When should Broomfield homeowners call an arborist?

When to Worry About a Tree

Not every tree problem requires removal. Sometimes pruning, cabling, or monitoring saves the tree and costs far less. The key is knowing when to call an arborist versus when to leave well enough alone. Here are the situations where Broomfield homeowners should pick up the phone.

Large Dead Limbs or Branches

If you see branches with no leaves during the growing season, bark peeling away, or gray, bleached wood, those are dead limbs. A dead branch 4 or more inches thick hanging 40 feet overhead does not wait for a storm—it can drop on a calm day without warning. Arborists call these "widowmakers."

Dead limbs in just a few branches usually call for pruning only; the crew removes deadwood and opens the canopy, which costs less than removal. But when a third or more of the major limbs are dead, the tree is in decline and removal often makes sense. Call for an assessment; the first visit is free.

Cracks, Missing Bark, or Cavities in the Trunk

The trunk is what holds everything up, so cracks matter more than branches. If you see a deep vertical seam you can slide a finger into, large patches of bare wood where bark peeled away, or a hole where a big limb tore out years ago and rot moved in, that is worth professional eyes.

A tree is considered structurally unsound when damage or decay affects 25–50% or more of the trunk's circumference. Freeze-thaw cycles in Broomfield and Denver widen cracks every winter, so a trunk defect you ignore now becomes an emergency later. Call an arborist to evaluate whether the tree can be saved or needs to come down.

A Sudden or Worsening Lean

Trees that have leaned the same direction for decades often grow corrective wood and stabilize. That is different from a tree that started leaning last month. If the trunk is visibly further off vertical than before, or you see soil cracking or heaving on the side opposite the lean, the root plate is failing. In Broomfield and the metro, spring snowstorms combined with saturated soil can trigger root-plate failure fast.

A new or worsening lean with soil movement is an emergency—call right away. A stable, long-standing lean can usually be monitored. But if your tree changed lean angle recently, do not wait.

Mushrooms, Conks, or Soft Wood at the Base

Mushrooms growing from the base or trunk reveal something you cannot see: a fungus has been eating the wood inside for years. Shelf-like conks directly on the trunk mean internal decay. A tree with rotted anchor roots can fail at ground level without warning.

A lone mushroom in the lawn feeding on old buried wood might not be a concern. But mushroom clusters at the root flare or conks on the trunk signal problems. Call for an assessment before the tree fails on its own.

Crown Thinning, Dieback, or Late Leafing

If your tree's canopy thins year after year, leafs out late compared to neighbors' trees, or shows dead branches spreading downward from the top, the vascular or root system is failing. In Broomfield and Denver, this is often pest-driven: emerald ash borer kills ash trees from the top down, and drought stress compounds decline.

Early dieback sometimes responds to watering and care, but once a tree loses 30–40% or more of its canopy, recovery odds drop steeply. Call for a free assessment to find out whether pruning or removal makes sense.

Hollow Trunks or Cavity Concerns

A hollow tree is not always doomed—trees work like pipes, with the outer shell carrying most of the load. But hollowness matters if the remaining wood is thin or the tree hangs over your house. A tree at the back of a large lot can often stay; the same tree over your bedroom is a different story.

If you hear a dull thud instead of a sharp knock when you rap the trunk, see visible cavities, or find carpenter ants trailing in and out, call an arborist to assess how much sound wood remains and whether the location allows any risk.

Trees Too Close to Your House, Deck, or Powerlines

Location risk changes the entire calculation. Over a roof, driveway, deck, or power lines, even a modest defect in an otherwise healthy tree can be unacceptable. A borderline tree in a low-consequence spot earns time to monitor. The same tree above your kitchen does not.

If you have a tree touching power lines, call your utility company; they will trim or remove it at no cost. If a tree hangs over your house, driveway, or deck and you notice any of the signs above, call an arborist. It is cheaper to remove a hazardous tree on your schedule than to remove it off your roof after a storm.

What Happens During a Free Assessment

When you call an arborist for an assessment in Broomfield, here is what to expect: the crew walks the property, examines the base and roots for movement or decay, sounds the trunk for hollowness, looks for cracks and cankers, inspects the crown for deadwood and dieback, and maps every defect against what sits below it.

Then you get a straight answer—not always "remove it." Many trees need pruning, cabling, or monitoring. Some need nothing. When removal is the right call, the arborist explains why, gives an itemized quote, and schedules the work. If you want to budget ahead, get pricing first; tree removal in Broomfield typically runs $700–$1,300 for medium trees, more for large or hazardous jobs.

Dead trees become hazardous within 1–3 years as the wood dries and becomes brittle. Ash killed by emerald ash borer becomes dangerously brittle within 1–2 years. The longer you wait on a tree showing these signs, the more dangerous and expensive it becomes. If you notice any of these warning signs this season, call: your first assessment is free.

Read the full article on our website: 7 Signs a Tree Needs to Be Removed