city requires a Mountain Brook business license for any property maintenance or service work done inside city limits, and its FAQ on tree removal says a city license is required. Ask any tree company you hire.
Haul-off. The city says all trees and debris are to be hauled off by the contractor.
For anything else, including trees on city property, call Public Works at 205-802-2390. The city's senior arborists handle tree inspections at 205-802-3874.
Limbs and leaves in Mountain Brook
Mountain Brook's debris truck runs Monday through Friday on set routes, and the city has a route finder map for your day. Cut limbs to 6 feet or less. Small piles and bagged yard debris go in the cart for the second weekly collection, and larger piles need a pickup request. Grass clippings and leaves must be bagged, and leaf pickup runs on a zone schedule.
Only homeowner-generated material is collected. Contractors haul their own debris, so get haul-off written into any tree quote.
The December 2023 storm
Just after midnight on December 10, 2023, straight-line winds of 60 to 70 mph swept across northern Hoover, Vestavia Hills, Homewood, and Cahaba Heights and into Mountain Brook, including Cherokee Village near Brookwood Mall and the Spring Valley Road and Old Leeds Road area. The National Weather Service reported that many streets had hundreds of trees down, many of them on homes.
An EF-1 tornado the same night ended at the top of the ridge along Cherokee Road after damaging houses on Yorkshire, Devon, and Windsor Drives with falling trees. Mountain Brook police logged more than 60 reports of trees blocking roads at one point, the Homewood Star reported. See storm damage tree cleanup.
Saving a big tree, or taking it down
A mature oak with heavy limbs over the roof can often be made safer with trimming, and a weak fork can sometimes be supported with cabling and bracing. A tree with serious decay, a dead crown, or a new lean is usually a removal. If you are not sure which you have, start with a tree hazard assessment. The city's Public Works page also has a "Recognizing Tree Risk" guide.
What tree work costs in Mountain Brook
Published guides put a medium tree removal in the Birmingham area at about $521 to $709 (Homeyou) and tree cabling at $200 to $400 on average (HomeAdvisor). Large trees near houses and tight access push removal prices well above the averages. See the pricing guide. K&M estimates are free.
What K&M customers say
4.7 stars from 85 Google reviews. Read more reviews.
Brad W.Google review
★★★★★
Kenny and his crew showed up on time and did exactly what they said they would do. They left the area spotless like new. Great prices and very dependable.
Lou E.Google review
★★★★★
We have been doing business with K&M for some 20 years. They have always been responsive, reliable and fair.
Sadie C.Google review
★★★★★
K&M was quick to respond when a tree fell on our house on a Sunday evening and did an impressively thorough job cleaning up.
Christy K.Google review
★★★★★
K&M came out same day and took down some very large and potentially hazardous pines that were leaning towards my house.
Road D.Google review
★★★★★
Great guys to work with, showed up when they said they would and cleaned up so well you couldn't tell they were there.
Mountain Brook tree service questions
Not to remove a tree that endangers your house, garage, car, or other property, according to the city's FAQs. Site work that disturbs the ground can need a separate permit. Call Public Works at 205-802-2390 if you are unsure.
Yes. The city requires a business license for property maintenance and service work in city limits, and says a city license is required for tree removal. Ask any company you hire.
The contractor. The city says all trees and debris are to be hauled off by the contractor, and city pickup is for homeowner-generated material only.
Yes, for homeowners. Cut limbs to 6 feet or less. Small piles go in the cart for the second weekly collection, and large piles need a pickup request.
Public Works at 205-802-2390. The city's senior arborists handle tree inspections at 205-802-3874. After hours, call police at 205-802-2414 for a tree blocking the road.
The property owner, for a tree on their lot. A dead tree near the house is one of the trees the city says you can remove without a permit. See dangerous tree removal.
Usually only when the tree damages a covered structure. Removing a tree that has not hit anything is generally on the owner. Check your policy.
ProMatcher lists $351 to $435 for a standing tree under 30 feet in Alabama, and Homeyou puts a medium tree in the Birmingham area at $521 to $709. See the pricing guide.
Far more than an average tree, especially next to a house where it has to come down in sections or with a crane. Birmingham-area homeowners have reported quotes from $1,000 to over $5,000 for trees that size.
Schedule in late fall or winter, have several trees done in one visit, grind the stumps the same day, and keep the firewood. Do not cut insurance or haul-off to save money.
Trimming is usually cheaper and keeps the tree. A dead or badly leaning tree usually has to come down.
A common rule of thumb is no more than about 25 percent of the live canopy in a year. Dead and broken limbs can come off any time.
Heavy pruning is best avoided during the spring growth flush. Late winter, while trees are dormant, is usually best. Dead or hazardous limbs can come off any time of year.
There is no general free program. The city handles trees on city property, Alabama Power handles trees threatening its lines, and a tree on your own lot is normally the owner's cost.
Rarely for a single homeowner. After a federally declared disaster, FEMA and county programs sometimes help with debris. Homeowners insurance is the most common way a removal gets paid for.
Mountain Brook and the surrounding area, including Homewood, Vestavia Hills, Birmingham, and Hoover.
Tree work in Mountain Brook? Let's talk.
Free estimates. 24 hour storm service. Open 24 hours, 7 days a week.