Hi Kit, Thanks for reaching out about your elm; we can almost always improve a tree’s health with careful pruning and targeted repairs. Based on a very large, three-trunk elm on a steep slope with significant deadwood and a damaged large limb, I estimate 4 to 8 hours of work by a bucket truck crew. That equates to roughly $1,440 to $3,600. The lower end reflects a situation where access is straightforward, damage is mostly deadwood, and no complex rigging is required. The higher end reflects steep, limited access, three trunks and heavy decay, and a large limb that will likely need careful rigging and slower, preservation-focused work. To firm this up I’ll need a few quick details and photos: approximate tree height and trunk diameters, distance to the house or power lines, gate/sideyard access width, and whether you want a light clean-up or a more structural restoration. A few photos from the yard and base of the tree are very helpful. We can also do a quick site visit to give an exact quote; you don’t need to be home and we can schedule fast and flexible times by phone. Preferred contact by phone noted; I’ll call or you can call us at your convenience to set up the visit or send photos to this email. Thanks, and feel free to give us a shout if you have any questions, Max, Calgary Tree Care & Arborist Service (587) 329-7161
Very large, old elm in backyard with three trunks, significant dead branches and one badly damaged larger branch, located at bottom of a small but rather steep hill. Owner wants to try to save the tree.
Thank you. I think someone from your team is coming by this evening to have a look (I don't think I got a name but the phone number ends with 9422). The tree trunks vary between 52 and 59 inches in diameter. I'm so terrible with estimating distances and I don't want to give you the wrong idea. Maybe 50-80 feet tall? The tree is about 60 feet from the house. The trunk is about 27 feet from the nearest power lines, but the canopy reaches the power lines. Side yard and back alley access are both roughly 40 inches wide (the side yard is kind of a jungle and might be hard to navigate, but coming in through the alley means going down the steep hill). Photos are attached. The first shows the tree from the house. The second shows the tree from the top of the hill looking towards the house. The third shows a close-up of the break (you can also see this in the second photo). I would likely rather go all in now and do whatever I can to preserve the tree for as long as possible. Let me know if you need anything else from me. Thank you, Kit On Thu, Aug 6, 2026 at 2:49 PM Calgary Tree Care & Arborist Service < info@calgarytreecareservice.ca> wrote: > Hi Kit, > > Thanks for reaching out about your elm; we can almost always improve a > tree’s health with careful pruning and targeted repairs. > > Based on a very large, three-trunk elm on a steep slope with significant > deadwood and a damaged large limb, I estimate 4 to 8 hours of work by a > bucket truck crew. That equates to roughly $1,440 to $3,600. > > The lower end reflects a situation where access is straightforward, damage > is mostly deadwood, and no complex rigging is required. The higher end > reflects steep, limited access, three trunks and heavy decay, and a large > limb that will likely need careful rigging and slower, preservation-focused > work. > > To firm this up I’ll need a few quick details and photos: approximate tree > height and trunk diameters, distance to the house or power lines, > gate/sideyard access width, and whether you want a light clean-up or a more > structural restoration. A few photos from the yard and base of the tree are > very helpful. > > We can also do a quick site visit to give an exact quote; you don’t need > to be home and we can schedule fast and flexible times by phone. > > Preferred contact by phone noted; I’ll call or you can call us at your > convenience to set up the visit or send photos to this email. > > Thanks, and feel free to give us a shout if you have any questions, > > Max, Calgary Tree Care & Arborist Service > (587) 329-7161 >
Hi Kit, Thank you, this is very helpful. Based on the size of the elm, the steep slope, the broken limb, the narrow access, and the fact that the canopy reaches the power lines, this looks like a more involved preservation-pruning job. With cleanup and disposal included, I would expect the work to fall roughly in the $2,160 to $3,600 range, with the final number depending on the best and safest access method once the tree is seen in person. Since someone from the team is already coming by to take a look, that should let us firm things up properly. I have passed your note along, including the measurements, access details, and photos. The owner will follow up directly if anything further is needed regarding the visit or next steps. Your goal of doing as much as possible now to preserve the tree for as long as possible is noted, and that helps us quote the scope appropriately. Best, Max Calgary Tree Care & Arborist Service (587) 329-7161
Kit Benz
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