Arbor Vet Tree Service

Arbor Vet Tree Service Veteran owned company specializing in all your tree service needs including 24/7 emergency service

Look up at a big bigleaf maple or alder and you'll often see the trunk divide into two or more stems of similar size. Wh...
10/22/2026

Look up at a big bigleaf maple or alder and you'll often see the trunk divide into two or more stems of similar size. When that fork forms a tight V instead of a wide U, bark gets trapped between the stems as they grow. That included bark keeps the wood from knitting together, leaving a weak joint right where the tree carries much of its weight.

Weak forks like these are behind a lot of the split trunks we see after wet, windy weather in Snohomish and King County. Signs to watch for include a crack or seam running down from the fork, dark staining or oozing at the union, or one stem that's starting to lean away from the other.

Not every V-shaped fork means a tree has to go. Depending on the tree and what's underneath it, reducing the weight on one stem may be enough, and other times removal is the safer choice, especially over a house, driveway, or play area. A close look before winter storms is the best way to know which applies.

Do you have a maple or alder with a split or double trunk that you've been keeping an eye on?

Once the fall rains settle in across western Washington, the ground stays soaked for weeks at a time. Saturated soil los...
10/21/2026

Once the fall rains settle in across western Washington, the ground stays soaked for weeks at a time. Saturated soil loses much of its grip on roots, and it's one of the main reasons trees blow over in our winter windstorms even when the trunk and branches look perfectly healthy.

Douglas firs, western hemlocks, and red alders growing in shallow or compacted soil are especially prone to this. Watch for soil cracking or mounding on one side of the base, a lean that's new or getting worse, roots lifting out of the ground, or standing water that never drains around a large tree. Trees left standing alone after nearby clearing or new construction are also more exposed than they used to be.

Any of these signs is worth a closer look before the strongest winds arrive. Our crew can assess the tree, tell you plainly what we see, and handle the removal safely if that's the right call.

Have you noticed a tree on your property that seems to lean a little more after a soaking rain?

Some of the toughest removals we handle across Snohomish and King County aren't the biggest trees. They're the ones grow...
10/19/2026

Some of the toughest removals we handle across Snohomish and King County aren't the biggest trees. They're the ones growing right on a property line, leaning over a neighbor's roof, fence, or garage, with almost no room to drop anything. In neighborhoods like Mill Creek, Bothell, and Lake Stevens, lots are tight and mature firs and maples often straddle two yards.

These jobs come down to planning. Our crew maps out where every section of the tree can safely land, rigs limbs and trunk pieces down in a controlled way instead of letting them fall, and protects fences, roofs, and landscaping on both sides of the line. Being licensed, bonded, and insured matters even more when the work happens over someone else's property.

We also suggest talking with your neighbor before the work starts. Agreeing on access, timing, and what happens to the wood and debris makes the day go smoothly for everyone, and we're glad to walk both owners through the plan. Difficult removals in tight spaces are exactly the kind of work we specialize in.

Is there a tree on or near your property line that you and your neighbor have been talking about?

10/16/2026

Arbor Vet is known for difficult removals, but not every call about a worrying tree ends with a removal. Part of running an honest, veteran-owned, family business is telling people what their tree actually needs, even when the answer is a smaller job or no job at all.

A big Douglas fir that sways in the wind is often doing exactly what it should. A maple with one dead limb may just need that limb taken out. When a tree is sound, we'll say so, and when pruning or deadwood removal solves the problem, that's what we'll recommend.

When removal is the right call, we explain why in plain terms: the decay we found, the lean, or what the tree could hit if it failed. That straightforward approach is a big part of why so many customers across Snohomish and King County call us back and send their neighbors our way. Trust gets built one honest estimate at a time.

Have you ever had a contractor talk you out of work you thought you needed?

After a windstorm, it's tempting to grab a chainsaw and start clearing the yard. Some of that cleanup is perfectly reaso...
10/14/2026

After a windstorm, it's tempting to grab a chainsaw and start clearing the yard. Some of that cleanup is perfectly reasonable, but trees that are bent over, hung up in other trees, or pinned under another limb are a different story. Wood under that kind of load is storing energy, and it releases that energy the instant a cut goes in.

A bent sapling or limb under tension can whip back hard enough to cause serious injury. A trunk pinned under compression can pinch a bar or split without warning, and a hung-up tree can drop in a direction no one planned. These are the situations behind many of the chainsaw injuries that follow storms in western Washington.

