Tree Services
Professional Tree Removal in Montgomery County, MD
Safe removal of dead, storm-damaged, leaning and hazardous trees near homes and power lines in Rockville, Bethesda & Potomac. Free estimates — 301-580-6023.
About Our Tree Removal Services
When a tree becomes unsafe — leaning toward the house, dropping limbs, decayed at the base, or threatening utility lines — it needs to come down safely and predictably. Rock Creek Tree, Turf & Landscape has been removing trees across Montgomery County since 2005. Our crews use rigging, climbing, bucket trucks, and crane-assist where needed to protect your home, your landscaping, and everyone on site.
We are fully licensed and insured in Maryland and Virginia, and our work is led by an ISA Certified Arborist. Every removal starts with a free on-site evaluation: we walk the tree, identify the safest takedown path, plan for traffic and overhead lines, and quote a flat price before we start.
When Homeowners Call Us For Tree Removal
- Dead, dying or decayed trees with brittle wood
- Trees leaning toward homes, garages, or fences
- Storm damage — split trunks, hanging limbs, partial uprooting
- Trees too close to power lines or service drops
- Roots cracking sidewalks, driveways, or foundations
- Construction site clearing or lot prep
Our Process
Free on-site evaluation
A certified arborist visits, evaluates the tree’s condition and surroundings, and provides a flat-rate written quote.
Site protection & safety setup
We protect lawns, beds, fences, and structures, set up traffic control if needed, and brief the crew on the takedown plan.
Controlled removal
Climbers, bucket truck, or crane — we use the safest method for the tree, taking it down in controlled sections.
Cleanup & haul-off
All wood, brush, and debris are removed. Stump grinding is available the same day if you want it.
Why Hire Rock Creek for Tree Removal
- ISA Certified Arborist on every quote
- Maryland Licensed Tree Expert #1944
- Fully insured — workers comp + liability + auto
- Crane-assisted removals for tight spaces and big trees
- Same-day emergency response 24/7
Service Area
We provide tree removal services throughout Montgomery County, Maryland and into Northern Virginia — including Arlington, VA, Aspen Hill, MD, Bethesda, MD, Brookeville, MD, Cabin John, MD, Chevy Chase, MD, Columbia, MD, Damascus, MD and more.
How we decide the approach
Two trees the same height can need completely different methods. This is what the arborist is weighing when they walk your property.
Climb, lift, or crane
A healthy tree with a clear drop zone gets climbed and rigged down in sections — it is the cheapest method and on an open lot it is the right one. A tree that cannot be trusted to hold a climber, because it is dead, decayed or storm-damaged, is worked from a crane or a tracked lift instead, so nobody is relying on the tree for support. A sound tree over a roof, pool or septic field also goes to the crane, not because it cannot be climbed but because the pieces cannot be dropped.
What is underneath decides more than height does
Before anything else we look at what a failure or a dropped section would land on: the house, the drive, the deck, the fence, the play set, the spot where a car sits every night. A seventy-foot tree over open lawn is often a simpler job than a forty-foot tree over a conservatory. On a recent Rockville job the deciding factor was not the tree at all — it was the septic tank and leach field around its base, which meant no heavy wood could be dropped anywhere near it.
Getting the equipment in
Access is the constraint that quietly sets the price. We work out where a crane can set up and whether it can reach from there, whether a tracked lift can get through a gate or down a side path, and whether material can be carried out to the truck or has to be flown over the house. Where nothing standard reaches, a narrower crane truck staged in a driveway alley plus a lift brought in from a neighboring property is sometimes the only combination that works.
Protecting the ground you are left with
Plywood matting goes under outriggers and along machine travel routes so the load is spread and the lawn is not rutted or compacted. Tracked machines spread weight better than wheels. Saturated ground is the real limit: past a point it is better to move the job by a day than to churn up a yard that will take a season to recover.
Cleanup and what happens to the stump
Standard removals include hauling all wood and brush off site and raking out. Stump grinding is quoted separately because not everyone wants it — if you are replanting in the same spot you usually do, and that needs grinding deeper and wider than a simple flush cut. Where a stump sits in a mulch bed rather than lawn, cutting it flush is often the sensible call.
What your estimate includes
- An ISA Certified Arborist on site, walking the tree and the access route with you
- The takedown method decided and explained — climb, lift or crane
- Hazards identified: overhead lines, structures, septic components, soft ground
- A flat written price, not an hourly rate
- Exactly what is included: wood, brush, chips, stump, and what is hauled away
- Permit requirements checked for your address before the day, not on it
- Any road closure or traffic control the job needs, arranged in advance
- No obligation, and no charge for the visit
Tree Removal on real properties
Tree Inspection and Oak Removal Beside a Septic Field in Rockville
New Rockville homeowners wanted their wooded lot assessed. How we removed a dead oak over a septic field by crane and set a plan for the mature trees.
Emergency Tree Removal on Newburn Drive in Wood Acres, Bethesda
Two oaks on one house in Wood Acres, Bethesda: a red oak uprooted next door, a shed lifted ten feet, and a crane removal across three properties.
Storm-Damaged Catalpa Removal Near Quincy Street in Chevy Chase
A split, uprooted catalpa leaning on a new garage in Chevy Chase, taken down by crane and spider lift from a property line with almost no room to work.
Tree Removal guides from our team
Protecting Your Lawn and Property During Tree Work
What tree work actually does to a lawn, how ruts and compaction are avoided, what to mark before the crew arrives, and what is honestly unavoidable.
Can This Tree Be Saved? How the Decision Actually Gets Made
Not every damaged tree has to come down.
Tree Inspection and Oak Removal Beside a Septic Field in Rockville
New Rockville homeowners wanted their wooded lot assessed.
Tree Removal Services — common questions
- How do I know whether a tree actually needs to come down?
- The honest answer is that many trees people want removed can be saved, and some that look fine cannot. We assess structural condition, decay, root stability, lean and what is underneath the tree. Where pruning or cabling will solve the problem we say so — removal is the recommendation when the risk cannot be reduced any other way.
- Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Montgomery County?
- Sometimes. The City of Rockville, Takoma Park, the City of Gaithersburg and the Town of Chevy Chase all have their own tree ordinances, and historic districts add another layer. Elsewhere in the county, permits are usually tied to larger disturbances or construction rather than a single residential removal. We check what applies to your address before the work is scheduled, not on the day.
- What happens to the wood, the brush and the stump?
- That is agreed in the written estimate before we start. Standard removals include hauling all wood and brush off site and a full cleanup. Stump grinding is quoted separately because not everyone wants it — if you are replanting in the same spot you usually do. If you want rounds left for firewood or chips left for beds, say so and we will leave them.
- Will your equipment damage my lawn?
- We plan for it. Plywood matting under outriggers and along travel paths spreads the load so machines do not sink in or leave ruts, and tracked equipment spreads weight better than wheels. Saturated ground is the real limit — past a point it is better to move the job by a day than to churn up the yard.
- How long does a tree removal take?
- Most residential removals are a single day, and many are a half day. What extends it is access rather than size: a large tree in an open yard can be quicker than a medium one that has to be climbed and rigged out piece by piece over a roof. The estimate will tell you which yours is.
Need tree removal today?
Call us 24/7 or request a free quote online.