Billings' expert arborists. Built for chinook wind and rimrock soil.

Billings sits below the sandstone rimrocks that give the city its name, on soil that runs thin and rocky near the bluffs and deeper along the Yellowstone River bottom. We read that split on a site visit and back it with storm response after the chinook wind events that can gust hard with almost no warning.

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Why Billings

Why Billings trees need a real arborist.

The Certified Arborist Tree Service sends an expert arborist to Billings estimates, not a crew guessing at what a chainsaw can fix. Yellowstone County properties carry real wind and soil exposure, and the plan has to match it.

Billings runs hot, dry summers and cold winters broken up by chinook winds that can swing temperatures fast and gust well past what a poorly pruned canopy can hold. Cottonwood and Siberian elm root systems handle the region's drought reasonably well, but a tree that has never been thinned or crown reduced is the one that fails when the wind turns.

Add drought stress that thins canopies from the inside and an ash population now facing new pressure from a borer confirmed in the state, and Billings asks more of a tree than a calmer river town would. We plan for that calendar instead of reacting to it.

Schedule a Billings site walk Call (844) 835-8733

Why Billings trees fail

The risks we watch in Billings right now.

When a tree comes down in Yellowstone County, it is almost always one of these four problems, and we check for all of them on a site visit.

Chinook Wind Limb Failure

Billings gets sudden, powerful chinook wind events that can gust with little warning, and a canopy that was never thinned or crown reduced is the one that loses large limbs when the wind turns.

Emerald Ash Borer

Green ash lines many older Billings neighborhoods, and this borer keeps moving west across the northern plains toward trees like these. We check bark and canopy dieback on every ash we assess before decline sets in.

Dutch Elm Disease

Siberian and American elm are common across Yellowstone County yards, and this fungus moves fast once bark beetles carry it in. Wilting on one branch in midsummer is usually the first sign.

Drought Stress on Rimrock Soil

Thin, rocky soil near the rimrocks holds far less water than the river bottom below, so trees planted close to the bluffs show heat and drought stress earlier, and stressed wood is what borers and canker move into first.

Service area

Our Billings service area.

Serving Billings, Yellowstone County, and the surrounding communities.

Areas we cover

Billings
Laurel
Lockwood
Shepherd
Huntley
Broadview

Free estimate

Billings crews, one form away.

Tell us what is going on with your trees. An arborist who works Billings calls you back, walks the property, and puts the price in writing before anything is scheduled.

Prefer to talk? (844) 835-8733

What people are saying

Rated 4.9 stars across 140+ reviews.

Real reviews from real customers, straight from our Google Business Profile. Here's what people say once the crew has packed up and the yard is clean.

★★★★★

March 11th, a brief but strong storm came through Goodlettsville and blew over two giant trees in my front yard; one which was being supported by a 3rd tree that was facing and threatening my house. It was an…

Julie Bangs●3 days ago

★★★★★

From the time I inquired w this company about removing a tree that was strongly impacted from the major strong 80 mph winds on March 3, 2023, they provided us w exceptional service in every way . They were…

Jeanne Mason●3 weeks ago

★★★★★

My family had a tree removal emergency! A large tree in our back yard was on fire and splitting down the middle. The fire department came out the night before to extinguish the fire, but when I woke up the…

Mysty Diehl●6 weeks ago

Read all 140+ reviews on Google

What we do

A geotagged inventory of every tree on the property: species, age, condition, and recommended work, refreshed annually.

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Trees we know

The Billings species list, and what we watch for.

Local soil, local weather, local pests. Each species here fails in its own way, and we plan around all of them.

Plains Cottonwood

Native along the Yellowstone River bottom and grows large fast, but drops sizable limbs with little warning, especially during a strong chinook wind event.

Green Ash

Widely planted across Billings before emerald ash borer reached Montana, and now worth a proactive health check on any mature specimen.

Siberian Elm

Tolerant of Billings' dry summers and common on older lots, though its weak wood and susceptibility to Dutch elm disease call for regular monitoring.

Bur Oak

One of the toughest shade trees for the region's mixed clay and rocky ground, slow growing but able to handle drought better than most Billings plantings.

Colorado Blue Spruce

A popular ornamental on newer Billings lots, but dense, crowded spruce are the ones chinook wind and canker pressure hit hardest.

Ponderosa Pine

Found on the drier, rockier lots near the rimrocks, drought tolerant once established but slow to recover from wind or storm damage.

Local expertise

Why an Expert Arborist Matters in Billings

Yellowstone County grows trees on two very different kinds of ground, thin rocky soil near the rimrocks and deeper ground along the river bottom below. A crew with a chainsaw treats the tree that already failed; an arborist reads the drought stress or wind exposure that put it on that path months earlier.

Billings estimates are walked by an experienced arborist. Cuts follow ANSI A300, risk assessments follow TRAQ methodology, and you get a written plan before work begins.

Across Billings

From Laurel to Shepherd to Huntley, we track the species, soil, and storm exposure specific to each Yellowstone County community on our coverage list.

The chinook winds and rimrock soil that shape Billings do not stop at the city limit, so the same standards travel with us to every surrounding town we serve.

Billings FAQ

Local questions, local answers.

Don't see your question? Call us. Every call is answered by a human arborist, day or night.

Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Billings?

Requirements depend on your lot and whether the tree sits near a protected drainage or city right of way. We confirm what Yellowstone County and the city require for your exact address and handle any permit or arborist report before work starts.

How fast can an arborist get to my Billings property?

Most estimate visits happen within 24 hours, and chinook wind damage gets a crew out the same day. We answer the phone around the clock.

Why do trees fail suddenly during a chinook wind event?

Chinook winds can gust hard with little buildup, and a canopy carrying deadwood or unthinned growth has far more surface area for the wind to grab than a properly structured tree.

Is emerald ash borer really a concern in Billings?

It is the pest we plan around for ash here. It keeps moving west across the northern plains, and green ash is common across Yellowstone County yards. We check bark and canopy signs on every ash we assess.

What standards do your arborists follow?

Our crews are trained to ANSI A300 pruning standards, and risk assessments follow TRAQ methodology. An expert arborist walks Billings estimates in person.

Are you insured for work in Yellowstone County?

Yes. We carry the insurance that matters, the kind that protects every inch of your property.

Take back your trees today