# Flynn ChesCo Tree Service: full reference

- Flynn ChesCo Tree Service is a tree service company in Chester County, Pennsylvania.
- Office: 720 East Market Street, Suite 107, West Chester, PA 19382 (in West Goshen Township).
- Phone: (610) 904-8255. Calls are answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including emergency storm calls.
- Owner: Dan Flynn.
- Service area: all 73 municipalities in Chester County, PA.
- Free on-site written estimates.

Hours: open 24 hours, Monday through Sunday.
Geo: 39.96428, -75.59404

## Tree Removal
URL: https://flynnchescotreeservice.com/services/tree-removal/
Safe removal of dead, damaged, leaning and unwanted trees, near houses, wires and fences.

Q: Can I remove a tree myself?
A: A small tree in open ground, well away from the house and wires, is a reasonable job for a careful homeowner with a sharp saw. Anything tall, leaning, dead, or close to a building, fence or power line is different. Dead wood breaks unpredictably, trunks under tension can split, and a tree that misses its drop zone can do real damage. If you have to ask whether it is safe to do yourself, get it looked at first.

Q: How do you cut down a very large tree?
A: Usually in pieces. A climber or a bucket truck works from the top down, cutting limbs and then sections of trunk and lowering each one on ropes through a rigging point. Once the crown is off and there's room, the remaining trunk can be felled into a planned drop zone. Brush goes through the chipper and heavy wood is moved with a grapple or loader.

Q: What happens if you don't remove a dead tree?
A: It keeps getting weaker. Dead branches drop first, then larger limbs, and eventually the trunk or roots give way, often in a storm. Dead wood also becomes brittle, which makes the tree more dangerous to climb, so removal can get harder the longer you wait. A dead tree out in a woodlot can sometimes be left standing for wildlife. One that could reach a house, driveway or road should come down.

Q: Should a leaning tree be cut down?
A: Not always. A tree that has grown with a gradual lean for decades, with a solid root plate, can be stable. A lean that appeared suddenly, or one with cracked or lifting soil on the side away from the lean, means the roots may be failing, and that tree needs to be looked at quickly. What it would hit if it fell matters as much as the lean itself.

Q: Do I need a permit to cut down a tree on my property in PA?
A: In Chester County the answer depends on your township or borough. The Chester County Planning Commission found at least 15 Chester County municipalities with tree replacement requirements, each handled differently. Street trees, land under development and removing several trees at once are the cases most likely to need approval. Call your municipal office before the work is scheduled.

Q: Will a tree still grow if you cut it down?
A: Most trees in Chester County yards won't come back once they're cut down and the stump is ground. Some species do send up sprouts from the stump or the roots. Tree-of-heaven is the worst for it: Penn State Extension notes that its roots usually need to be treated rather than just cutting the tree. If you see shoots coming up after a removal, cut them early before they get established.

## Tree Trimming & Pruning
URL: https://flynnchescotreeservice.com/services/tree-trimming/
Pruning for clearance, health and structure: deadwood out, roof and driveway cleared, crowns thinned.

Q: What's the difference between tree trimming and tree pruning?
A: In everyday use they mean almost the same thing. Pruning usually describes cutting for the tree's health and structure, such as removing dead or poorly attached branches. Trimming usually describes cutting for clearance and appearance, like lifting limbs off a roof. A good job often includes both, and each cut should have a reason you can explain.

Q: What months should you not trim trees?
A: For most trees, avoid heavy pruning in spring while the new leaves are coming out. The tree has spent much of its stored energy by then, and big cuts set it back. Late fall through winter, when trees are dormant, is a good time for routine pruning. Dead or broken branches can be removed any time, because they're a hazard whatever the season.

Q: Is October a good time to trim trees?
A: October is fine for removing deadwood and clearing branches off the roof before winter storms. For major structural pruning, many arborists prefer to wait until the leaves have fully dropped and the tree is dormant, usually later in fall or in winter. If a limb is cracked or hanging, don't wait for the calendar.

Q: What happens if you never prune a tree?
A: Trees in forests do fine without pruning, but yard trees grow next to houses, driveways and wires. Left alone, dead branches build up in the crown, weak unions like codominant stems keep getting heavier, and limbs grow onto the roof. Nothing may happen for years, and then a storm brings down the branch everyone had been ignoring.

Q: How many branches can you cut off a tree without killing it?
A: There isn't a set number of branches. What matters is how much live canopy comes off at once. A mature tree that loses a large share of its leaves in one visit is badly stressed and can decline. Good pruning removes only what the goal requires, and if a tree needs a lot of work, it's spread over more than one season.

