From Mall Lots to Mary Cummings Oaks
Burlington, MA

Property-line trees are one of our most common calls in Burlington, especially in South Burlington and the neighborhoods off Bedford Street. Under Massachusetts law, if a tree trunk straddles the property line, it's jointly owned — neither party can remove it unilaterally. If the trunk is entirely on one side but branches extend over the line, the neighbor can trim branches back to the property line at their own expense, but can't damage the tree. When a tree is genuinely hazardous, both parties usually agree to removal. We've navigated these situations in Burlington many times. We meet with both homeowners, explain the options, and handle the work fairly. Call us and we'll take a look.

Yes — commercial tree maintenance is a significant part of our Burlington work. We handle seasonal pruning contracts, hazard tree removal, storm damage response, and lot clearing for office parks, retail properties, and HOAs along Middlesex Turnpike and the Mall Road area. Property managers like working with us because we show up when scheduled, we're fully insured with workers' comp, and we handle everything from the initial assessment through final cleanup. We can work nights and weekends to avoid disrupting your tenants or customers.

A big red oak — 60 to 80 feet — near a house in a typical Burlington residential lot runs $1,500 to $3,000+. If we can get the crane in, it's usually on the lower end because crane work is actually faster and safer than rigging piece by piece. On Cambridge Street or Bedford Street where the lots are tighter, add some rigging time. A 30-foot ornamental tree in an open yard? Maybe $400 to $600. We give you one number on-site, not a range — call (978) 375-2272 for a free estimate.

You can, but any tree work within 100 feet of Vine Brook, Mill Pond, or other wetland resource areas requires Conservation Commission review under the Wetlands Protection Act (MGL Chapter 131, Section 40). Burlington's commission is thorough but reasonable — hazardous trees and dead trees are typically approved without much pushback once you provide proper documentation. We handle the filing: site photos, tree condition assessment, a plan showing the tree's location relative to the resource area, and proposed erosion controls. Typical turnaround is 2-3 weeks for a Determination of Applicability.

Mary Cummings Park is conservation land, so trees within the park boundaries are protected. However, if a tree rooted in the park has branches extending over your property, or if a park tree is hazardous and threatens your home, there are legitimate options. Trees rooted entirely on your property — even large old ones that look like they belong to the park — are yours to manage. We've worked on several properties bordering Mary Cummings and can tell you exactly where the boundary falls and what's allowed.

Burlington's zoning bylaws include tree preservation requirements for new development. The Planning Board reviews site plans and may require that significant trees be preserved or that replacement plantings be included when mature trees are removed. This applies to both commercial and residential development projects. We work with developers and contractors regularly — we can do a pre-development tree inventory, identify which trees are likely protected, remove the ones that aren't, and provide the documentation the Planning Board wants to see.

For the big oaks in Burlington's residential neighborhoods, late winter — February through early March — is ideal. The trees are dormant, we can see the full branch architecture without leaves, and disease transmission risk is lowest for oaks (which are susceptible to oak wilt if pruned in warmer months). For ornamental trees on commercial properties, timing varies by species. Call us in January to get on the late-winter schedule before it fills up.

That's exactly what we do. We're 12 minutes from Burlington and available 24/7 for storm emergencies. We'll remove the limb safely, assess the remaining tree for further hazards, and document everything for your insurance claim. We work directly with insurance adjusters regularly and can provide the photos, written assessment, and itemized invoice your carrier needs. Call (978) 375-2272 and we'll be there.