JB
★★★★★
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
Houston's expert arborists. Built for gumbo clay and hurricane season.
From removals to structural pruning to 2 a.m. storm response, we keep Houston's live oaks, water oaks, and bald cypress standing through hurricane season and the saturated gumbo clay that undermines root systems across Harris County. Expert arborists, on call around the clock.
99% recommended
Why Houston
Why Houston trees need a real arborist.
The Certified Arborist Tree Service brings expert arborists, consistent standards, and full insurance to every job in Houston, from Memorial to the Ship Channel corridor, whether it is a single removal or citywide storm cleanup.
Houston's hot, humid subtropical climate and heavy rainfall sit on top of gumbo clay, a poorly draining soil that stays saturated for days after a storm. That saturation is what loosens root plates and turns an otherwise sound oak into a leaning hazard.
Add hurricanes, tropical flooding, and pine bark beetle pressure on the loblolly stands ringing the city, and you get a maintenance calendar built around water and wind, not just growth. Knowing which species tolerate that and which fail is the job.
Why Houston trees fail
The risks we watch in Houston right now.
When a tree fails here, the cause is usually one of a few problems we check on every Houston site visit.
Hypoxylon Canker
Shows up as bark sloughing off stressed live oaks and water oaks after drought or root damage, often with no warning until a limb is already down.
Oak Wilt
Spreads through root grafts between closely planted live oaks, a real risk in Houston's older tight-lot neighborhoods where oaks share root zones.
Formosan Termite
Hollows out mature trees from the inside, thriving in Houston's humidity, and often goes unnoticed until a storm exposes the rot.
Hurricane and Flood Uprooting
Saturated gumbo clay loses its grip on root systems during tropical rain, so trees that stood through years of wind can still go down in a single flood event.
Service area
Our Houston service area.
Serving Houston and the surrounding communities.
Areas we cover
- Houston
- Bellaire
- West University Place
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.
JM
★★★★★
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
GH
★★★★★
CATS crew was amazing across the board from Mike & Lisa & Joe to the crew that came to our house. The consultation was easy and informative and made me feel comfortable in choosing them. The price was less…
Guy Hunt●1 month ago
What we do
Tree care across Houston, made easy.
Tree Services
Tree Removal
Whether a tree is damaged, dead, or a safety hazard, our crews ensure safe and efficient removal with minimal disruption to your property.
Learn more →Tree Services
Tree Trimming & Pruning
Keep your trees safe, structured, and looking right. We remove dead or overgrown branches, improve clearance, and reduce storm risk.
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Emergency & Storm Damage
When storms cause tree damage, our emergency team responds quickly to remove hazards, clear debris, and restore safety.
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WindReady™ Storm Prep
Strategic pruning, cabling, and bracing to reduce storm damage risks before severe weather hits.
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Safety & Risk Assessments
Identifying potential hazards before they become problems. Tree stability, structural integrity, and surrounding risks evaluated on-site.
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Virtual Consulting & Estimates
Get expert arborist guidance without a site visit. Share photos or video of your trees and receive a written assessment and estimate within 24 hours.
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Multi-Location Management
Simplify tree care across multiple properties with a single, trusted provider. Consistent maintenance and emergency response.
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HOA & Property Management
One point of contact for the whole community: scheduled rounds, board-friendly reports, and uniform standards across every lot.
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Municipal Tree Care
ROW maintenance, public works contracts, and storm response for city forestry teams. We handle permits and traffic plans.
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Fortune-500 Grounds
Corporate campuses, hospital systems, and headquarters landscapes. Quarterly walks, annual risk reports, COIs on file.
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Commercial Emergency Response
Under 2-hour dispatch to any property in our service area. Liability coverage and safety plans on file with your operations team.
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Property Tree Inventory
A geotagged inventory of every tree on the property: species, age, condition, and recommended work, refreshed annually.
Learn more →Trees we know
The Houston 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.
Live Oak
Houston's signature shade tree, but its wide canopy catches hurricane wind hard, and root grafts with neighboring oaks can carry oak wilt between yards.
Crape Myrtle
Tolerates Houston heat well but often gets topped by untrained crews, a practice that weakens the tree and shortens its life.
Drake Elm
A fast grower favored for quick shade in newer Houston subdivisions, though its rapid growth means weaker wood that needs earlier structural pruning.
Southern Magnolia
Handles Houston humidity well but its shallow roots struggle in gumbo clay, making it prone to lean after saturated soil events.
Bald Cypress
Naturally suited to Houston's wet soil and flood cycles, one of the more resilient choices for low-lying bayou-adjacent properties.
Water Oak
Grows fast and looks healthy right up until sudden limb or trunk failure, a pattern common enough here that we inspect it on every visit.
Local expertise
Why an Expert Arborist Matters in Houston
Houston grows demanding trees on demanding ground. Gumbo clay holds water for days after a storm, and that saturation is what actually fails a root system, not just the wind that follows. A crew with a chainsaw treats the tree that already went down; an arborist reads the one still standing that will not survive the next flood.
Every estimate is walked by an experienced arborist who checks for hypoxylon canker, oak wilt, and termite damage before recommending a cut. Work follows ANSI A300 standards, risk assessments are TRAQ qualified, and you get a written plan plus a current Certificate of Insurance before anyone touches a tree.
Across Houston
Harris County covers a lot of ground, from tight urban lots near the city center to newer subdivisions further out, and the tree risk changes block by block depending on soil drainage and canopy age.
Every community in our coverage list has its own page covering the species, soil, and storm exposure we plan around there.
Houston 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 Houston?
Local rules vary by jurisdiction, lot, and whether the tree is protected. We confirm the requirements for your exact Houston address and handle any permit or arborist report needed before work begins.
How fast can an arborist get to my property?
Most estimate visits happen within 24 hours, and storm emergencies get a crew on site the same day. We answer the phone around the clock.
Why do so many Houston trees fail during hurricane season?
Gumbo clay drains poorly, so heavy rain saturates the ground and loosens root systems right when hurricane and tropical storm winds hit hardest. It is the combination, not the wind alone, that brings trees down.
How do I know if my live oak has oak wilt?
Watch for sudden leaf browning and drop, especially if a neighboring oak nearby is also declining, since the disease often spreads through shared root systems. An arborist can confirm it and recommend root flare treatment or removal before it spreads further.
What standards do your arborists follow?
Every job runs to ANSI A300 standards and risk assessments are TRAQ qualified. An expert arborist conducts every estimate.
Are you insured?
Yes. We carry full general liability and workers' compensation on every crew and can email a current Certificate of Insurance before work begins.
Take back your trees today
One expert arborist. Every tree on your property.
Free estimate. Twenty-four-hour response. No contracts. No commitments.
Or call (844) 835-8733, answered 24/7 by a human.
