Pro Tree Service handles tree service in Riverside, IL and across Cook County — removals, trimming and pruning, stump grinding, lot clearing and 24-hour storm response. An ISA Certified Arborist leads our crews, and we have worked Chicago and the suburbs since 1989.
What Tree Work in Riverside Actually Involves
Bungalow-belt ground: platted before 1930, narrow lots, alleys, rear garages, parkway trees planted on a grid a century ago. Almost nothing here can be felled. It comes down rigged in sections, roped over a garage roof or a fence line, which takes longer than dropping the same tree in an open yard and prices differently.
Riverside was laid out in 1869 by Olmsted and Vaux, who ran the streets in curves around the timber that was already there rather than clearing a grid through it. It is a National Historic Landmark, and the canopy is part of what is protected. Work here is slower and more considered than anywhere else in the county, and it should be.
Tree Trimming and Pruning in Riverside
Most trimming calls here are clearance work — limbs over a roof or a driveway, branches growing into the road, deadwood coming out of a mature shade tree. We prune to ANSI A300 standards. That is the difference between a cut that closes and a cut that becomes an entry point for decay. See our tree trimming services page.
Dead Ash and Tree Removal
Emerald ash borer moved through Cook County years ago and the standing dead ash are still coming down. A dead ash does not hold still. The wood dries and turns brittle, and it loses the strength a climber needs to work it safely. Every year one stands, it gets more dangerous to take down and more expensive to price. See tree and bush removal.
Stump Grinding
Every removal includes haul-away of the wood and brush. We price stump grinding separately, because not everyone wants it done the same day. We grind four to eight inches below grade, deeper if you plan to replant. See stump removal and grinding.
Storm Damage in Riverside
We answer the phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and we work by hazard rather than call order. Trees on occupied structures first, then blocked access. Call and describe what you are looking at and we will tell you honestly whether it needs a crew that night or can wait for daylight.
If there are wires involved, stay away from the tree, call 911, then call ComEd at 1-800-334-7661. Do not let anyone cut anything until the utility clears it. See emergency and storm response.
Riverside Rules and Our License
Requirements are not uniform across Cook County. Some municipalities require a contractor license on file before a permit will issue, some want a bond, and some ask for nothing at all for routine residential work. Many also own the parkway tree — the strip between the sidewalk and the street — which means removing it is not your call to make. Tell us the address and we will confirm what Riverside requires before we bid the job, not after you have accepted a price.
We hold a contractor’s license with Riverside and keep it current. A licensed contractor starts when the permit clears instead of waiting on paperwork, and if your insurer or HOA asks for documentation, we produce a certificate of insurance naming the right entity the same day.
Get an Estimate in Riverside
Tell us the address and what you are looking at. For a single tree, a photo helps. Estimates are free, any day of the week.
Call 708-424-5885 or request one online.
Riverside is part of our Cook County service area. We also work Will County, DuPage County and northwest Indiana.