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
37 crews near Zionsville · 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.
5155 Old 106th St, Zionsville, IN 46077
“Damien was the arborist who looked at my 2 pin oaks for trimming. He was knowledgeable and assured me that their company does not use spikes on live…”
Martin Radtke · a year ago · Google
5360 W 84th St, Indianapolis, IN 46268
“They were really easy to work with. Listened to my priorities and long term goals of ensuring that 5 huge beautiful Evergreen trees stay that way…”
Rich Koopmann · 4 months ago · Google
10795 E 300 S, Zionsville, IN 46077
“Just got our new tree put in, the process from start to finish was great! When we first visited to pick out our tree, the gentleman (I think Matt? He…”
caleb warren · a year ago · Google
5340 W 79th St, Indianapolis, IN 46268
“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
4404 W 72nd St, Indianapolis, IN 46268
“Posting publicly across Google ® From: Collins- in the heart Indy.. Meridian Kessler and the Butler Tarkington area 5+ 🌟 rating I was a bit concerned…”
Donna Collins · 4 months ago · Google
6565 Coffman Rd Bldg D, Indianapolis, IN 46268
“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
7059 Eagle Rd, Indianapolis, IN 46278
“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
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
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
5050 Freyn Dr, Indianapolis, IN 46254
“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
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
4484 N Vinewood Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46254
“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
Distance measured from Zionsville.