Tree Removal Near or On Power Lines
If you live in Toledo, you already know our neighborhoods have their own personality with big beautiful trees, charming old alleys, and enough overhead power lines to make you wonder who planned all this. Heck, Sylvania is nick-named ‘The Tree City’.
It’s scenic… until a branch starts leaning a little too close to the wires and suddenly you’re starring in your own personal anxiety documentary.
Nothing sends a homeowner into panic mode faster than a tree encroaching on a live power line, and the first thought is…
“Do I call Toledo Edison, the City of Toledo, or Joey Tree?”
Read this article, and you’ll know who does what and when pros at Joey Tree should step in with safety gear and equipment.
When Things Look Scary
If you ever see a tree touching a power line, a live wire on the ground, or anything sparking, popping, or sizzling like a Fourth of July sparkler, stop right there. Don’t get closer. Don’t “just take a look.” And absolutely do not let the neighbor who once watched a YouTube video about electricity get involved.
Here’s the order of operations:
Step 1: Call 911.
Step 2: Call Toledo Edison at 1-888-544-4877.
They’re the ones who make the scene safe by de-energizing the line. Only after that happens does anyone, including us, touch the tree. Electrical danger is their territory. Tree removal becomes our territory once the wires aren’t threatening to turn anyone into a cartoon skeleton.
A Quick Tour of the Lines Above Your House
Look up in your yard, and you’ll usually see a little hierarchy of wires. The top ones belong to Toledo Edison and carry the big power. Below them are the cable and phone lines. Finally, you have the “service drop,” the smaller line that brings electricity directly to your house.
Toledo Edison owns the wires, but homeowners are responsible for making sure their trees don’t interfere with them. That doesn’t mean you’re expected to trim branches near live electricity. Utility companies strongly advise against it, and we’ll happily double down on that advice. Only trained, qualified professionals should be working near energized lines.
What Toledo Edison Handles (and What They Absolutely Don’t)
Toledo Edison trims trees around major power lines as part of a regular maintenance cycle throughout Northwest Ohio. They handle any issues that threaten their main distribution lines and clear limbs during storms to restore power.
They will handle:
- Branches threatening primary overhead lines
- Routine trimming during scheduled cycles
- Emergency clearing after storms
But they won’t handle:
- Trees touching phone or cable lines
- Trees on private property unless they threaten major utility lines
- Clean-up after storm work
- Removing trees just because they’re messy or inconvenient
One more thing most homeowners miss: if a tree is close to the smaller service line running from the pole to your house, Toledo Edison may need to disconnect it so the work is safe. Once the power is out, the actual removal is up to you.
What the City of Toledo Handles
The City of Toledo only steps in for trees in the public right-of-way, while anything growing on your property, even near wires, falls on you to handle. Homeowners aren’t expected to be tree experts or work near live electricity, but they are expected to recognize when a tree is getting too close for comfort.
When that happens, here’s what to do next:
- Identify when a tree is leaning into or approaching utility lines
- Contact Engage Toledo if the tree originates from city property
- Call Toledo Edison if the service line may need to be disconnected
- Avoid any DIY trimming near energized wires
- Call Joey Tree for safe, professional trimming or removal
Where Joey Tree Comes In
Tree removal near power lines isn’t your average Saturday yard chore. It’s specialized, delicate, sometimes technical, and occasionally superhero-level tricky. Whether you’re living in a tight Old West End lot or a spread-out Sylvania Township property, we’ve removed trees in just about every awkward spot you can imagine.
Our process is simple but precise. We inspect the tree and determine exactly how it interacts with the lines. If the service drop needs to be disconnected, we coordinate with Toledo Edison so everything is safe before we begin. Once it’s secure, we take the tree down in small, controlled pieces so nothing goes where it shouldn’t, such as onto your roof, into your neighbor’s yard, or onto a live wire. When we’re done, we can handle cleanup and stump grinding as well.
It’s efficient, it’s controlled, and it’s the kind of job you want pros doing… not your well-meaning uncle with a chainsaw.
Real Toledo Examples (Because You’ve Probably Seen These Before)
Picture a large tree along Parkside Boulevard leaning into the main overhead lines, creating a City + Toledo Edison situation.
Now imagine a tree in your Old West End backyard brushing the line from the pole to your house… that’s a Toledo Edison + Joey Tree situation.
If a tree in your Sylvania side yard is starting to lean slightly toward the lines but hasn’t touched them yet, that’s a “call Joey Tree first so we can stop a problem before it becomes an emergency” situation.
These things happen all over the Toledo area, and they’re almost always easier to handle when you call early.
If a Tree Near Power Lines Has You Nervous, Call Joey Tree
When a tree starts getting flirty with the wires, you don’t wait for a storm to make the first move. Whether you’re in Toledo, Maumee, Perrysburg, Ottawa Hills, Sylvania, or anywhere else in Northwest Ohio or Southeast Michigan, the smartest move is getting a professional assessment before anything gets worse.
Call Joey Tree at (419) 329-8900 or send us a message for a quick, friendly, reassuring look.
