How can I tell when a tree is dead?

• <div><p>It’s not always easy to tell when a tree is dying, although signs like dropping branches and brittle bark can sometimes offer clues. It can also be difficult to know whether a tree is <a href="https://www.angi.com/articles/tree-dead-or-dormant.htm">dead or dormant</a>, especially if it’s a deciduous tree. You’ll want to wait until a growth season to get a good idea of a tree’s health. When in doubt, contact an arborist for a consultation.</p></div>

Get matched with top tree service pros in Sanders County, MT

Q: How can you tell if a tree is overwatered?

• <div><p>Since overwatering can harm mature trees just as much as a lack of water, it&rsquo;s important to know the signs of an overwatered tree. If your tree&rsquo;s leaves are yellowing, wilting, or dropping leaves, it&rsquo;s likely that you&rsquo;re overwatering. Other common signs include rotting, fungi, soggy soil, soft or peeling bark, falling leaves, and brittle roots. </p><p>If you realize that you&rsquo;ve been overwatering your mature tree, <a href="https://www.angi.com/articles/tree-care-and-how-often-water-your-new-tree.htm">stop watering</a> and give the soil time to dry out. Then moving forward, increase time between watering sessions. </p></div>

Q: How much can you trim a tree without killing it?

• <div><p>Generally, you&rsquo;ll want to avoid pruning more than 25% of the tree&rsquo;s canopy at one time. While pruning your tree is important, it&rsquo;s possible to do it too often or to go too far. Again, this is why hiring a tree trimming pro to do the work is wise. However, if you do decide to DIY, going slow and trimming gradually is the name of the game.</p></div>

Q: Am I responsible if a tree falls on my neighbor’s property?

• <div><p>Often, it&rsquo;s the homeowner&rsquo;s responsibility to handle the aftermath when a <a href="https://www.angi.com/articles/my-neighbor-s-tree-fell-my-house-who-pays.htm">neighbor&rsquo;s tree falls on their property</a>. But if a tree has been obviously dead for a significant period of time and caused damage when it fell, a case can be made that the owner should have removed it, especially if the neighbor wrote you a letter about the tree or asked you to take it down. This can be grounds for a successful lawsuit in claims court and is a good reason to always pay attention to your trees and remove dead trees before they fall.</p></div>

Q: When do you need to remove branches from a diseased tree?

• <div><p>Pruning is an effective way to prevent a diseased branch from infecting the rest of the tree. If the infection isn&rsquo;t caught early enough and the pathogen has spread to the trunk or the majority of the branches though, it is too late to prune off the affected areas and you&rsquo;ll likely need to remove the tree.</p></div>

Q: How can I tell when a tree is dead?

• <div><p>It&rsquo;s not always easy to tell when a tree is dying, although signs like dropping branches and brittle bark can sometimes offer clues. It can also be difficult to know whether a tree is <a href="https://www.angi.com/articles/tree-dead-or-dormant.htm">dead or dormant</a>, especially if it&rsquo;s a deciduous tree. You&rsquo;ll want to wait until a growth season to get a good idea of a tree&rsquo;s health. When in doubt, contact an arborist for a consultation.</p></div>

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Verified Reviews for Tree Service pros in Sanders County, MT

*The Angi rating for Tree Service companies in Sanders County, MT is a rating based on verified reviews from our community of homeowners who have used these pros to meet their Tree Service needs.

*The HomeAdvisor rating for Tree Service companies in Sanders County, MT is a rating based on verified reviews from our community of homeowners who have used these pros to meet their Tree Service needs.

Last update on June 18, 2021

Reviewed in June 2021
Excellent service very professional thanks so much James.
Krickinmyneck Electric, LLC
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Reviewed in November 2013
The installation crew showed up exactly on time, very impressive to me since it is hard to get that from most contractors, living an hour outside of Billings, they obviously took that into account. I was also very impressed that the original guy who came out from Billings 3 times to get the...
White Heating & Air Conditioning
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Reviewed in January 2012
I am very impressed with this company. Before this, I had service if that is what you call it from ABC Seemless and they broke the contract and did not finish the job after 10 months, then after canceling the contract with ABC, I hired Lynnrich out to completely redo the job and they had it all...
Lynnrich Seamless Siding Windows & Doors
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Reviewed in January 2012
It is hard to say how the job went since the company did not do any work, just charge us money for an estimate. I cannot show any pictures either since they did not touch anything on the unit or ductwork. I am very displeased with the lack of professionalism and honesty in this company and...
ProTech Mechanical Inc
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Reviewed in August 2011
At first, it was OK with the salesman coming out to the house to price a quote out on installing brand new gutters on the house and garage. He gave us the quote, which we ended up going with because it seemed like a reliable and professional company. After we signed the contract, he said...
ABC SEAMLESS SIDING
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Find Tree service pros in Sanders County

Jake Boyles

New to Angi

Serving Sanders County, MT and surrounding areas

Approved

★ INDUSTRIAL-GRADE MAINTENANCE & HANDYMAN SERVICES ★\nNeed a dependable pro who gets things done right the first time? I’ve been a green card maintenance electrician at the mine for 8 years. My rotating schedule gives me wide-open availability for half the year to focus entirely on your projects during my days off.\nWHAT I DO: Operating as an experienced, unlicensed maintenance pro, I provide top-tier residential and commercial services. I handle general repairs, commercial facility upkeep, fencing, landscaping, and yard care. I can honestly do it all.\nHAULING & TOOLS: I have a full-size pickup truck ready for hauling, and I easily source or rent any specialized equipment your specific job requires.\nMY STANDARDS: With my industrial background, I have the technical skills to research and execute unique tasks safely and up to proper standards. I am reliable, arrive on time, and won't leave until you are 100% happy. Let's tackle your to-do list!

