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Most trees that land on Tuscaloosa houses showed warning signs first. Here's how to check yours in an hour, using Alabama Extension's method.
On April 27, 2011, the Tuscaloosa–Birmingham tornado was rated EF-4, with winds estimated at 190 mph. The NWS Birmingham: April 27, 2011 tornado outbreak survey lists a path 80.68 miles long and up to 2,600 yards wide, along with 65 deaths and 1,500 injuries. Earlier that morning, EF-3 tornadoes had already crossed parts of Tuscaloosa County near Holman and Coaling.
No inspection protects a tree from a storm like that. But most storm seasons bring ordinary thunderstorms, and in those it's the decayed, cracked or root-damaged trees that come down on houses. You can spot many of them yourself with an hour and a few tools.
Alabama Extension's list is short and mostly in your garage already:
The house, a fence, the cars, the patio, the kids' play area. A tree in the back corner that only threatens the woods matters less. A tree over the bedroom matters most. Start your list there.
Species tells you what to look for. Water oaks and laurel oaks are prone to decay and hollowing as they age. Live oaks and southern red oaks generally hold up better. If you're not sure what you have, see our oak tree care page or ask us when we're out.
Roots. Look for cut, broken or decayed roots. Watch for mushrooms at the base, recent trenching, a new sidewalk or driveway, or construction under the canopy. A thinning crown or dead top often points to a root problem.
Trunk. Look for cracks, cavities, loose bark and hollow-sounding spots.
Crown. Look for dead limbs, broken hangers, and weak forks where two stems split from one point.
Extension is blunt: assessing trees is not an exact science. If you found a defect and there's a target under it, get an expert to look before anyone starts cutting.
Extension measures trunk diameter at 4.5 feet off the ground. Cutting inside this zone affects stability, not only health:
| Trunk diameter | Structural root plate (radius) |
|---|---|
| 8 inches | about 5.5 feet |
| 16 inches | about 8 feet |
| 32 inches | about 10.5 feet |
| 48 inches | about 12 feet |
Planning work near a big tree? Root pruning done right, at the right distance, is far safer than a backhoe cut.
Climbing, chainsaw work above your shoulders, anything near a power line, and dropping a tree near a structure. That's our job: pruning, cabling, or removal when a tree's risks outweigh its value.
Your own inspection is free. Ours comes with a free estimate for any work we recommend. Prices depend on tree size, species, how close it is to the house or lines, access for equipment, and whether we need to climb or rig. Fixing a defect you found in March costs less than an emergency call in April.
We go through the same four steps with better tools and more experience, and tell you which trees are fine, which need work, and which are past saving. We're insured, and you get our findings in writing.
Alabama Extension recommends inspecting large trees once a year and after every major storm. We suggest late winter, when the leaves are off and you can see the structure, then again after any big blow.
Big water oaks and laurel oaks. Extension notes they grow fast but are prone to extensive decay and hollowing as they age. Live oak and southern red oak tend to have less decay and stronger wood as they mature.
It can be. Extension compares a tree to a wine glass on a plate: the root plate is the base of the glass. Cutting roots inside it reduces stability. For a 16-inch-diameter trunk, that plate extends about 8 feet from the tree. Talk to us before the trencher shows up.
Tapping the trunk can reveal a hollow sound where wood has decayed. It's a first check. A hollow sound on a tree over the house is a reason to call an arborist, not a diagnosis by itself.
You can, but you'd lose shade and value you may not need to give up. Extension's rule is to remove a tree when its risks outweigh its value. Most sound trees are worth keeping.
Yes. Our arborist health assessment covers the same steps in more depth, and you get a written report on each tree.
We'll inspect it, explain what we see, and put any price in writing.
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