Can a Tree Company Remove a Tree Touching a Power Line?

If a tree is touching a power line, you must call the utility company first. In most cases, a tree removal company cannot legally or safely take down that tree until the utility has de-energized the line or cleared the area. The utility owns the line and the easement around it. Until they act, the tree is their problem to make safe, not ours to cut.

That answer surprises people. A homeowner sees a limb resting on the wire, calls a tree service, and expects a crew to show up with a chainsaw. What happens instead is a sequence: you call the utility, the utility sends a line crew, and only after the line is dead or moved can a tree crew touch the tree. Skipping that sequence risks electrocution, fire, and liability.

The confusion comes from the word "touching." A branch that brushes a wire during a storm is not the same as a tree that has grown into the line over years. Both need the utility, but the response and the timeline differ. The rest of this page explains who does what, why the order matters, and what you can do while you wait.

The utility owns the wire and the right to clear vegetation around it. You own the tree if it is on your property. That split ownership is the source of nearly every delay and dispute. The utility has an easement, a legal right to enter and trim or remove trees that threaten its lines. You cannot stop them from clearing a dangerous tree in that easement, and you cannot force them to remove a tree that is merely ugly or inconvenient.

In Augusta, as in most of Georgia, the utility's responsibility usually ends at the service drop, the line running from the pole to your house. That line may be yours to maintain, but it is still energized. Never assume a wire is safe because it looks like yours. Treat every line as live until the utility confirms otherwise.

Three zones matter:

• High-voltage transmission lines: the tall towers and thick wires. Utilities manage these aggressively and will not let a private crew near them.
• Distribution lines: the wires on neighborhood poles. These are the ones trees touch most often. The utility trims or removes trees in its easement on its own schedule.
• Service drops: the line from the pole to your meter. Ownership varies, but the line is still dangerous. The utility must disconnect it before any tree work near it.

If you are unsure which zone your tree is in, call the utility and describe the location. They will tell you whether the tree is their responsibility or yours.

A tree removal company can remove a tree that is touching a power line only after the utility has de-energized the line or confirmed it is safe to work near. That is the hard boundary. Before that, a crew cannot legally or safely cut a tree in contact with an energized conductor. After the utility clears it, the tree is just a tree, and we can take it down.

What we can do before the utility arrives is limited. We can look at the tree from a safe distance, tell you what we see, and explain what the utility will likely do. We cannot climb it, cut it, or rig it while the wire is live. We cannot move a wire. We cannot tell you the wire is dead. Only the utility can do that.

What we can do after the utility clears the line:

• Remove the tree in sections, lowering pieces with ropes or rigging to avoid property damage.
• Chip or haul away the brush and wood, depending on what you ask for.
• Grind the stump if you want it gone.
• Work around fences, driveways, and landscaping that the utility crew does not touch.

What we cannot do:

• Work within the utility's minimum approach distance to an energized line.
• Cut a tree that is leaning into a live wire.
• Guarantee the utility will remove the whole tree rather than just trim it back.

The table below compares the two roles so you can see where one ends and the other begins.

Task	Utility company	Tree removal company
De-energize or move the line	Yes, only they can	No
Trim or remove trees in the easement	Yes, on their schedule	Only after the line is cleared
Remove the tree from your yard	Usually no, unless it threatens the line	Yes, once safe
Clean up brush and wood	Rarely	Yes, if you ask
Grind the stump	No	Yes, if you ask

Ask the utility three things: whether the tree is in their easement, whether they will remove it or just trim it, and when the line will be de-energized so a private crew can work. The answers determine your next step. If the tree is in the easement and threatens the line, the utility will usually handle it at no cost to you. If it is outside the easement or does not threaten the line, the utility may still disconnect the service so you can hire a crew, but they will not remove the tree.

When you call, have this ready:

• Your address and the nearest pole number if you can read it.
• A description of the tree: species if you know it, height, and how it is touching the line.
• Whether the tree is on your property or in the right-of-way.
• Whether the line is a service drop or a distribution line.

Ask specifically: "Will you remove the tree or only trim it?" and "Will you disconnect the line so I can have the tree removed?" Those two questions save the most time. If the utility says they will only trim, ask for a work order number and a rough timeframe. That number helps when you call us back.

Do not ask a tree crew to "just take a look" while the line is live. We will tell you to call the utility first. That is not a delay tactic. It is the law and it is how people stay alive.

The price of removing a tree that was touching a power line depends on the tree's size and position, the equipment needed, and how much of the work the utility already did. There is no flat rate, and any number quoted over the phone without seeing the tree is a guess. The figure itself needs an on-site estimate.

What raises the price:

• Height and spread. A tall tree near a line takes more rigging and more time.
• Lean toward the line or house. A tree that must be lowered in pieces costs more than one that can fall in an open yard.
• Limited access. A bucket truck cannot reach a backyard tree behind a fence or under other wires.
• Obstacles. Sheds, pools, driveways, and landscaping all slow the work.
• Stump grinding and hauling. Leaving the stump or the wood on site lowers the price. Taking everything away raises it.

What lowers the price:

• The utility already removed the top or the whole tree.
• The tree is in an open area with room to drop.
• You keep the wood or the stump.
• The tree is small enough to handle without heavy rigging.

Ask for the quote in writing and ask what it includes: brush, wood, stump, and cleanup. A written scope prevents surprises. If the utility has not yet disconnected the line, the quote is conditional on that happening. We cannot schedule the work until the line is safe.

Stay away from the tree and keep others away. Assume the line is live and the tree could conduct electricity. Do not touch the tree, do not park under it, and do not let children or pets near it. If a limb is already on the ground and touching a wire, that ground is dangerous. Call the utility and keep your distance.

If the tree is sparking, smoking, or on fire, call 911 first, then the utility. That is an emergency. Do not try to move the limb yourself. Do not use a ladder, a pole, or a hose near the wire. Water and metal conduct. A shock from a distribution line can kill.

If the tree is simply resting on the line without sparks, it is still urgent but not an immediate emergency. Call the utility and report it. Then call us at the number on this page. We can talk through what you are seeing and tell you what the next step will be once the utility clears the line. We cannot give you a firm price over the phone, but we can tell you whether the job sounds like a straightforward removal or a more involved one.

One more thing: do not hire anyone who offers to cut a tree touching a live wire without utility involvement. That offer is a red flag. It means they plan to work unsafely or they do not understand the risk. Either way, the liability lands on you if something goes wrong.