Serving Sanders County, MT and surrounding areas

In business since 1994

Free estimates

Credit card accepted

"I haven't had any work done yet. But... after 3 years and multiple calls to the most well know tree services in the area, Betchels was the fist to call back. I made an inquiry on Sunday (fathers day) Ryon called back Monday AM and spent 2 hours on the property on Tuesday, after business hours and at my convenience. He looked at every tree and made recommendations for what I could do myself vs the professional jobs. I was left with a written quote more reasonable than any of the nightmare stories I'd heard from friends and neighbors. We have a large property with multiple trees that have been neglected for years. I was dreading a professional assessment/quote but walked away feeling encouraged and looking forward to future progress. I wouldn't normally write a review on work that hasn't been done but I was so impressed with the service, quoted price and his willingness to accommodate that I felt like I could review the experience so far. I'll write more when the work is completed but I'm confident it will exceed my expectations! Thank you Ryon for taking the time to make an overwhelming situation feel manageable. I look forward to working with you."

Response time10 hrs

Recommended by100%of homeowners

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Marvelous Tree and Property Care LLC

5.0(

)

Serving Sanders County, MT and surrounding areas

Free estimates

Emergency services offered

Small jobs welcome

"Bryan did a fantastic job at our home. He was very meticulous and takes pride in his work. Bryan was extremely professional and is so kind and respectful. We were highly impressed with his work and would recommend him to anyone needing to retain his service. The Cook's"

Serving Sanders County, MT and surrounding areas

In business since 2020

Free estimates

With over 7 years of experience in the Tree Removal industry NAC'S Tree Service is your industry expert in Powder River county and the surrounding areas. We pride ourselves on our extreme professionalism and attention to detail. Our customer satisfaction guarantee will assure you we will not leave your property until you are completely satisfied with our work. As a family owned and operated business you can trust that we will treat your home as we would treat our own. Give us a call today we look forward to working with you!\n\n\n

Response time2 days

Recommended by100%of homeowners

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Integrity LandscapeLLC

5.0(

)

Serving Sanders County, MT and surrounding areas

In business since 2015

Free estimates

Emergency services offered

"They did a great job."

Recommended by100%of homeowners

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D and D Trees

New to Angi

Serving Sanders County, MT and surrounding areas

In business since 2015

Free estimates

Credit card accepted

D and D Trees is dedicated to providing our customers with the best quality and craftsmanship. We are here to build relationships with our customers and communities and to provide our employees with a great place to work.\nD and D Trees is a leader in providing our customers with the highest quality products and craftsmanship in an honest, efficient and professional way. Our pledge is to create successful relationships with our customers, employees and community by building trust, treating every project with the utmost integrity and exceeding expectations. We look forward to working with you!

Response time2 days

Request Quote

Textbook Construction, LLC

4.2(

)

Serving Sanders County, MT and surrounding areas

In business since 2025

Free estimates

Emergency services offered

"They showed up on time quoted a fair price to have 3 trees removed and one tree trimmed."

Response time2 days

Response rate88%

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Clear cut

New to Angi

Serving Sanders County, MT and surrounding areas

Free estimates

Emergency services offered

Warranties offered

Welcome to Clear Cut Tree Service!\nMon - Fri: 8am - 5pm\nYoe: 2+\n

Serving Sanders County, MT and surrounding areas

In business since 2018

Free estimates

"Replaced half of the roof and did a great job."

Response time10 mins

Recommended by100%of homeowners

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Butler Construction Services

New to Angi

Serving Sanders County, MT and surrounding areas

In business since 2017

Over fifteen years experience,

Response time2 days

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Showing 1-10 of 19

Tree Service questions, answered by experts

Since overwatering can harm mature trees just as much as a lack of water, it’s important to know the signs of an overwatered tree. If your tree’s leaves are yellowing, wilting, or dropping leaves, it’s likely that you’re overwatering. Other common signs include rotting, fungi, soggy soil, soft or peeling bark, falling leaves, and brittle roots.

If you realize that you’ve been overwatering your mature tree, stop watering and give the soil time to dry out. Then moving forward, increase time between watering sessions.

Generally, you’ll want to avoid pruning more than 25% of the tree’s canopy at one time. While pruning your tree is important, it’s possible to do it too often or to go too far. Again, this is why hiring a tree trimming pro to do the work is wise. However, if you do decide to DIY, going slow and trimming gradually is the name of the game.

Often, it’s the homeowner’s responsibility to handle the aftermath when a neighbor’s tree falls on their property. But if a tree has been obviously dead for a significant period of time and caused damage when it fell, a case can be made that the owner should have removed it, especially if the neighbor wrote you a letter about the tree or asked you to take it down. This can be grounds for a successful lawsuit in claims court and is a good reason to always pay attention to your trees and remove dead trees before they fall.

Pruning is an effective way to prevent a diseased branch from infecting the rest of the tree. If the infection isn’t caught early enough and the pathogen has spread to the trunk or the majority of the branches though, it is too late to prune off the affected areas and you’ll likely need to remove the tree.

It’s not always easy to tell when a tree is dying, although signs like dropping branches and brittle bark can sometimes offer clues. It can also be difficult to know whether a tree is dead or dormant, especially if it’s a deciduous tree. You’ll want to wait until a growth season to get a good idea of a tree’s health. When in doubt, contact an arborist for a consultation.

The Sanders County, MT homeowners’ guide to tree services

From average costs to expert advice, get all the answers you need to get your job done.

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