Tree services in Chester County, PA: borough rules, new homes and what to check
Updated · KeystoneProGuide editorial team
What should Chester County homeowners know before hiring a tree service?
Two local facts stand out. The county seat, West Chester Borough, sets some of the most specific requirements for tree contractors found in any local code read for these guides. And the county keeps building: new homes go up every year, and building work near trees is one of the things the arborists' credentialing body warns about. Both are covered below.
What does West Chester Borough require of tree contractors?
A good deal, in writing. Section 102-5 of the borough's tree ordinance says that all individuals performing tree work in the borough must be on the borough's tree contractor list and must:
- be certified as an arborist by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA);
- provide proof of liability insurance of not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence, and workers' compensation as the law requires;
- certify in writing that they will follow the ISA Code of Ethics;
- follow utility and Pennsylvania Department of Transportation requirements;
- comply with the national tree safety standard, ANSI Z133, and the tree care standard, ANSI A300.
The ordinance sits in a chapter that deals mainly with street trees, public trees and heritage trees, so ask the borough how the list applies to your job. Even outside the borough, the list is a useful yardstick: it is close to what the insurance and credential checks in how to choose a tree service recommend.
Are there rules for large trees on private land in West Chester?
Yes, for heritage trees. The ordinance defines a heritage tree as one of 24 inches or more in diameter at breast height, on private or public land, apart from street trees and a list of excluded species. Before cutting, pruning or removing a heritage tree on private property, the owner must contact the Borough Arborist, and owners are encouraged to have a certified arborist on site if the tree is to come down.
Street trees have their own rules. A tree work permit is needed to plant, cut, prune, treat or remove one, and the owner of the adjoining property is responsible for removing a street tree that stands on private land but within the right-of-way. When the Tree Commission finds a street tree hazardous, it sends a removal order by certified mail, and the owner has 30 days to remove it unless an appeal is filed, and must repair any sidewalk or curb damaged in the process. Other Chester County municipalities write their own rules, so ask your township or borough before work starts. The state picture is in what Pennsylvania and its towns require.
Why does new construction matter for trees here?
Because there is a lot of it. The Census Bureau estimates that 10.7 percent of Chester County's 212,491 housing units were built in 2010 or later, against 6.1 percent for Pennsylvania. The Chester County Planning Commission says around 1,500 new housing units have been added in most years since 2010, and that new single-family detached homes have decreased while twins and apartments have increased.
The International Society of Arboriculture says the processes involved in construction "can be deadly" to nearby trees. The damage it lists includes injury to trunks, compacted soil, severed roots, roots smothered by fill, and changes in grade and drainage. It says decline can show up as smaller and fewer leaves, dieback in the crown and early fall color. If you are building an addition, or a new home is going up next door, ISA suggests bringing in an arborist at the planning stage to recommend where tree protection fencing should go.
What do the Census figures say about Chester County homes?
They are mostly houses, and mostly owned. The Census Bureau counts 79.3 percent of units as single-family houses, detached or attached, with a median of 7.0 rooms, against 6.0 rooms statewide. Of the 204,774 occupied homes, 75.1 percent are owner-occupied. Only 12.6 percent of the housing was first built in 1939 or earlier, against 25.0 percent statewide.
Does Chester County have an emerald ash borer plan?
West Chester does. The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources lists the Borough of West Chester among the communities with a completed emerald ash borer management plan. If you have ash trees, the department's own advice is to treat only healthy trees you value, beginning before they are attacked, and to remove the others before they become a hazard. Insecticide work for a customer needs a business with a Pennsylvania pesticide business licence.
How can you check a company, and where do you complain?
The Attorney General's contractor search can be filtered to Chester County and lists "Tree services" among its types of work, though the state says that field is new and incomplete. No county consumer office for Chester County was found for these guides. Complaints about a contractor can go to the Attorney General's office, which says it receives more than 50,000 complaints and referrals a year through its online forms. Businesses serving the county are on the Chester County tree services page.
Sources
- Chapter 102: Trees, Borough of West Chester
- Agrilus planipennis (Emerald Ash Borer), Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
- 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year Narrative Profile: Chester County, Pennsylvania, U.S. Census Bureau
- 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year Narrative Profile: Pennsylvania, U.S. Census Bureau
- Housing Report - Units By Type, Chester County Planning Commission
- Managing Hazards and Risk, International Society of Arboriculture (TreesAreGood.org)
- Home Improvement Contractor Search, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General
- Submit a Complaint, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General
- Pesticide Application Businesses, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture