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The storm broke the top out of my tree — what should I do?

Answered for Brownsburg, Hendricks County.

Two separate problems arrived at once. The immediate one is unsupported mass suspended in the air — hung limbs and cracked-but-attached wood have no predictable timing and come down with no wind at all. The longer one is that a torn top is a wound the tree cannot close, dropping a decay column straight down the center of the stem and leaving no leader to rebuild from. Whether this tree has a future is a question for next month. Whether anyone should be standing under it is a question for right now. In Brownsburg — Arbor Springs, Austin Meadows and Windridge included, that's normally a storm damage cleanup job at $400–$4,000. Call tonight.

Why this comes up in Brownsburg

Brownsburg is split territory: Hendricks Power Cooperative (the local REMC) serves the larger share of the town and Duke Energy Indiana serves most of the rest. Hendricks Power removes essentially all brush and shrubs under overhead distribution lines, uses herbicide where permitted, works to ANSI A300 standards, sets clearance by species growth rate, and regularly inspects for dead, dying and leaning trees. As a cooperative it is not bound by the IURC's notice, 25%-removal and no-topping rules that cover Duke customers.

Brownsburg's canopy

No published species-level street tree inventory exists for Brownsburg, so exact species counts are UNVERIFIED; what is documented is that the town replants under an approved street-tree list in Town Code Sec. 96.20, so the street canopy skews young and town-selected rather than volunteer-grown. The one region-wide certainty is that ash is effectively gone from the mix after emerald ash borer moved through Indiana.

Who to call first in Brownsburg

Brownsburg is split territory: Hendricks Power Cooperative (the local REMC) serves the larger share of the town and Duke Energy Indiana serves most of the rest. Hendricks Power removes essentially all brush and shrubs under overhead distribution lines, uses herbicide where permitted, works to ANSI A300 standards, sets clearance by species growth rate, and regularly inspects for dead, dying and leaning trees. As a cooperative it is not bound by the IURC's notice, 25%-removal and no-topping rules that cover Duke customers.

Hendricks County rules

Unlike most Indiana towns, Brownsburg does have a tree ordinance — Chapter 96 of the town code, adopted as part of its Tree City USA status. Sec. 96.27 gives the Town the right to plant, prune, maintain and remove trees within the lines of all streets, alleys and public grounds, and lets the Brownsburg Tree Committee order removal of any tree that is unsafe or is damaging sewers, power, gas or water lines. There is no documented permit requirement for removing a tree on your own private property — Indiana has no statewide permit either — and Chapter 96 is aimed at public trees. In the newer subdivisions the real constraint is usually the HOA covenants.

Crews near Brownsburg

Sorted by distance
Trees R Us Inc., photo 1 of 3Photo author: Brandon Tree

Trees R Us Inc.

8446 N State Rd 267, Brownsburg, IN 46112

4.747
  • Tree Removal
  • Tree Trimming
  • Stump Grinding
  • +1

Trees R Us did a fantastic job for us this week. We had 8 trees removed from our property, some of which were very large Ash trees in a fenced in…

Patty Buckhorn · 5 years ago · Google
MTZ Stump Grinding LLc, photo 1 of 3

MTZ Stump Grinding LLc

7059 Eagle Rd, Indianapolis, IN 46278

5.022
  • Tree Removal
  • Tree Trimming
  • Stump Grinding
  • +1

I was looking for some sidewalk repair and Mr. Martinez was recommended. Absolutely top-quality work at a very reasonable cost. Ruben is a consummate…

Clint Collins · 2 years ago · Google
GO GREEN TREE & OUTDOOR SERVICES, photo 1 of 3

GO GREEN TREE & OUTDOOR SERVICES

4484 N Vinewood Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46254

5.039
  • Tree Removal
  • Tree Trimming
  • Stump Grinding
  • +1

Jesus and his crew did a fantastic job for a fair price! A free quote was provided and the job was started the next week in one day with excellent…

Nikki · 2 months ago · Google
SavATree - Tree Service & Lawn Care, photo 1 of 3Photo author: Ken K

SavATree - Tree Service & Lawn Care

5050 Freyn Dr, Indianapolis, IN 46254

4.8529
  • Tree Removal
  • Tree Trimming
  • Stump Grinding
  • +2

Henry, arborist, quoted my job and pointed out a damaged cherry tree two feet from my house I hadn’t seen. I wanted a company with the right…

Roberta Arsenault · 2 months ago · Google
Evergreen Landscaping of Indiana - Lawn Care/ Tree Removal / Snow Removal, photo 1 of 3Photo author: Michael DeCrane

Evergreen Landscaping of Indiana - Lawn Care/ Tree Removal / Snow Removal

5340 W 79th St, Indianapolis, IN 46268

5.069
  • Tree Removal
  • Tree Trimming
  • Stump Grinding
  • +3

Evergreen Landscaping of Indiana has been hands down the best lawn care and landscaping company I’ve used. From weekly lawn mowing to full…

Info Eagle arborist · 6 months ago · Google
Broad Ripple Tree Service, Inc, photo 1 of 3Photo author: Samuel Jacobs

Broad Ripple Tree Service, Inc

6565 Coffman Rd Bldg D, Indianapolis, IN 46268

4.454
  • Tree Removal
  • Tree Trimming
  • Stump Grinding
  • +2

I was thoroughly impressed with the BR Tree Service team that came out recently, braving the harsh cold (though thankfully it was sunny) to trim my…

Shannon Rogers · 6 months ago · Google

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