A broken limb caught in the canopy — arborists call it a widow-maker for good reason — is one of the deadliest hazards on a property. It is under tension, unsupported, and can release without warning onto whatever is below: a roof, a car, a walkway, or a person. If you are looking up at a cracked, hung-up, or dangling limb, do not stand under it and do not try to knock it down. Call us.
Winter wind and ice, and the occasional summer microburst, snap limbs off the tall firs, maples, and oaks across the Umpqua Valley all season. We remove hanging and hazardous limbs the controlled way — climbed or reached with a lift, cut free deliberately, and lowered or dropped into a clear zone so nothing below is hit.
While we are up there we check for the limbs that will fail next: cracked unions, dead branches over targets, and torn wood still attached. Clearing them in one visit saves you the repeat call.
Hanging-limb hazards we clear
Hung-up broken limbs
A snapped limb lodged in the canopy is unsupported and can drop at any moment — the classic widow-maker.
Cracked but attached limbs
A limb split at the union but still hanging on will tear the rest of the way and fall, often onto a target.
Deadwood over targets
Large dead branches over roofs, driveways, and walkways are a matter of when, not if.
Storm-torn wood
Ragged, torn branches left by wind and ice need clean removal so the tree can heal.
Limbs on lines
Branches resting on or near service lines are both a fire and a utility hazard — handled with utility coordination.
How we remove hanging limbs
- 1
Assess from the ground
We identify how the limb is loaded and what is below before anyone climbs — no shortcuts under a loaded limb.
- 2
Establish a clear zone
We set the drop or lowering zone and protect targets underneath the work.
- 3
Reach it safely
We climb or use a lift to reach the limb from a stable position, never from beneath the hazard.
- 4
Cut and control
The limb is cut free deliberately and lowered with rigging or dropped into the clear zone.
- 5
Check for the next one
We scan for other cracked, dead, or hung-up limbs and clear them in the same visit.
What affects the cost
Hanging-limb work is quoted on the specifics of the hazard:
- Height and how the limb is loaded and lodged
- Whether it can be reached by climbing or needs a lift
- Targets below requiring protection or rigging
- Number of limbs and whether related deadwood is cleared too
- Emergency timing if it is an active hazard over a structure
- Access and slope
For an accurate number, the fastest path is a free on-site estimate. Call (855) 615-0568 or request a quote online — no obligation.
We provide hanging limb removal across the region: