Tree Service in Athens, AL

Athens is older than the state of Alabama, incorporated on November 19, 1818, and it is also one of the fastest-growing cities around Huntsville. That combination shapes tree service in Athens: careful work under big old trees near the courthouse square, and pruning and cleanup for the young trees in subdivisions spreading toward Huntsville and I-65. Pro Tree Service Huntsville serves both.

Growth by the numbers

The 2020 census counted 25,406 people. The Census Bureau's estimate for July 2025 is 34,209, roughly a third more in five years. Census QuickFacts lists a 64.0% owner-occupied rate and a median owner-occupied home value of $270,000, and 88.1% of residents lived in the same house a year before. The city covers a little over 40 square miles and shares a boundary with Huntsville.

The historic core

Many homes in central Athens date to before the Civil War and sit in historic preservation districts. Trees on those lots are often as old as the houses. Older trees need lighter, more frequent care: deadwood removal, weight reduction on long limbs and attention to decay. Removing too much live wood at once stresses an old tree more than it helps. When a big tree near an old house does need to come down, it is usually taken apart from the top in pieces and lowered on ropes.

If your home is in one of the local historic districts, ask the city's planning office whether tree removal needs any review before work is scheduled.

Weather here

Athens averages about 59 inches of precipitation a year, wetter than Huntsville's 54. On December 28, 2024, a high-end EF1 tornado hit downtown, damaging the courthouse square and the roofs of many businesses. An EF1 is far from the strongest tornado, but its winds are enough to snap and uproot trees, especially in soaked winter soil. South of town, the April 27, 2011 tornado crossed Limestone County at EF4 to near-EF5 strength near Tanner.

Power lines and the grid

The Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, a TVA plant first operated in 1974, is in Limestone County and supplies most of the electricity for the Huntsville-Decatur area. In 2011, the tornado toppled nearly a dozen high-voltage lines near the plant. At the home level, the lesson is simpler: any tree touching a service or distribution line is a job for your electric provider first. Call the number on your bill.

Planning for the new subdivisions

Much of Athens' recent growth is in subdivisions on former farmland, where builders plant a few trees per lot. Those trees need structural pruning early. Trees with one strong trunk and well-spaced limbs grow into sturdy shade trees; trees left to form tight forks often split in their second or third decade. The work takes little time while the tree is small.

Services in Athens

• Pruning and deadwood removal for mature trees in older neighborhoods
• Structural pruning for young subdivision trees
• Tree removal in tight spaces, including sectional removal
• Stump grinding
• Storm damage and emergency tree removal

Call (938) 666-8748 for a free estimate. Get a free estimate