Tree Service in Westlake, OH

Tree Service in Westlake follows the city's building history. Westlake had 1,754 residents in 1920 and 12,906 by 1960, after growing 162.7 percent during the 1950s alone. It kept building through the end of the century, reaching 27,018 people in 1990 and 31,719 in 2000, and counted 34,228 residents and 15,508 housing units in 2020. Each of those waves left its own kind of yard: big maples and oaks in the 1950s neighborhoods, spruce and ornamental pears around the 1970s and 80s houses, and young trees in newer developments that are just starting to crowd roofs and walks.

That spread means two Westlake homeowners can need very different things. An owner in an older neighborhood might be weighing whether a 60-year-old silver maple is still sound. An owner in a 1990s development might have Bradford pears that are splitting at the forks, or a row of spruce planted too close to the house. We price and plan each job for the trees actually on the lot.

A city that started as a township

The area was settled in 1810 as part of Dover Township. Bay Village split off in 1901, a piece went to North Olmsted in 1912, and the rest formed Dover Village in 1913. It was renamed Westlake in 1940 to avoid confusion with Dover in Tuscarawas County, and became a city in 1957. The 1876 Clague House, now a museum, is one of the few reminders of the farm era; most of the trees you see are the ones planted with the houses.

The city's tree code

Westlake's codified ordinances include Chapter 949, Trees, Weeds and Grass. Its section headings put control of trees in public places with the Service Director, require a permit for regulated work, cover trimming of trees on public places and on private property, list certain prohibited trees, set rules for tree disease inspection and cost recovery, and include a tree surgeon's license section. If your project involves a tree in the tree lawn or right-of-way, or you have received a notice about a diseased tree, check with the Service Department at City Hall (440-871-3300) before work begins.

Westlake jobs we see often

• Callery (Bradford) pear failures. These were planted widely in later subdivisions. Their tight, upright forks split in wind and ice, often taking half the tree.
• Spruce too close to the house. Lower limbs die back, needles fall into gutters, and the trunk ends up a few feet from the foundation.
• Mature maples over roofs. Deadwood removal and end-weight reduction keep big trees in place for more years.
• Ash removals. Untreated ash in backyards and along lot lines are mostly in decline now.
• Stump grinding for re-landscaping and new patios.

Lot lines and HOAs

Some Westlake developments have homeowner association rules about tree removal or replacement. If yours does, check those before a removal; we can provide a written description of the tree's condition for the association. For trees on a shared lot line, we recommend both owners agree before work starts.

Call (216) 294-3085 or send the form. Get a free estimate