Storm Response & Emergency Tree Service — Middlesex County, Massachusetts

After a storm in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, the first call is not a tree service. If a tree hit a power line, call your utility company (Eversource at 800-592-2000 or National Grid at 800-322-3223) and 911 first. Energized lines are not a tree-service job. Once the scene is safe, McDonald Tree Service is available 24/7 at (978) 375-2272. We have been responding to storms across Billerica, Chelmsford, Tewksbury, Burlington, Winchester, Lexington, Lowell, Woburn, and 10 other Middlesex County, Massachusetts towns since 1995. Typical on-site time after a call is about one hour within our 18-town service area. Licensed and insured in Massachusetts, 4.7 stars with 62 reviews on Google. We answer the phone ourselves. No call center, no subcontractors.

A tree on your house at 2am during a nor'easter is a different animal than a removal booked for next Tuesday. I have been answering those calls across Middlesex County, Massachusetts for 30 years. The panic is understandable. The tree is on the roof, the power might be out, and you are standing in the yard in your bathrobe trying to figure out who to call. Here is what to do, in what order, and what it is going to cost.

What to do in the first 30 minutes after a tree falls in Massachusetts

Safety first. Everything else can wait.

Step 1: Account for everyone. Make sure every person and pet is safe and away from the damaged area. If the tree came through the roof, do not go into the room beneath it. The ceiling structure may be compromised.

Step 2: Check for power lines. If the tree is touching or near a power line, do not approach it. Do not touch the tree, the wire, or anything the wire is touching. Call your utility company immediately:

• Eversource: 800-592-2000
• National Grid: 800-322-3223

Then call 911. The fire department will secure the scene until the utility arrives. A tree service cannot and should not approach energized lines. That is not gatekeeping. That is basic crew safety.

Step 3: Take photos from a safe distance. Your insurance company will want documentation. Photograph the tree, the damage, and the surrounding area. Do not climb on anything or go under the damaged structure to get a better angle.

Step 4: Call a licensed tree service. Call McDonald Tree at (978) 375-2272. We answer around the clock. Describe what happened, where the tree is, and whether power lines are involved. We will give you a rough idea of timing and tell you what to expect.

Will homeowners insurance cover storm damage tree removal in Massachusetts?

Usually yes, but it depends on what the tree hit.

Covered in most Massachusetts policies: A tree falls on your house, garage, fence, or other covered structure. The insurance typically pays to remove the tree from the structure and repair the damage. This falls under the dwelling coverage portion of your policy.

Usually not covered: A tree falls in the yard and does not hit anything. The removal cost is on you. Some policies have a small debris removal allowance (often $500 to $1,000), but do not count on it covering a full removal.

Can be a problem: A dead tree you knew about falls during a storm. If the insurance company determines the tree was a known hazard that you did not address, they may deny the claim or reduce the payout. This is one reason we recommend getting hazardous trees assessed before storm season.

The Massachusetts Division of Insurance recommends documenting damage immediately and filing your claim within 24 hours. Keep all receipts for emergency work, temporary repairs, and any related expenses.

McDonald Tree's storm-response history in Middlesex County, Massachusetts

We have been responding to storms across Middlesex County since 1995. Some of the bigger ones stick in memory.

The March 2018 nor'easter dropped trees across a dozen towns in our service area. We ran crews for 14 straight days. Billerica, Chelmsford, and Tewksbury got hit hardest — heavy, saturated ground combined with 60-mile-per-hour gusts meant root-plate failures on trees that looked perfectly healthy the week before. The calls started at 5am and did not stop until dark for two weeks.

The October 2011 snowstorm caught everyone off guard. Leaves were still on the trees, and the wet snow load snapped branches and whole leaders across the county. We had calls in Wilmington, Burlington, and Woburn for three days straight. That storm taught a lot of homeowners that October is not too early to think about winter tree prep.

Every major storm since has followed the same pattern: phones ring at first light, we triage by danger, and we work the list until it is done. Trees on houses first, power lines second, blocked driveways third. We have never missed a storm call in 30 years.

How fast we actually get there in Middlesex County, Massachusetts

Within our 18-town service area in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, typical on-site time after a call is about one hour. That is not a marketing number. That is the drive time from Billerica to anywhere in our radius, plus loading a saw if we were not already on a job.