Q: What part of a tree should not be cut?
A: Don't cut flush against the trunk. The branch collar, the slightly swollen ring where a branch joins the trunk, is where the tree seals off the wound, so the cut goes just outside it. Avoid topping the main stems, and don't cut or bury the root flare at the base of the trunk. Roots near the surface also matter, so think before trenching beside a tree.

## Stump Grinding
URL: https://flynnchescotreeservice.com/services/stump-grinding/
Stumps ground below grade so you can mow, plant or regrade, with the chips cleaned up or left for mulch.

Q: Is it cheaper to grind or remove a stump?
A: Grinding is almost always less work than full removal. A grinder takes the stump down below the surface and leaves the deeper roots to rot, while full removal means digging out the whole root ball with an excavator, filling a big hole and repairing more lawn. Unless something has to be built exactly where the stump sits, grinding is the usual choice.

Q: What are the downsides of stump grinding?
A: The deep roots stay in the ground and take years to decay, and the chip-filled hole settles as they break down. Grinding creates more chips and soil than most people expect, and the machine throws debris, so the area has to be protected. A few species can still sprout from leftover roots. For most yards these are small tradeoffs compared with digging out the stump.

Q: What happens if you cut a tree but leave the stump?
A: It rots slowly, which can take many years for a large hardwood. Meanwhile it's a trip hazard and an obstacle for the mower, and some species send up sprouts from it. Decaying stumps also attract carpenter ants, termites and fungi. A stump in a back corner of a woodlot can be left alone. One in the middle of the lawn is usually worth grinding.

Q: Will a tree stump eventually rot away?
A: Yes, but slowly. Softer woods break down faster than dense hardwoods like oak, and a big stump can stay solid for years. Drilling holes, keeping it moist and covering it can speed things up a little. Grinding finishes the job in one visit and gets the surface roots out as well.

Q: How long does it take for Epsom salt to rot a stump?
A: Epsom salt and similar home methods are slow and unpredictable. Even when they help, a large stump can take many months or years to soften enough to break apart, and you'll usually still need to dig or chop it out at the end. If you want the stump gone this season, grinding is the reliable route.

Q: Can I pour concrete over a tree stump?
A: It's a bad idea. The stump and its roots will keep decaying under the slab, which leaves voids, and concrete over voids settles and cracks. Grind the stump and surface roots out first, remove the chips, and fill and compact the hole with suitable material before any concrete or pavers go down.

## 24/7 Emergency Tree Service
URL: https://flynnchescotreeservice.com/services/emergency-tree-service/
Storm-damaged and fallen trees on houses, cars, driveways and fences, day or night.

Q: Do you take emergency tree calls at night and on weekends?
A: Yes. Flynn ChesCo Tree Service answers calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including during storms. Tell us whether anyone is hurt, whether the tree is touching a wire, and what it's resting on. If a line is down or sparking, call 911 and the utility first. We'll work out with you what has to happen tonight and what can wait for daylight.

Q: Should I call my insurance company or a tree service first?
A: Safety comes first, then photos. Get everyone away from the damage, call 911 or the utility if wires are involved, and photograph the tree and the damage before anything is moved. After that, call your insurer to report it and call a tree service to plan the removal. You can do those last two in either order or at the same time.

Q: Who is responsible for trees around power lines?
A: The utility handles its own lines. If a tree or branch is touching any wire, including the line that runs from the pole to your house, call PECO or your utility and keep everyone away from it. No one should cut near an energized line until the utility has made it safe. After that, we can remove the rest of the tree.

Q: Can I cut up a fallen tree myself?
A: Small branches on open ground, yes, if you're comfortable with a saw. Be careful with anything larger. Storm-downed trees are full of wood under tension, and a cut in the wrong place can make a limb spring back or a trunk roll. Never cut a tree that's on a roof, hung up in another tree, or anywhere near a wire.

Q: What happens if you don't remove a dead tree?
A: It gets weaker every year. Dead branches drop first, then larger limbs, and eventually the trunk or roots fail, very often in a storm. Dead wood also turns brittle, so the tree becomes harder and riskier to climb the longer it stands. A dead tree within reach of a house, driveway or road is the kind that ends up as an emergency call.

Q: How close is too close for a tree to be to a house?
A: It depends on the species and its mature size, not a fixed number of feet. A large shade tree with branches over the roof is in range if a limb fails, and a trunk growing against the foundation or deck will cause trouble as it widens. After a storm, the trees to worry about are the ones that could reach the house and show cracks, a new lean, or dead limbs.

## Arborist Services
URL: https://flynnchescotreeservice.com/services/arborist/
A tree surgeon's eye on your trees: health checks, hazard assessments and a straight answer on treat, prune or remove.

