John and Nancy Harvell lost two trees during Tropical Storm Helene – a pecan and an oak.
Luckily, the 100-year-old trees missed their century-old house, situated in the Alta Vista section of Greenville, ultimately falling into a neighbors back yard.
But the storm – and all the felled trees – have taken their toll on residents across Upstate South Carolina.
“People get testy and all, ‘your tree fell in my yard’,” John Harvell said.
Eventually, they’ll get the trees removed.
But it could be months, as tree removal companies across the region are being inundated with calls.
Miller McKenzie, owner of McKenzie Tree Co., estimated over 300 daily calls in the first days after Helene. That’s since tapered off to between 30 and 40 daily calls.
McKenzie said the company is prioritizing their current customer base, plus elderly customers.
But it could take upwards of six months to clear the backlog, and that’s even with the company seeing roughly a dozen people a day.
“People can’t get tree companies to pick up the phone,” McKenzie said. “They’re panicking.”
It’s not just downed trees; many homeowners and business owners understand that they may have missed a tree falling on their home or yard, but still have one precariously placed and are at risk of falling during a future storm.
Tree removal companies are working from before sunrise to late into the evening.
“A lot of the neighbors bring their chairs,” said David Carson, who owns Carson Tree Company. “Most of them didn’t have power, so it was a little bit of entertainment. They watched us; offered us food.”
Other companies have found their work essentially put on hold because of downed trees.
Nicholas Lozano, who owns Lozano Construction, said his employees have had to remove downed trees and branches just to get started on construction projects planned before the storm.
He has access to a family-friend-owned tree company that lends the machinery and equipment needed to take down the trees.
“I still am getting flooded with calls, ‘hey my house has a big old tree… I need your help’,” he said.
Make sure to get the right tree company
Carson, the owner of Carson Tree Company, warned of fly-by-night tree removal companies. These companies overcharge, lack insurance, and don’t provide workers with the necessary safety equipment such as hard hats and glasses.
The Better Business Bureau recommends looking for companies that belong to industry organizations like the American Society of Consulting Arborists and the Tree Care Industry Association, as they “are more likely to be familiar with the latest best practices.”
The BBB also advises to ask if clean-up is included, like wood and stumps left behind and get proof of insurance, particularly personal and property damage liability insurance and worker’s compensation insurance.
“Your homeowner’s insurance isn’t enough to protect you if someone gets injured doing tree work on your property,” the BBB said.
Get estimates from at least three companies, which includes an outline of the services being provided, as well as the “scope of work, costs and potential additional charges.” And make sure to always sign a contract.
“Do not permit work to start without a signed, written contract that includes start and completion dates, exact costs, specific work to be done, the means that will be used to protect your property, and what cleanup and debris removal will be done,” the BBB said.
When making payments and deposits, make sure to avoid making a large payment up front, the BBB said, but rather “stagger your payments according to work stages.”
“Scammers may try to convince you to make a deposit and then never return to finish (or even start) the job,” the BBB said.
Making the most out of a situation
Drive down Plantation Drive in Simpsonville and you may come across a house with a downed tree and one unique feature: a team of skeletons in reflective vests and hard hats dismantling the tree.
It’s part of a Halloween decoration in front of the household of Brian and Tracee Wade, who’ve lived at the home for the past 22 years with their three children.”
“Just trying to make the best of it,” Brian said. “We didn’t have any significant property damage.”
Brian said he and his son would eventually clear out the trees.
“As long as it’s not causing a problem for the neighborhood… We might actually make it to Halloween before we decide to cut it up.”
Email: munozd@northjersey.com; Twitter:@danielmunoz100 and Facebook
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: After Helene, demand grows for tree removal businesses in SC
