Storm-Damaged Tree Removal in Vaughan

Tree Service Master clears storm-damaged trees across Vaughan, and we get to them fast. Call or text during our hours, Monday to Sunday from 8am to 8pm, and we come out to look the same day. We don’t run an after-hours service, but we book storm work quickly and finish most jobs in one visit.

Storm Damage We Deal With

• Hanging limbs broken off but stuck in the canopy.
• Split trunks, where a fork has torn apart down the middle.
• Uprooted trees, leaning or lying on the lawn with the root plate lifted.
• Limbs on the roof, the fence, a car or the driveway.
• Snapped tops, where the upper trunk broke off and left a tall stub.

First Steps After a Storm

Before you call anyone, check for power lines. If a tree or limb touches a line, stay at least 10 m away and call Alectra Utilities. Keep people and pets away from the tree, and don’t try to cut a limb that’s under tension. A bent limb can spring back hard when you cut it.

Take photos from a few angles. They help with an insurance claim and with our quote. Then call or text us during our hours, and tell us what’s damaged and where the tree sits.

How We Clear Storm Damage

We start with whatever is most likely to fall: hanging limbs, split sections and anything resting on the roof. A climber ropes the piece before cutting it, and the ground crew lowers it under control. Then we take the rest of the tree down in sections, or trim it back if it can stay.

Wood under tension is the hazard in storm work. A trunk pinned under its own weight or a limb bent against the house can move fast when it’s cut. We plan each cut so the tension releases where we want it to.

The crew chips branches at the curb and cuts the trunk into lengths. We rake and sweep before we leave, so the yard is clear the same day.

Vaughan Storms and the Trees They Break

Vaughan gets its worst tree damage from summer thunderstorms, spring windstorms and ice. The December 2013 ice storm still shows in older Woodbridge and Thornhill trees that lost big limbs and grew back weak. Silver maples are the most common casualty. They grow fast, wood is soft, and forks split under load.

Clay soil adds to it. After heavy rain, Vaughan’s clay goes soft, shallow roots lose grip, and tall trees can tip in a strong gust. We see this most in backyards in Maple and Concord, where spruce and Norway maples have shallow roots and big crowns.

Why We Get Storm Jobs Done Fast

We don’t leave a half-cleared yard. Once we start a storm job, we finish it, including the chipping, hauling and sweeping. We also don’t split the work into a “make safe” visit and a second removal visit unless the job truly needs it. One visit, one price, a clear yard.

If the damage left a stump, we can grind it on the same visit. Our stump grinding page explains how that works.

Insurance and Storm Damage

Many home insurance policies cover tree removal when a tree has damaged the house, the garage or another covered structure. Coverage for a tree that fell on open lawn is less common. Call your insurer before the work starts, and keep the photos you took. We can give you a written quote to send in.

Permits After a Storm

Vaughan’s Tree Protection By-law 177-2025 still applies after a storm. A hazardous tree with a trunk 20 cm or wider at 1.37 m needs a permit, but it’s the no-fee kind with no replacement planting. A storm-damaged City tree on the boulevard is the City’s to deal with; call Vaughan Public Works at 905-832-8585.

For a tree that has to come down to prevent more damage, ask us about timing on the visit. The Vaughan permit guide covers the full rules.

What Storm Cleanup Costs

Storm jobs vary more than any other tree work. One hanging limb over a lawn is quick. A big tree on a roof needs slow, careful rigging. Height, access, what’s underneath and how much tension the wood is under all set the price. The table on this page shows typical Canadian ranges, and your quote is firm before any work starts.

A Tree on the House or Car

When a tree lands on a roof or a car, the weight is often holding things in place. Cutting the wrong piece first can drop more of the tree onto the building. We take the tree off in a set order: the loose top pieces first, then the limbs carrying weight, and the trunk last. Each piece is roped before it’s cut, so it comes off without dropping back onto the roof.

Once the tree is off, you can see the damage clearly. Call your roofer or insurer then. Tarp any holes before the next rain if you can do it safely from a ladder; otherwise wait for a roofer.

A Tree Leaning After a Storm: Stay or Go?

A tree that leans after a storm, when it stood straight before, has usually broken roots. Look at the soil on the side away from the lean. Cracked or raised ground means the root plate has lifted, and the tree will likely fall in the next strong wind. That tree needs to come down soon.

A tree that lost one limb but still stands straight on sound roots can often stay with a trim. We’ll cut the broken stub back to a clean point so it seals, and check the rest of the crown for cracks.

Storm Damage and Your Neighbour

If your neighbour’s tree falls into your yard, the owner’s insurance and the cause of the fall usually decide who pays. If the tree was healthy and a storm knocked it down, each owner often handles the part on their own property. If it was dead or clearly weak, the owner may be responsible. Talk to your neighbour and your insurer first. We can quote each side of the fence separately if that helps.

Storm Damage to Trees You Want to Keep

Not every damaged tree has to go. A healthy maple that lost one limb can recover well if the break is cut back cleanly to the branch collar, the swollen ring where the limb meets the trunk. A clean cut lets the tree seal the wound. A ragged stub left after a storm lets rot in, and it shows up years later as a hollow limb. We trim broken limbs back properly and tell you whether the rest of the tree looks sound. For trees that need more shaping after a storm, see our tree trimming page.

Storm Damage on Commercial Properties

Plazas, rental properties and business lots in Concord and Vaughan Metropolitan Centre have their own storm problems: a tree across a parking lot, a limb on a delivery entrance, or a trunk blocking a fire route. We plan the work so the most important access opens first, then clear the rest. Tell us about tenants, deliveries or opening hours when you call, and we’ll schedule around them.

What We Need From You

• Photos of the damage, if you can take them safely.
• Where the tree stands and what it’s resting on.
• Whether any wires are involved.
• Whether your insurer needs a written quote.

Storm Prep Checklist

• Look up at your trees after leaves come out. Dead limbs show up bare.
• Watch for cracks in forks, especially on silver maples.
• Check the soil at the base after heavy rain for cracks or lifting.
• Book deadwood removal and thinning before summer storm season.

Preventing the Next One

Most storm failures start with a weak fork, deadwood or a tree leaning over the house. A trim before storm season cuts the risk. Thinning the crown lets wind pass through, and removing deadwood takes away the limbs most likely to fall.