Q: What does an arborist do?
A: An arborist works on the care of individual trees. That includes assessing health and hazards, pruning for structure and clearance, and removing trees that can't be kept safely. A good arborist explains why a tree is declining or at risk before anyone talks about cutting. The goal is to keep trees that can be kept and take down the ones that can't.

Q: When should I call an arborist?
A: Call when something changes: dead branches in the top of the crown, leaves that come out thin or small, mushrooms at the base, a new crack, or a new lean. Call before construction near a tree you want to keep. And if you have ash trees, have them looked at now, because emerald ash borer kills ash within a few years of heavy infestation.

Q: Can an arborist save a dying tree?
A: Sometimes. If the cause is caught early and can be fixed, like soil piled over the roots, a girdling root, or a pest that can be treated while the tree is still healthy, the tree may recover. Once decline is advanced, with major dieback or decay in the trunk or roots, recovery is unlikely and removal is usually safer. An assessment tells you which side of that line you're on.

Q: What's another name for an arborist?
A: Tree surgeon is the most common one. It's the traditional term in Britain and is still widely used in the US. You'll also hear tree care specialist or simply tree service, though not every tree service does assessment work. The job is the same: someone trained in how trees grow and fail who can also work safely at height.

Q: Do you need an arborist to cut down a small tree?
A: Not always. A small, healthy tree in open ground can be a homeowner job. It's worth a second opinion when the tree is close to the house, a fence or wires, when you aren't sure it's really dead or declining, or when it's an ash or beech and you want to know if the trees near it are at risk too.

Q: What is the difference between an arborist and a horticulturist?
A: A horticulturist works with garden plants in general: flowers, shrubs, vegetables, turf and trees. An arborist focuses on trees, including how they grow, how they fail, how to prune them, and how to take them down safely. If your question is about a large tree's health or safety, an arborist is the right call.

## Land & Lot Clearing
URL: https://flynnchescotreeservice.com/services/land-clearing/
Lots, fence lines, overgrown acreage and brush cleared for building, pasture or a usable yard.

Q: Can I clear my land without a permit?
A: It depends on where you are and how much you're clearing. In Chester County, tree rules are set by each municipality, and the Chester County Planning Commission found at least 15 municipalities with tree replacement requirements, each handled differently. Clearing for development, removing woodland, or disturbing a lot of soil are the cases most likely to need approval. Call your township or borough before you start.

Q: What is the cheapest way to clear land?
A: Usually it's being clear about what you actually need. Clearing only the area you'll use, leaving stumps low where nothing will be built or mowed, and keeping wood on site instead of hauling it all off can each shrink the job. Selective clearing keeps good trees but takes longer. A free estimate can price a few options so you can compare them.

Q: How long does it take to clear 1 acre of wooded land?
A: There's no standard answer, because an acre of brush and saplings and an acre of mature hardwoods are completely different jobs. Tree size, density, slope, wet ground, buried fence wire, and whether stumps are ground or hauled all change the time. We'll give you an expected schedule on the estimate once we've walked the site.

Q: What equipment is used for land clearing?
A: Chainsaws for felling and cutting, and climbing gear or a bucket truck for trees near buildings. Chippers turn brush and limbs into chips. Skid steers, excavators and grapples move logs and debris and can push out brush. Stump grinders take stumps below grade. Which pieces are used depends on the size of the trees, the ground, and what the cleared land is for.

Q: Is it cheaper to clear land yourself?
A: For light brush and small saplings on flat ground, doing it yourself with a saw and a rented chipper can make sense if you have the time. Once trees get large, are near buildings or wires, or there's a lot of material to move, rental costs and risk climb quickly. Felling trees safely and handling heavy logs is where most do-it-yourself clearing jobs stall.

Q: Can you do land clearing with a skid steer?
A: A skid steer with a grapple or brush attachment handles a lot of clearing work, such as pushing brush, moving logs and loading debris. It doesn't replace chainsaw work for felling trees, and large stumps need a grinder or an excavator. On soft or steep ground, a tracked machine causes less damage than one on wheels.

## Bamboo Removal
URL: https://flynnchescotreeservice.com/services/bamboo-removal/
Running bamboo cut, dug and its rhizomes removed, including bamboo spreading in from next door.

Q: How can I get rid of bamboo in my yard?
A: Cut the canes, then remove the rhizomes, the underground stems that send up new shoots. Small patches can be dug out by hand with a spade and a mattock. Large or old stands usually need machine digging. Either way, watch the area for at least a season afterward and remove new shoots right away. If the bamboo is coming from next door, a rhizome barrier along the line keeps it from coming back.

