When someone books tree trimming in or around Olympia, WA, one of the first questions is pretty simple: how do we get up there? It might be our 55-foot bucket truck, an aerial lift with a work platform on a long hydraulic arm. Other times, we climb up with a rope and a harness.
Here’s a brief overview of how our tree service sorts that out and what it means for your yard.
Four things shape the plan before anyone leaves the ground.
A bucket truck’s boom has to reach the work from wherever the truck can safely park. If the tree’s right next to the driveway, it might be an easy reach. A similar tree farther back in the yard might be out of range, since the boom spends some of its length reaching sideways.
When a bucket-truck tree service can reach the entire canopy, it’s usually the quickest way to handle trimming tall trees. When the tree is taller than the boom can reach, or sits too far from solid ground, climbing takes over.
A loaded truck is heavy. In Olympia’s wet months, lawns soften, and driving on them can leave deep ruts. Septic drain fields are another no-go, since heavy equipment can crush the pipes. Narrow gates, steep slopes, and tight backyards also rule out a truck.
That’s where a tree-climbing service shines. A climber walks in with gear, so your lawn stays intact.
Climbers tie into the tree itself, so it has to be strong enough to hold them. If a tree has serious decay, big cracks, or a dead top, putting a person in it adds real risk. In those cases, working from a lift beside the tree or bringing in a crane keeps the crew out of the weak wood.
Roofs, fences, garden beds, and parked cars all shape the plan. A truck needs room to set up its outriggers, the legs that stabilize it while the boom is up. Either way, our crew can lower heavy limbs with ropes so nothing drops onto what’s below.
Power lines are a separate story. If branches are touching or close to a line, call your utility company first, since that work needs specially qualified crews. Weather matters, too. Any crew should pause for high winds or lightning, whether workers are in a bucket or up in the tree.
Plenty of jobs don’t fit neatly into one category. The bucket truck might handle the front-yard maples while we climb the fir out back. For a big tree removal in a tight spot, a crane can take the heaviest sections up and away so they don’t land on your house or lawn.
A few quick details make planning easier:
It can. Pricing depends on each job’s details, and the access method is one piece of that. Other factors include the tree’s height and spread, how much work it needs, what’s underneath it, whether the job needs a crane, and what happens to the wood and debris.
With a 55-foot bucket truck, climbing gear, and crane access, Carlson Tree Care can match the method to the tree rather than forcing a single approach on every yard. We serve Olympia and communities across Thurston County, WA. We’re licensed, insured, and bonded, and we’re a member of the Tree Care Industry Association.
You’ll get a free estimate anywhere in our service area, along with financing and discounts for first responders, veterans, and seniors. Got a tree that needs some attention? Contact us, and we’ll figure out the safest way to reach it.
Shelton WA 98584
Mon - Fri 8am- 6pm
Sat - Sun by Appointment
Call us for a free estimate
360-490-7001
