Tree Removal in Hammond, Indiana
Pro Tree Service has worked across Lake County since 1989. Hammond is the largest city in the county and it regulates trees more closely than most of Northwest Indiana — the Municipal Code declares certain dead and dying trees a nuisance even on private property, and it requires a contractor permit for work on street trees. If you are arranging tree removal in Hammond, both of those matter before you hire anyone.
Dead Trees on Private Property Can Be a Nuisance Here
Most Indiana municipalities leave private trees entirely to the owner. Hammond does not. Under § 94.090 of the Municipal Code, it is unlawful to allow dead or dying trees, limbs, branches, stumps or parts of trees to remain on any improved or unimproved property in the city where, by virtue of their proximity to a public road, a sidewalk, or a dwelling or structure belonging to another landowner, they would cause damage or injury if any portion fell. Trees in that condition are declared a nuisance.
Enforcement runs through § 94.091, and the penalty provision states that each day of violation is a separate offense. That is the part worth reading twice. A dead ash you have been meaning to deal with does not sit still as a single problem — the exposure compounds.
If you have had a notice from Code Enforcement, tell us when you call and we will schedule against the date on it rather than the ordinary queue.
Street Trees Need a Permit — and So Does the Contractor
Hammond’s Chapter 105, Municipal Street Tree Regulations, sets out how work on public trees is handled. It covers permits (§ 105.15 and § 105.16), pruning, trimming and removals (§ 105.18), stump removal (§ 105.19), work in proximity to construction and excavation (§ 105.20), and injury to trees (§ 105.21). General supervision sits with the Park Department under § 105.03.
The section most homeowners never hear about is § 105.17, Contractor permit required. Hammond expects the company doing the work to hold a permit, not just the property owner. Ask any tree contractor you are considering whether they can meet that requirement in Hammond. We carry contractor registrations in the Indiana municipalities that require them and send documentation without being chased for it.
Whose Tree Is It?
| Where the trunk is | What applies |
|---|---|
| Your yard, healthy tree | Yours. Indiana has no statewide tree removal permit. |
| Your yard, dead or dying and near a road, sidewalk or a neighbor’s structure | May be a declared nuisance under § 94.090, with each day of violation a separate offense. |
| Street tree or public right of way | Chapter 105 applies. Permits are required, and the contractor needs one too. |
| Near construction or excavation | § 105.20 addresses work in proximity to street trees. |
| Straddling a boundary | Under Indiana law ownership follows the trunk — whichever lot it stands on owns the tree. |
Dense Lots and Sectional Removal
Hammond built out as an industrial city, and the older neighborhoods reflect it — houses close to the line, alleys behind, back yards measured in feet. A mature maple in a Hessville or Robertsdale back yard cannot be felled. It comes down in sections, rigged and lowered over a garage roof or a fence a few feet away.
That is slower and costs more than the same tree in an open yard, and any quote that does not account for the access is a quote from someone who has not walked the property. We carry compact equipment for it — a stump grinder that clears a standard thirty-six inch gate, and climbers who work by rope where a lift cannot reach.
Dead Ash
Emerald ash borer has been detected in all 92 Indiana counties and Lake County’s untreated ash is long gone. Dead ash dries brittle and releases limbs without the warning a living tree gives you, which is why Indiana DNR and Purdue Extension both advise homeowners against attempting the removal themselves.
In Hammond a standing dead ash is not only a safety question. If it sits near a road, a sidewalk or a neighbor’s house, § 94.090 is the provision that applies. It also gets more expensive every season — once a dead ash can no longer be climbed safely it has to come down from a bucket or a crane.
Trimming and Pruning
Our tree trimming work thins dense crowns, corrects structural imbalance, and takes out dead and diseased wood before it reaches the trunk. We work to ANSI A300 standards and we do not top trees, ever. Correct pruning also reduces the sail area that catches wind, which is what usually decides whether a tree loses a limb or loses itself in a storm.
Stump Grinding and Cleanup
Our stump grinding goes four to eight inches below grade and takes out the main lateral roots, deeper if you intend to replant. Note that § 105.19 of the Code addresses stump removal on street trees specifically. Every removal includes haul-away of the trunk, brush and chips — we take it with us the same day.
Emergency Storm Response
Wind off Lake Michigan reaches the north end of Hammond with little to slow it, and winter ice loading finishes trees that were already carrying a defect. Our emergency crews cover Hammond around the clock. Trees on occupied structures come first, then blocked driveways and access, then everything else.
If a tree is into a service line, call the utility first and stay clear of any limb touching a wire. Utility vegetation management in Indiana is governed by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission — the utility must give at least two weeks notice before trimming near your property, and may not remove more than a quarter of your tree or top it without your permission except in an emergency.
Why Hammond Property Owners Call Us
We have taken trees down across Lake County since 1989. An ISA Certified Arborist leads our crews, and the crews are our own employees on our payroll and workers compensation policy rather than subcontractors. That matters if anyone is injured on your property.
Pricing is transparent with no hidden fees, and we will tell you honestly when a tree can be saved instead of removed — which happens more often than people expect.
Where We Work
We cover all of Hammond, including Hessville, Robertsdale, Woodmar and the neighborhoods along the Little Calumet. We also work Whiting, East Chicago, Munster and Highland, and the rest of Lake County.
Get a Free Estimate
Tell us the address and what you are looking at. An ISA Certified Arborist comes out, gives you a written price, and tells you honestly whether the tree can be saved rather than removed. Estimates are free, any day of the week.
Call 708-424-5885 or request an estimate online. For a tree on a structure or a vehicle, call rather than filling in a form.
Source and Public Record
The nuisance provision described on this page is § 94.090 of the Hammond Municipal Code, Vegetation, Grass, Weeds, Growth in Excess of 6 Inches, Unmaintained Trees Declared a Nuisance, with enforcement at § 94.091 and penalties at § 94.999. Street tree provisions are at Chapter 105, Municipal Street Tree Regulations, including § 105.15 Permit required, § 105.17 Contractor permit required, § 105.18 Pruning, trimming and removals, and § 105.19 Removal of stumps.
The Hammond Code of Ordinances is published for public review at codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/hammond. We encourage anyone who wants to verify anything stated on this page to read the code directly rather than take our summary for it.
The City of Hammond is the authority on its own requirements, and those requirements can change. Nothing on this page is legal advice.