The Line Every Bloomington Homeowner Should Know
Many homeowners look at a hanging branch or a leaning tree and think they can handle it themselves. Sometimes that is true. But tree work is one of the most dangerous occupations in the country, and knowing where the line falls between safe DIY and serious risk could save your life.
This guide walks through what you can safely do on your own property, what work belongs in the hands of an ISA-certified arborist, and why the math on DIY tree work often does not add up the way it first appears.
What You Can Safely Handle Yourself
There are real tasks that a careful homeowner can manage without professional help. Small branch pruning on trees under 10 feet is generally manageable with the right hand tools — a sharp pruning saw and clean bypass loppers. The key word is small. If a branch is less than an inch or two in diameter and you can reach it safely from the ground, you are likely in reasonable territory.
Basic cleanup after a storm — collecting downed small branches, raking debris, and hauling brush — is work any homeowner can do. Removing clearly dead, detached branches from low ornamental trees like dogwoods or small redbuds is also generally safe, as long as you are using proper tools and keeping your feet on the ground.
The rule of thumb: if the work keeps your feet flat on the ground, involves branches no larger than your wrist, and falling debris poses no meaningful danger, you are in DIY territory.
Work That Belongs to a Professional
Anything involving power lines is immediately off-limits for homeowners. In Bloomington, the primary distribution lines along the street side of utility poles are energized at voltages that can cause instant death from arcing — even without direct contact with the wire. Duke Energy, the primary utility serving Monroe County, handles vegetation management on those lines. A certified tree service is the right call for branches growing into your secondary service drop.
Full tree removals — especially anything over 20 feet — require experience, rigging equipment, and a planned sequence of cuts that accounts for the tree's lean, root condition, and the available drop zone. A miscalculated fell can take out a fence, a vehicle, or a person. Removing large limbs from mature oaks and maples, which are common throughout Bloomington's older neighborhoods like Elm Heights and Bryan Park, requires a trained understanding of how a branch will move when it is cut free.
Any work requiring a chainsaw overhead or a ladder belongs with a professional. Falls are the leading cause of fatal injuries in tree work. Even a single misstep from a 10-foot ladder can cause serious injury. Add a running chainsaw and the risk becomes life-threatening.
Liability and Insurance Risks of DIY Tree Work
Here is a scenario that plays out every year in Monroe County: a homeowner cuts a branch that falls on a neighbor's fence, or a DIY removal goes wrong and the tree lands on a car. Homeowner's insurance policies vary widely in how they handle damage caused by the policyholder's own actions. In many cases, if you were doing the work yourself and caused property damage to someone else, your coverage may be limited or denied entirely.
Licensed, insured tree companies carry general liability insurance and workers' compensation coverage. If a professional crew damages your property during a job, their insurance handles it. If you are hurt on your own property doing tree work, your health insurance may cover medical costs — but there is no workers' comp claim to fall back on for lost wages.
The liability picture gets more complicated if you hire a neighbor, a handyman, or an unlicensed cutter. If that person is injured on your property without workers' comp coverage, you may face a personal injury lawsuit. Always ask for proof of insurance before anyone with a chainsaw steps onto your property.
The Real Cost of Professional Equipment
Part of the DIY appeal is saving money on equipment. But consider what a professional tree crew actually brings to a job. A mid-grade chainsaw capable of handling large-diameter cuts runs $400 to $800. Climbing gear — harness, rope, carabiners, throw-line kit — adds another $500 to $1,500. A wood chipper capable of handling branches over 4 inches in diameter costs $15,000 to $50,000. A stump grinder runs $20,000 or more.
Renting a chipper for a day runs $200 to $450 in the Bloomington area, and you will need a truck and trailer rated to haul it. Once you factor in equipment rental, fuel, disposal fees, and your own time, many jobs cost more DIY than hiring a professional — and that calculation does not account for personal risk.
Tree Work Is One of the Most Dangerous Occupations in America
The Bureau of Labor Statistics consistently ranks tree trimming and related work among the occupations with the highest fatal injury rates in the country. The fatal injury rate for tree trimmers and pruners is roughly 10 times higher than the national average across all occupations. Falls, contact with energized power lines, and being struck by falling objects are the three leading causes of death.
Those statistics reflect trained professionals with specialized equipment and years of daily experience. For homeowners doing occasional tree work without that background or gear, the risk is higher — not lower. The Tree Care Industry Association reports that a significant share of tree-work fatalities each year involve untrained individuals attempting DIY removal on their own property.
This is not meant to discourage basic yard maintenance. It is meant to give you an honest picture of why the line between DIY and professional tree work exists where it does.
What ISA Certification Means and Why It Matters
When you hire a tree service in Bloomington, ISA certification is one of the most important credentials to ask about. The International Society of Arboriculture certification requires passing a comprehensive exam covering tree biology, pruning standards, soil science, disease and pest diagnosis, and safe work practices. Certified arborists maintain their credentials through ongoing continuing education.
At Bloomington Tree Service Pros, our crews include ISA-certified arborists who follow current ANSI A300 standards on every job. That means proper cut placement at the branch collar, appropriate rigging techniques, and a commitment to doing the work correctly rather than just quickly.
Making the Right Call for Your Property
Most homeowners instinctively understand they should not rewire their own electrical panel or rebuild their own engine. Tree work deserves the same respect. The trees in your yard can weigh thousands of pounds, gravity is unforgiving, and a mistake happens in a fraction of a second.
If you are looking at a branch or a tree and asking yourself whether it is a DIY job, that question alone is a reasonable signal to call a professional. Bloomington Tree Service Pros offers free estimates throughout Monroe County and the surrounding area. Call (812) 432-2013 and we will give you an honest assessment of exactly what you are dealing with — no obligation, no pressure.