An open cavity you can see or reach into, usually at an old branch stub, a storm wound, or the base; a stretch of trunk that thuds dully when rapped, compared against sound trunk higher up on the same tree; a squirrel or raccoon living in the stem, or ant traffic in and out of a hole; piles of sawdust-like frass below an opening; bark that sounds papery and sits over nothing behind it.
Within weeks
42 crews near Carmel · Free estimate · No obligation
Hollow is not automatically dangerous, and this is where homeowners get oversold more than anywhere else on this list. A tree is a tube, and a tube carries bending load in its outer wall — a hollow stem with a thick continuous shell can be as strong as a solid one. What actually matters is the thickness of remaining sound wall relative to trunk radius, and whether the cavity is closed or has an open slot in the side. An open slot is worse than a sealed hollow of the same size because the tube can no longer resist flattening inward. Neither of those is visible by looking at the hole.
What this usually costs in Carmel
This is normally a hazardous tree removal job, which around here runs $800 to $5,000 depending on size and access. Treat that as a range, not a quote — nobody can price it without seeing it.
What to have ready when they call
A photo with the house in frame, so they can judge the scale
Roughly how far it is from the house, the fence or the drive
Whether a truck can get into the yard
Whether there are power lines anywhere near it
Crews near Carmel
Sorted by distance
Where this comes from. 42 real tree services Google lists as operating here. Ratings, review counts, hours and photos are Google’s, not ours. The quote on each card is that company’s review closest to its own average — not its best one.
“Aaron is absolutely a professional. From the quoting process of taking photos of the spruce trees to answering my questions related to being insured…”
10475 Crosspoint Blvd Ste 250-2645, Indianapolis, IN 46256
5.0★★★★★32
Tree Removal
Tree Trimming
Stump Grinding
+3
“The owner, Curt, is great to deal with. His estimates are very clear and fair. He is there (from start to finish) personally supervising his crew and…”