Tree Removal services · Nanaimo
Emergency & Storm Tree Removal in Nanaimo
Nanaimo Tree Removal clears trees that have fallen on homes, uprooted, split or been left leaning after the southeast windstorms we get every winter here on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. We put your storm call ahead of scheduled work right across the Regional District of Nanaimo, from Lantzville to Cedar and Gabriola Island, typically at a 25% to 50% premium over a standard removal. If a tree is touching a power line, treat it as an emergency: stay back at least 10 metres, call 911, and report the line to BC Hydro. When a tree hits an insured structure, your home insurance will usually cover the removal.
Where your premium lands depends on the hazard level, site access, and how tangled the tree is with structures or lines. We give you an itemized invoice to put toward an insurance claim.
What counts as an emergency
Call us out as an emergency if a tree is down on your house, vehicle, or fence, or if it has uprooted and the root plate is lifting. The same goes for a split trunk, a large hanging limb, a tree blocking your driveway or the road, or a storm-damaged tree leaning toward a structure.
Downed power lines — stay clear
Never touch a tree or limb contacting a power line, and keep at least 10 metres back — about a bus length. Call 911 for immediate danger and report the line to BC Hydro. BC Hydro clears a tree touching its own line, and we start removal once BC Hydro confirms the line is de-energized.
How storm removals are handled
We start with a rapid hazard assessment, then stabilize anything under tension and rig it down in controlled sections. We finish every job with a full debris cleanup.
Insurance and cost
We price emergency work at about 25% to 50% above a standard removal. Where yours lands depends on the height, how we get to the tree, and how tangled it is with your house or the lines. Your policy will usually pay for the removal when the tree has damaged an insured structure, so we photograph the damage and give you an itemized invoice for the claim — your insurer confirms the specifics of your coverage. Standard-rate ranges are in our tree removal cost guide.
Storm response process
- 1
Call in — tell us what the hazard is, and send photos if you can do it safely.
- 2
Make safe — we stabilize the immediate hazard and keep clear of utilities.
- 3
Removal — we rig the tree down in sections under controlled tension.
- 4
Cleanup & documentation — we haul the debris and give you an itemized invoice for insurance.
Local conditions
The southeast winter storms come straight up the Strait of Georgia, and on Nanaimo's thin soils and open lots they push over shallow-rooted cedar and fir — worse when the ground is soaked. Wet snow and salt air load the limbs up too. If a tree is tangled in a power line, BC Hydro has to make it safe before we can start.
People also ask
How fast can a fallen tree be removed?
Storm and emergency jobs are prioritized ahead of scheduled work.
Who do I call for a tree on a power line?
Call 911 if anyone is in danger, then report the line to BC Hydro. Stay well back. We don't touch the tree until BC Hydro has made the line safe.
Does insurance cover storm tree removal?
Usually yes, when the tree has damaged an insured structure. We photograph the damage and hand you an itemized invoice for the claim.
What does emergency tree removal cost in Nanaimo?
Storm calls carry a premium over a standard removal because we drop scheduled work to get to you. You'll find the range on this page.
For related help, see tree removal. Explore the full service area.
Get a free tree removal quote in Nanaimo
We serve Nanaimo, Lantzville, Cedar, Yellow Point, Cassidy, Nanoose Bay, Extension, and Gabriola Island.