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A car hit my tree — what should I do?

Answered for Carmel, Hamilton County.

The living tissue that moves water up and sugar down is a thin layer immediately under the bark, so a wound that looks like a scrape can still have killed a wide strip of the tree's plumbing. One crash produces two separate questions: whether the tree survives the wound, and whether the impact cracked the stem or loosened the tree in the ground so it may come down. The second question is the one that matters this week; the first plays out over years. In Carmel — Village of WestClay, Brookshire and Woodland Springs included, that's normally a hazardous tree removal job at $800–$5,000. Within days.

Why this comes up in Carmel

June 29, 2023 derecho — Carmel logged several medium-sized limbs down while the same line measured 70 mph at Indianapolis International. The July 15-16, 2024 derecho tracked directly through Hamilton County with damage at Westfield (about 55 mph), Cicero and Atlanta, including a barn hit by a gustnado near Atlanta. September 14, 2008 remnants of Hurricane Ike brought 50-70 mph gusts for hours across central Indiana.

Carmel's canopy

Carmel Urban Forestry publishes an approved species list (last revised 3/28/2024) whose "Undesirable Trees" section reads like a field guide to what fills older Hamilton County streets: silver maple (shallow roots, weak wood), Callery pear, pin oak, red maple and all Fraxinus for emerald ash borer. Approved large street trees run to swamp white oak, bur oak, chinkapin oak, hackberry, male-only ginkgo, thornless honeylocust, Kentucky coffeetree, baldcypress and London planetree; note Callery pear is discouraged locally but is not yet banned in Indiana — 312 IAC 18-3-25 currently lists 44 species without it.

Hamilton County rules

Carmel's code section 6-64 is titled "Planting and Removal of Trees and Shrub Regulations" and sits in the streets-and-sidewalks division of Chapter 6, alongside 6-55 covering trees and shrubs that obstruct streets and sidewalks — so the city's active regulation is aimed at the public way, plus landscape and buffer plantings approved through development plan review by Urban Forestry. I could not verify the exact text of 6-64 or confirm whether any permit applies to removing a tree standing entirely in a private back yard; contact Carmel Urban Forestry through the city's Department of Community Services before assuming, and check HOA covenants, which in most Carmel subdivisions are stricter than the city.

The tree lawn in Carmel

The strip between sidewalk and curb is city right-of-way, and Carmel Urban Forestry plants and maintains the street trees in it, including species selection. Many Carmel subdivisions layer a platted landscape easement and HOA covenants over that same ground, so two approvals can apply to one tree.

Crews near Carmel

Sorted by distance
Tree Of Life Tree Service & Landscaping, photo 1 of 3

Tree Of Life Tree Service & Landscaping

152 Lotus Dr Apt 1, Carmel, IN 46032

4.994
  • Tree Removal
  • Tree Trimming
  • Stump Grinding
  • +2

Romeo and his crew did a fantastic job for us! Trimmed back two large red maple trees that were very overgrown, cut down a pine tree and ground up…

Alex Miller · 2 months ago · Google
Carmel Tree Service, photo 1 of 3

Carmel Tree Service

111 Shoshone Dr, Carmel, IN 46032

4.722
  • Tree Removal
  • Tree Trimming
  • Stump Grinding
  • +2

I got a few quotes but Chris from Carmel Tree Service gave me the best bid by far on the job. They showed up right on time with all the heavy duty…

John Gibson · 3 months ago · Google
Rogers Tree Service & Landscaping LLC, photo 1 of 3

Rogers Tree Service & Landscaping LLC

14500 Dublin Dr, Carmel, IN 46033

4.968
  • Tree Removal
  • Tree Trimming
  • Stump Grinding
  • +2

I have no words and I am truly speechless at the work Roger and his crew did on my home! I received a few quotes and not only was Roger competitive…

David M. Johnson · 2 months ago · Google
Anthony’s Tree Service & Landscape, photo 1 of 3

Anthony’s Tree Service & Landscape

14706 Harvest Dr, Carmel, IN 46032

4.980
  • Tree Removal
  • Tree Trimming
  • Stump Grinding
  • +2

Anthony and his team did an excellent job of removing multiple trees in my back and side yard, along with stump grinding. They also did a bunch of…

Frances Russell · 4 months ago · Google
SavATree - Tree Service & Lawn Care, photo 1 of 3Photo author: Brian Alfred

SavATree - Tree Service & Lawn Care

4621 E 146th St, Carmel, IN 46033

4.8222
  • Tree Removal
  • Tree Trimming
  • Stump Grinding
  • +2

The entire staff is great to work with and, while they are a bit expensive, they do careful work and are extremely professional. In a previous…

David Morris · a month ago · Google
Stumped LLC, photo 1 of 3Photo author: David Ricks

Stumped LLC

10503 Becker Ct, Fishers, IN 46038

4.938
  • Tree Removal
  • Tree Trimming
  • Stump Grinding
  • +1

I highly recommend Stumped LLC. Karl was very prompt at returning my online inquiry even though it was a busy time. He came out and gave me a…

Christy Garner · 5 years ago · Google

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