Q: Can bamboo be permanently removed?
A: Yes. Running bamboo can be removed for good if the rhizomes are dug out and any regrowth from missed pieces is caught over the following season. Where people struggle is when only the canes are cut, or when a neighbor's stand keeps sending rhizomes across the property line. In that case, removal on your side needs a barrier to stay finished.

Q: How deep do bamboo roots grow?
A: Bamboo rhizomes mostly run fairly shallow, in the upper layer of soil, and spread sideways rather than down. That's why digging is effective and why a rhizome barrier works as a vertical wall. The fibrous roots hanging off the rhizomes go somewhat deeper but don't sprout on their own. The rhizome mat is the part that has to come out.

Q: Will putting a tarp over bamboo kill it?
A: Rarely on its own. A tarp can suppress shoots in the covered area, but bamboo rhizomes run sideways and often come up past the edges. The stand underneath is weakened, not removed, and shoots can push up again when the tarp comes off. Tarping can help after the canes are cut and the main mat is dug, as a way to watch for regrowth.

Q: Can you just cut down bamboo?
A: You can, but it won't stay gone. Cutting removes the canes, while the rhizomes underground keep their stored energy and push up new shoots, often within weeks during the growing season. Cutting every shoot as it appears will wear a stand down eventually, but it usually takes years. Digging out the rhizomes is what ends it.

Q: How to stop neighbor's bamboo from spreading?
A: Talk to your neighbor first, ideally with a written note, since they may not realize it's crossing the line. On your side, remove the bamboo and rhizomes that have already spread, then install a rhizome barrier along the property line. Check the barrier's top edge every year. Also ask your township or borough whether it has a rule on running bamboo, since some Chester County municipalities have adopted them.

## Service areas (all 73 Chester County municipalities)
- West Chester and nearby townships: West Chester Borough (~1 mi), West Goshen Township (~1 mi), East Goshen Township (~3 mi), Westtown Township (~3 mi), East Bradford Township (~3 mi), Thornbury Township (~3 mi), Birmingham Township (~5 mi), Pocopson Township (~5 mi)
- Exton: West Whiteland Township (~4 mi), Uwchlan Township (~7 mi)
- Downingtown: Downingtown Borough (~7 mi), East Caln Township (~6 mi), Caln Township (~9 mi), East Brandywine Township (~10 mi), West Bradford Township (~7 mi), West Brandywine Township (~13 mi)
- Malvern: Malvern Borough (~6 mi), East Whiteland Township (~6 mi), Willistown Township (~6 mi), Charlestown Township (~9 mi)
- Paoli & Berwyn: Tredyffrin Township (~10 mi), Easttown Township (~9 mi)
- Kennett Square & Unionville: Kennett Square Borough (~10 mi), Kennett Township (~10 mi), East Marlborough Township (~9 mi), West Marlborough Township (~13 mi), Newlin Township (~8 mi), Pennsbury Township (~7 mi)
- Phoenixville: Phoenixville Borough (~12 mi), Schuylkill Township (~11 mi), East Pikeland Township (~12 mi)
- Coatesville: Coatesville City (~12 mi), South Coatesville Borough (~12 mi), Valley Township (~14 mi), East Fallowfield Township (~12 mi), Modena Borough (~11 mi), West Caln Township (~16 mi)
- Chester Springs & Glenmoore: West Pikeland Township (~9 mi), Upper Uwchlan Township (~10 mi), Wallace Township (~13 mi), West Vincent Township (~12 mi)
- Avondale & West Grove: Avondale Borough (~14 mi), West Grove Borough (~16 mi), London Grove Township (~15 mi), New Garden Township (~14 mi), Penn Township (~18 mi), Franklin Township (~19 mi), London Britain Township (~18 mi), New London Township (~20 mi), Londonderry Township (~16 mi)
- Oxford: Oxford Borough (~24 mi), Lower Oxford Township (~24 mi), Upper Oxford Township (~21 mi), East Nottingham Township (~24 mi), West Nottingham Township (~29 mi), Elk Township (~23 mi)
- Honey Brook & Elverson: Honey Brook Borough (~19 mi), Honey Brook Township (~18 mi), Elverson Borough (~18 mi), West Nantmeal Township (~16 mi), East Nantmeal Township (~14 mi), Warwick Township (~17 mi)
- Parkesburg & Atglen: Parkesburg Borough (~17 mi), Atglen Borough (~20 mi), Sadsbury Township (~17 mi), West Sadsbury Township (~19 mi), Highland Township (~16 mi), West Fallowfield Township (~20 mi)
- Spring City & the Coventries: Spring City Borough (~15 mi), East Vincent Township (~14 mi), East Coventry Township (~17 mi), North Coventry Township (~18 mi), South Coventry Township (~15 mi)

Last updated: 2026-11-11