A trunk off vertical with the upper crown bent back toward straight up, so the tree reads as a shallow bow or J rather than a straight stick tipped over; thicker bulged wood on one side of the lower trunk; soil flat and undisturbed all the way around the base with turf grown right up to the flare on both sides. Now the opposite list, which is the one that matters: a straight trunk tipped as a whole unit, a crescent crack or a heaved mound of soil and turf on the side away from the lean, roots lifting out of the ground, or a lean that has visibly changed against a fixed reference like a fence line or downspout.
Not urgent
42 crews near Carmel · Free estimate · No obligation
Lean alone is a poor predictor of failure, and an old lean is often evidence of the opposite. A tree that leaned slowly over years has been laying reaction wood on the loaded side the whole time and thickening its root plate to match — it has already engineered around the load. What actually predicts uprooting is root-plate movement, and root-plate movement shows up in the ground, not in the trunk angle. That is why the soil around the base tells you more than the lean does.
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.
152 Lotus Dr Apt 1, Carmel, IN 46032
“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
111 Shoshone Dr, Carmel, IN 46032
“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
14500 Dublin Dr, Carmel, IN 46033
“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
14706 Harvest Dr, Carmel, IN 46032
“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
4621 E 146th St, Carmel, IN 46033
“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
10503 Becker Ct, Fishers, IN 46038
“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
8809 Crestview Dr, Indianapolis, IN 46240
“Aaron is absolutely a professional. From the quoting process of taking photos of the spruce trees to answering my questions related to being insured…”
L Robbins · 5 years ago · Google
820 E Main St, Westfield, IN 46074
“We had an issue with a fairly new tree that was planted in the front lawn. The Xanderbuilt staff came out and diagnosed the issue of compacted clay…”
David Barrabee · 2 years ago · Google
14640 River Rd, Noblesville, IN 46062
“Wow! I have had a lot of trees removed in my 82 years! These guys get it done and rather quickly. Their equipment is head spinning and jaw dropping…”
George Roberto · 8 years ago · Google
10475 Crosspoint Blvd Ste 250-2645, Indianapolis, IN 46256
“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…”
Sweetie Punk · 6 years ago · Google
8831 Birch St, Fishers, IN 46038
“This company is AMAZING! I called in the morning for an estimate, they were in the neighborhood working on another job, and added me in. I got the…”
Stephanie Schulenborg · 5 years ago · Google
8811 Saville Rd, Noblesville, IN 46060
“I have used Green Tree Service for tree removal many times and each time they have far exceeded my expectations. Recently, a wind gust in our area…”
Asad Rana · 3 months ago · Google
Distance measured from Carmel.