Tree Service in Sutton, MA

Tree Service in Sutton has to pay attention to the town's Scenic Road By-Law. On a designated scenic road, cutting or removing a tree 10 inches or more in diameter (measured a foot above the ground) within the right-of-way, or trimming major branches or roots, needs the planning board's written consent. So does tearing down more than 20 feet of stone wall. The planning board's consent doesn't replace the tree warden's approval under the shade tree law, and work can't start until both are in hand.

How that affects your project

If you want a roadside tree removed, start with the tree warden. If the road is scenic, a request to the planning board includes a description of the work, the reason, and a certified list of abutters within 100 feet. The board must hold a hearing within 30 days of receiving a complete request and decide within 21 days after it closes. For trees well inside your property line, none of this applies, and we can quote right away.

Five villages, lots of land

Sutton is made up of Manchaug, South Sutton, Sutton Center, West Sutton and Wilkinsonville. The town covers about 32.4 square miles of land, with only about 289 people per square mile, so many properties are large and wooded. Stone walls, old farm fields growing back to forest, and big trees at field edges are common.

Owners who stay

About 89.7% of Sutton homes are owner-occupied, among the highest rates in the area, and the median value is $523,100. Many owners have been on the same land for years, and the work we see often involves older trees near the house and edges of woods that have been creeping closer.

Typical Sutton work

• Removals on private land away from the right-of-way
• Pruning large trees over houses and barns
• Clearing field edges and overgrown stone walls without damaging the walls
• Stump grinding
• Hazard tree checks near driveways and outbuildings

Stone walls

When a tree grows into a stone wall, removing it carelessly can topple the wall. We cut such trees in sections, leave the base where removing it would pull stones out, and grind carefully around walls. On a scenic road, any work affecting more than 20 feet of wall needs the planning board's consent.

Field edges growing back

Much of Sutton's land was once farmed. As fields grew back to forest, fast-growing trees like white pine, birch and red maple filled in along the old walls. Those edge trees grow lopsided toward open ground and often lean into lawns and driveways. Thinning a few of them or removing the worst can keep a field edge from creeping toward the house.

Get a quote

Call (508) 731-3691 or use the form. Tell us if the tree is near the road, and we'll help you figure out whether scenic road or shade tree rules apply before we schedule anything. Get a free estimate