After a major storm, the queue gets long. If your tree is on the lawn and not on anything, you might be third or fourth on the list. That is not us ignoring you. That is us making sure the family whose kitchen ceiling is caving in gets seen first.

The single biggest red flag in this trade after a storm is the door-knocker. If someone rings your bell within 48 hours of a nor'easter offering a discount for tree work, they are not a local arborist. Local arborists are too busy to door-knock. They are at the houses that called them. Always verify insurance and licensing before hiring anyone who shows up uninvited.

What happens once we are on site

The sequence after we arrive is straightforward:

Assessment. We walk the tree, the damage, and the surroundings. We figure out what is under tension, what is stable, and what the safest removal approach is. Storm-damaged trees are unpredictable. A partially fallen tree under tension behaves differently than a standing tree being taken down in a controlled way.

Secure the scene. We set up a safety perimeter. If the tree is on a structure, we figure out how to remove it without causing more damage. Sometimes that means sectional removal from the top down. Sometimes it means a crane. It depends on the tree, the access, and what it landed on.

Remove the tree. We cut, rig, and lower sections to the ground. Debris goes through the chipper or onto the truck. We do not leave a mess.

Cleanup and documentation. We rake, blow, and leave the yard cleaner than we found it. We provide documentation for your insurance claim: photos, an itemized invoice, and our licence and insurance information.

For the full breakdown of emergency pricing, see our emergency tree removal guide. For general tree removal costs in the area, see our Middlesex County cost guide.

Storm prep — what we do to your trees before a storm hits in Massachusetts

The best storm-response call is the one you never have to make.

We offer pre-storm tree assessments across Middlesex County, Massachusetts. We walk your property, identify trees that are likely to fail in high winds, and recommend action before the next nor'easter. Common issues we find:

• Dead limbs over structures. These are the first things to go in a storm. Removing them ahead of time costs a fraction of an emergency call.
• Co-dominant stems. Two stems growing from the same point are structurally weak. They split in high winds. Cabling or removal prevents surprises.
• Root rot. Mushrooms at the base of a tree usually mean the roots are compromised. A tree with rotted roots can fail without warning in saturated soil.
• Trees near power lines. If branches are within 10 feet of a power line, the utility company should be notified. We can coordinate with Eversource or National Grid on your behalf.

A pre-storm assessment costs nothing — we include it with any scheduled service. Call (978) 375-2272 to schedule one before the next storm season. For more on tree health assessments, see our guide to healthy trees.

Straight answers

Can I remove a storm-damaged tree myself? Small branches on the ground, sure. Anything overhead, anything under tension, anything near a structure or a wire — no. Storm-damaged trees are unpredictable. A tree that looks stable can shift the moment you cut into it. People get hurt every year trying this.

Do I need a permit to remove a storm-damaged tree in Massachusetts? In an emergency, most Middlesex County towns waive the permit requirement. The tree warden's office may need to be notified after the fact if the tree was on town property or within the right-of-way. We handle the paperwork.

What if the tree is on my neighbour's property but fell onto mine? In Massachusetts, the general rule is that you are responsible for the portion of the tree on your side of the property line. Your insurance covers your damage; their insurance covers theirs. If the tree was dead or hazardous and your neighbour was notified in writing beforehand, their liability may be different. We have seen these disputes go both ways. Document everything.

How much more does emergency tree removal cost? Emergency work runs 25 to 50 percent more than a scheduled removal. The premium covers after-hours crew, hazardous conditions, and the added complexity of working around storm damage. A tree on your house is a different job than a tree being taken down on a calm Tuesday. See our storm damage cost guide for specific pricing.

Should I wait for the insurance adjuster before removing the tree? If the tree is on your house or creating an immediate hazard, do not wait. Most policies cover reasonable emergency mitigation. Take photos before and during the removal, keep all receipts, and file the claim as soon as possible. Waiting for an adjuster while rain is coming through your roof is not a good plan.

Call us

McDonald Tree Service has been responding to storm emergencies across Billerica, Chelmsford, Lowell, Tewksbury, Wilmington, Burlington, Bedford, Carlisle, Dracut, Westford, Andover, Woburn, Lexington, Concord, Winchester, and three other Middlesex County, Massachusetts towns since 1995. Licensed, insured, and owner-operated. We answer the phone around the clock at (978) 375-2272. If a tree is on your house right now, call. If you want a pre-storm assessment before the next one hits, also call. Either way, you get Keith, not a call center.