Our crews read tension and compression before any cut, release loads in a controlled order, and keep everyone clear of the swing and drop zones. If a downed tree is touching a wire, nobody on our crew cuts until the utility confirms it's safe, and you shouldn't either. Clearing small, loose branches yourself is fine, but anything bent, hung up, or pinned deserves a professional.

After the last big windstorm, what was the trickiest piece of cleanup you faced at your place?

About this time every year, people across Snohomish and King County notice their western red cedars turning brown on the...
10/13/2026

About this time every year, people across Snohomish and King County notice their western red cedars turning brown on the inside. Sprays of rusty, orange-brown foliage close to the trunk can look alarming, especially after a string of dry summers. In most cases it's a normal process called seasonal flagging, where the tree sheds older interior foliage it no longer needs.

The pattern is what matters. Normal flagging is spread evenly through the inner crown while the branch tips stay green. Browning that starts at the top of the tree, thinning across the whole crown, or dead tops on several cedars in a row point to something different, usually drought stress that has been building for a few seasons and sometimes root problems.

Western red cedars have struggled in the lowlands of western Washington, and a cedar with a dying top can drop dead wood onto roofs, driveways, and play areas. An honest look at the tree tells you whether you're seeing normal shedding or a tree that needs attention. Sometimes the answer is to leave it alone, and we'll tell you that.

Are the cedars on your property shedding from the inside this fall, or are you seeing brown at the tops?

Across Snohomish and King County, plenty of homes sit under tall Douglas firs, cedars, and bigleaf maples. That's part o...
10/12/2026

Across Snohomish and King County, plenty of homes sit under tall Douglas firs, cedars, and bigleaf maples. That's part of living here, but limbs that hang over a roof or rest on the gutters cause slow damage all winter long. Needles and leaves pile up in valleys and gutters, moss spreads on shaded shingles, and branches that sway in the wind scrape at roofing and siding.

Roof clearance pruning is one of the most practical services we do this time of year. The goal is simple: remove or shorten the limbs over and against the house so the roof gets more air and light, while keeping the tree healthy and balanced. We make proper cuts at the branch collar rather than stubbing or topping, because a clean cut closes better and won't send out a flush of weak sprouts next spring.

Safety drives every step. Limbs over a roof are lowered with ropes instead of dropped, and anything near the service line to the house is treated as a hazard that calls for the right approach. When we leave, the gutters and yard are cleared of what we cut, so the only thing you notice is more daylight on the roof.

Which tree on your property drops the most onto your roof every fall?

Hiring a tree service is a bigger decision than it looks. The crew will be working at height, running heavy equipment, a...
10/09/2026

Hiring a tree service is a bigger decision than it looks. The crew will be working at height, running heavy equipment, and dropping wood near your home, so a few good questions up front can save a lot of trouble later. Arbor Vet's blog walks through what Snohomish County homeowners should ask before signing on with anyone, including us.

Start with the basics: is the company licensed as a contractor in Washington, bonded, and insured for tree work? Ask how the job will be done, what equipment is coming, and how they'll protect your lawn, driveway, and landscaping. A clear written scope, not a verbal guess, keeps everyone on the same page about what's included.

It's also fair to ask about cleanup, stump options, and what happens if weather delays the job. A reputable tree service will answer all of it plainly and won't pressure you into more work than the tree needs. The full list of questions is linked in the comments.

What's one question you wish you had asked the last time you hired a contractor for work around your home?

Arbor Vet Tree Service is veteran-owned and family-run, and that background shows up in how the work gets done. Military...
10/08/2026

Arbor Vet Tree Service is veteran-owned and family-run, and that background shows up in how the work gets done. Military service teaches that the success of a mission is usually decided before it starts, in the planning, the briefing, and making sure everyone knows their role. Tree work, especially difficult removals, runs the same way.

Before a saw starts, the crew looks at the tree, the drop zone, overhead lines, structures, and where equipment and debris will move. Everyone on site knows the plan and the signals, and if conditions change, the plan changes with them. That disciplined, systematic approach is a big part of why safety is the top priority on every Arbor Vet job, from a single backyard maple to a full lot clearing.

It carries over to how customers are treated too: clear communication, honest recommendations, and following through on what was agreed. Serving Snohomish and King County communities is its own kind of service, and it's one the whole team takes seriously. Are you, or someone in your family, a veteran who found that military habits carried into your work life afterward?

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Everett, WA
98208

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+14254965980

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