Tree Service Chesterfield MO
Most Chesterfield yards need no city permit to remove a tree: single residential lots under one acre, subdivided more than two years ago, are exempt from the tree preservation code. Street trees, common ground and lots of an acre or more follow different rules.
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Planning, Public Works or Your Trustees: Who Handles a Tree in Chesterfield?
It depends on where the tree stands. The City of Chesterfield’s Department of Public Works maintains trees in the public right-of-way, which is typically the strip between the sidewalk and the street. A tree on your own lot is yours, and one on common ground is the trustees’. Thompson Tree Care and Landscaping, a licensed and insured company based in south St. Louis County, works on the private side of that line.
- Street tree: call City Hall at 636-537-4000 for an inspection. The city prunes street trees on a five-year schedule and removes only those that are dead, diseased, dying or potentially hazardous.
- Tree on your lot: call us at (314) 712-3035 for a free estimate.
- Tree on a power line: Chesterfield lists Ameren Missouri at 800-552-7583 for a downed electrical line. Ameren says the service drop from the main line to a house is the property owner’s responsibility.
Does a Chesterfield Lot Under One Acre Need a Tree Removal Permit?
No, in most cases. As of October 2026, Section 405.04.020 of Chesterfield’s Unified Development Code exempts single residential lots of less than one acre that have been subdivided for more than two years. Lots of one acre or more, and trees in common open space, need the city’s approval first. Confirm your own case with the Planning Department’s Planner of the Day at 636-537-4733. Rules change at the city line, so if the tree is across it, start with our Wildwood or Ballwin page, or the St. Louis-area permit guide.
Which Trees Fail Most on Chesterfield Streets and in Yards?
Four species. The city reports that nearly 65% of its street trees are green ash, pin oak, red maple and American sweetgum, and that many are now in general decline. All four are off the approved street tree list.
Ash is the urgent one. Chesterfield confirms emerald ash borer in West St. Louis County and says infested ash typically die within five years. A dead ash over a roof or driveway is a job for dangerous tree removal.
Age matters too. Census estimates for 2020 to 2024 show more than half of Chesterfield’s housing units were built in the 1970s and 1980s. Trees planted with those subdivisions are now 40 to 50 years old and reaching roofs and service lines. That is trimming and pruning work long before it is removal work.
What Is Different About Trees in Chesterfield Valley?
The Valley is river bottom behind a levee. The city counts more than 4,500 acres there as protected by the Monarch-Chesterfield levee on the Missouri River. On July 30, 1993 the levee broke and the Valley filled with more than eight feet of water. Work to raise it to a 500-year height began in 1994.
A floodplain development permit is required before construction or development in a mapped flood hazard area or within 200 feet of one, so ask Public Works at 636-537-4764 before clearing for a project there. The river edge also takes wind: the National Weather Service recorded extensive tree damage along the river in Chesterfield Valley from the December 10, 2021 tornado.
What Have Recent Storms Done in Chesterfield?
Tornadoes have started inside the city at least twice since 2024. On April 1, 2024 an EF0 with 85 mph winds touched down just northeast of the Interstate 64 and Highway 340 interchange and ran two miles east-northeast, damaging tree limbs and roofs. On March 14, 2025 a long-track EF-2 began just north of Marquette High School. If a tree is on the house or across the drive, call our 24/7 emergency tree service.
What Happens to the Limbs and Brush in Chesterfield?
Very little of it can go to the curb. Yard waste pickup here is an optional Republic Services subscription (636-947-5959), and limbs must be under six inches in diameter, tied in bundles no longer than four feet and under 35 pounds. A removal produces far more, so the crew chips the brush and hauls the wood. Stump grinding is quoted with the job if you want the stump gone.
Last Updated: November 2026
Tree Services Available in Chesterfield
Each service has its own page with what the work involves and what it costs in the St. Louis area.
Tree Removal
- Taken down in sections, brush chipped and hauled.
Tree Trimming & Pruning
- Deadwood, roof and line clearance, structural pruning.
Stump Grinding
- Stumps ground below grade after a removal.
Emergency Tree Service
- A 24/7 line for trees on houses, cars and drives.
Dangerous Tree Removal
- Dead, cracked and leaning trees near structures.
Large Tree Removal
- Tall trees rigged down in pieces, crane when needed.
Tree Cabling & Bracing
- Support for a sound tree with a weak fork.
Certified Arborist
- A tree health assessment before you decide to cut.
Storm Damage
- Cleanup of downed limbs and failed trees.
Where Is the Chesterfield Tree Removal Rule Explained in Full?
On our tree removal in Chesterfield page. It covers what this one only summarizes: how Section 405.04.020 treats lots under and over one acre, what the code means by a tree mass and a monarch tree, and how the fine for unapproved removal is set.
Chesterfield Tree Service FAQ
The city does. Chesterfield’s Department of Public Works maintains trees in the public right-of-way, typically the strip between the sidewalk and the street. To ask for an inspection of the street tree in front of your home, call City Hall at 636-537-4000, and ask before anyone cuts it.
It may. Sweetgum is no longer an approved street tree, and the city says it will consider removing an otherwise healthy sweetgum in the right-of-way if the resident agrees to replace it through the Residential Street Tree Program. The homeowner’s share in that program is $100 per tree. A sweetgum in your own yard is your decision.
Not its street trees. The city says treatment lasts up to two years and is not realistic for city-maintained trees. If a street ash in front of your home is scheduled for removal, you are notified by mail first. For ash on private property the city publishes lists of treatment and removal companies that met its insurance standards. Our emerald ash borer guide covers the treat-or-remove decision.
Yes. Under Section 405.04.020(E)(3) of the Unified Development Code, the Director of Planning can order the removal of trees on private property that endanger the life, health, safety or property of the public. The owner has 60 days once the order is served and pays for the work. If the owner does not act, the city can do the work and bill it as a lien on the property.