Top 5 Signs You Need Emergency Tree Removal in Sydney
The warning signs that mean "call now" rather than "book it in".
Sydney tree care guide
Post-Storm Tree Inspection in Sydney
The storm has passed, the wind has dropped, and the yard is a mess of leaves and small branches. The obvious damage is easy to see. The damage that hurts people days later is usually the part you cannot see from the back door.
This guide walks you through what you can safely look at from the ground after a Sydney storm, how to tell "keep an eye on it" from "call now", and where the line sits between looking and touching.
Before you look at anything: the safety rules
Do this part first, every time.
- Stay 8 metres — about two car lengths — away from any fallen or damaged powerline. Treat every downed wire as live. Ausgrid's guidance is to stay at least 8 metres, or 2 car lengths, away from fallen wires or powerlines. Call Triple Zero 000 in a life-threatening situation, or your distributor: Ausgrid 13 13 88, Endeavour Energy 131 003.
- Assume fallen branches are holding tension. A limb caught in a canopy or resting on a fence can move without warning.
- Do not walk under a hanging branch to get a better look. There is no photo worth that.
- Do not climb, use a ladder, or get on the roof.
- For storm and flood help, NSW SES is on 132 500.
Step 1 — Look at how the tree is standing
From a safe distance, compare the tree to how you remember it.
- Is it leaning when it did not lean before?
- Has the whole canopy shifted to one side?
- Is it resting against the house, the fence, a shed or another tree?
A tree that has changed its angle in a storm has changed for a reason, and that reason is usually not visible from the ground. That is not a wait-and-see situation.
Step 2 — Look at the ground around the base
The base tells you a lot without touching anything.
- Soil lifted, cracked or domed on one side of the trunk.
- A gap opening between the trunk and the ground.
- Roots visibly raised where they were flat before.
- Water pooling right at the base after heavy rain.
After heavy rain the ground is softer. A tree that stood through wind on a dry day can move once the soil is soaked.
Step 3 — Look up into the canopy
This is where the delayed problems hide.
- Hanging branches. A broken limb caught in the canopy can sit there for days and then drop.
- Torn or split branch joins, especially where two large limbs meet the trunk.
- Fresh cracks or exposed pale timber on the trunk or major limbs.
- Bark stripped off in strips, or branches that have peeled rather than snapped.
- A branch that is now sitting lower than it used to over the roof, driveway or a path.
Take photos from the ground, if you can do it safely. They help you describe the tree to us and they give you a dated record.
Step 4 — Decide: monitor, get it looked at, or call now
Use the situation, not the size of the mess.
Monitor
Small twigs and leaf litter down, no change in the tree's shape, no hanging material, nothing over a structure. Clean up the ground debris and keep an eye on the tree.
Get it quoted soon
Broken branches you can see but that are not hanging over anything used, a limb that has split, minor lean with no ground movement, damage over a fence or a quiet corner of the yard. Book a quote and get it dealt with properly rather than leaving it.
Call now
A tree down or resting on a structure, a hanging limb over a roof, driveway, path or play area, a new lean with lifted soil, a split trunk, or anything at all involving a powerline. Keep everyone clear of the area and call our Emergency Tree Services Sydney line. Our Storm Damage and Emergency Tree Removal Sydney page covers storm work specifically.
Not sure how bad the damage is?
Send us your suburb, what the tree is near. We provide 24/7 emergency tree services, and free quotes for planned work.
Step 5 — Think about what is underneath the tree
The same damaged branch is a different problem depending on what sits below it. A cracked limb over an empty side passage is not the same as a cracked limb over the kids' trampoline or the neighbour's carport.
When you describe the tree to us, tell us what is underneath and around it: the house, a pool, a fence line, a driveway, powerlines, a footpath, an entertaining area. That is often what decides how urgent the job is and how it has to be done.
Common mistakes people make after a storm
- "It survived the storm, so it must be fine." The storm is the load test. Damage from the load shows up afterwards.
- Pulling on a hanging branch. Branches under tension move fast and in unpredictable directions.
- Cutting a limb off a leaning tree. Removing weight from one side of a loaded tree can change how it stands.
- Cleaning up around the base before the tree is checked. Raking away soil and debris can hide the ground movement that tells you the tree has shifted.
- Waiting for the next storm to "see what happens". The next one is when the already-damaged tree comes down.
What we do when we attend a storm-damaged tree
We look at the tree, what it is resting on or over, the ground at the base and the property access, then we work out how the material can be brought down under control rather than simply cut and dropped. Where a tree can be kept, that is discussed with you. Where the damage means it has to come out, we quote the removal and the clean-up. Where branch work is enough, that is Tree Pruning Sydney, and eligible material can be taken away as Green Waste Removal Sydney.
We are not a report service and we do not decide council requirements. What we do is the physical tree work.
Frequently asked questions
As soon as it is safe to be outside and the weather has genuinely passed. Look from the ground, in daylight, and keep clear of anything near a powerline.
Hanging or partly broken branches caught up in the canopy, and split branch joins. Both can look fine from below and drop days later.
A new lean is a warning sign, especially if the soil at the base has lifted or cracked. Keep clear of the fall zone and get it looked at rather than waiting.
Sometimes. It depends on the tree, where the damage is and what sits around it. Describe what you can see and we will tell you what the physical options are.
Nothing yourself. Stay at least 8 metres away, call 000 if anyone is in danger, and report it to Ausgrid on 13 13 88 or Endeavour Energy on 131 003.
Small, light material on the ground is usually manageable. Do not cut anything that is under tension, caught up, propped against something, or large enough to move when it is released. We can take away eligible green waste.
You might. Approval requirements can depend on the council area, the tree and the proposed work. Check the current requirements for your own council on our Council Tree Removal Rules Sydney page. We do not decide council requirements or guarantee an approval outcome.
Your suburb, which tree it is, what it is over or resting on, whether anything has moved at the base, and how a crew and truck can access the property. You can send photos by text or email afterwards if you have taken them safely.
Yes. We provide 24/7 emergency tree services Sydney-wide, and planned tree work across the city. You can see where we work on our Service Areas page.
Clear them, or book a gutter clean, before the next lot of heavy rain. NSW SES advises cleaning gutters, downpipes and drains so they do not block.
Related reading
Storm Tree Preparation in Sydney
What to sort out before the next storm arrives.
How to Safely Remove a Tree in Sydney
Why removal is not a DIY job, and how to choose a safe next step.
Top Quality Tree Services
Tell us what the storm did to your tree
Send your suburb, what the tree is near. If it is urgent, call us.
CALL 0412 482 430