What to know before you start
Tree work is one of the few home jobs where a mistake can land on your roof. The price alone tells you little. What matters is which limbs come off, how the crew gets them down, and what happens to the wood and the stump.
DougCO Builds spells that out before anyone climbs. Our estimator photographs each tree and notes its size, its condition and how close it sits to the house, fences and lines. That goes into one True Bid, and every tree crew bids on the same trees and the same cuts.
What the job includes
- Pruning out dead, broken, crossing or rubbing limbs
- Clearance trimming away from the roof, siding, chimney and walks
- Full removals, with limbs roped down near structures
- Stump grinding after utility locates are marked
- Chipping and hauling brush, or leaving wood cut to length if you want it
- Thinning and limbing up trees for wildfire mitigation
- Notes on beetle damage, disease or weak limbs the crew finds
- Cleanup of the yard, driveway and gutters when the work is done
What we scope
Trimming and pruning
Thinning, shaping and deadwood removal to keep trees healthy and clear of the house.
Tree removal
Dead, dying, storm-damaged or badly placed trees taken down in sections when space is tight.
Stump grinding
Grinding stumps below grade so you can replant, lay sod or build over the spot.
Wildfire mitigation
Thinning, limbing and clearing fuels around homes near open space and forest.
Storm cleanup
Wind, hail and heavy wet snow break limbs. Crews clear the damage and make the tree safe.
What drives the cost
Every project is different, so your True Bid prices yours line by line after the site visit. These are the things that move the price most.
- Tree size
- Taller, wider trees take more climbing, more cuts and more cleanup.
- Access
- A bucket truck that can reach the tree speeds things up. A backyard tree behind a fence often means climbing and carrying.
- What sits underneath
- Limbs over a roof, deck, fence or power line have to be roped down piece by piece.
- Tree condition
- Dead or decayed wood breaks less predictably and slows the crew down.
- Stumps and debris
- Grinding, chipping and hauling wood away each add time and equipment.
- Number of trees
- Several trees in one visit often cost less per tree than calling the crew back.
Permits and HOAs in Douglas County
Trimming or removing a tree on your own lot usually doesn't take a permit. Trees along the street or in common areas are different. They may belong to your town, city, HOA or metro district, so check before anyone cuts. Many HOAs also want to sign off before a healthy tree comes down, and some ask for a replacement.
Utilities come first. Call 811 before any stump grinding or digging. Colorado 811 is the free service that marks buried gas, electric and other utility lines. Trees growing into overhead power lines are a job for your electric provider or a qualified line-clearance crew, not a standard tree crew.
Built for Douglas County
Douglas County trees take wind, hail, heavy spring snow and dry summers. Pines in Colorado can be hit by mountain pine beetle and ips beetles, and drought-stressed trees tend to be the most vulnerable. Ash trees deserve a look too, since emerald ash borer has turned up in other Front Range communities. A crew that knows the signs can tell you whether a tree is worth saving.
Fire is the other local concern. In parts of the county, homes back up to open space and forest that can carry a wildfire. The Colorado State Forest Service publishes defensible-space guidance on spacing trees, removing ladder fuels and clearing the ground near the house, and a mitigation scope can follow it.
How DougCO Builds runs your project
- Tell us about itSend the basics through the project form. We call to set up a site visit.
- One site visitOur estimator measures, photographs what's there and talks through what you want.
- Your True BidYou get a written, line-by-line scope and a budget before any contractor sees the job.
- Contractors bid on the same scopeVetted local contractors bid without your contact details. You compare the bids side by side.
- We manage it with youWe check insurance and licensing before work starts, then walk the job at milestones and at the finish.
Questions to ask before you hire
- Is a certified arborist on your crew, and who will be on site the day of the work?
- Which limbs are coming off, and how much of the canopy will you remove?
- How will you protect the roof, fence, lawn and driveway?
- Is stump grinding included, and will you wait for 811 locates before you grind?
- Are chipping, hauling and cleanup included, or does the wood stay?
Tree Service questions
When is the best time to trim trees in Douglas County?
Many trees are best pruned while dormant, in late winter before new growth starts. Dead or dangerous limbs can come off any time. Some species have their own timing, so ask the crew.
How do I know if my pine has beetles?
Look for pitch tubes or sawdust on the trunk, small holes in the bark and needles turning yellow or red. A tree crew or arborist can confirm it. Infested trees are often removed to slow the spread.
Do I need a permit to remove a tree?
Usually not for a tree on your own lot. Trees in the right-of-way or common areas may need approval from the town, city, HOA or metro district. Your HOA may want to sign off either way.
Why does stump grinding need a utility locate?
Grinders reach below the surface, where gas, electric and cable lines can run. Colorado 811 marks utility lines for free. It doesn't mark private lines like sprinkler pipe or wiring to a shed, so tell the crew where those run.
