Matthew Bossche, ISA Certified Arborist (MI-4776A), providing expert tree care across Grand Rapids and Kent County. Oak wilt management, pruning, removal, 24/7 emergency response. Honest pricing, fully insured.
If you live in Grand Rapids, chances are you've got a tree that needs attention — maybe a dead ash that's been standing in the backyard for years, a silver Maple dropping branches every storm, or a big oak that's gotten too close to the house. You're not alone. Grand Rapids has one of the best urban canopies in Michigan, but a lot of these trees are old, and they're all dealing with the same clay soil, lake-effect weather, and Emerald Ash Borer pressure at the same time.
The trees in Grand Rapids are not easy trees. Heritage Hill is full of century-old red Oaks wedged between 1890s homes on 40-foot lots. The West Side runs on silver Maples that were cheap and fast in 1955 and are now falling apart on schedule. Alger Heights and Fulton Heights have the same story with pin Oaks and mid-century maples reaching the end of what we'd call a safe lifespan. Eastown still carries the scar of the EAB wave — thousands of ash gone, and the replacement canopy is still catching up. What we deal with most days isn't one problem, it's a stack of them. Oak wilt is the big one right now. Kent County has active pressure, and a single bad pruning cut on a red Oak in May can kill a tree and then move underground through grafted roots into the neighbor's tree and the one behind it. We do not touch oaks between April and July unless something is broken and bleeding — that's when the nitidulid sap beetles are flying and any fresh wound is an open door. On the conifer side, Rhizosphaera needlecast is eating through the Colorado blue Spruce that everyone planted in the 80s and 90s, and we're seeing Dothistroma take down Austrian Pine in the older neighborhoods around Creston and Belknap Lookout. Layer on heavy clay soil that holds water, shallow root plates on anything planted into compacted fill, and a lake-effect snow season that dumps wet concrete on Bradford Pears every February — and you get a city that needs a real plan, not a chainsaw and a ladder. Matthew Bossche is an ISA Certified Arborist (MI-4776A), and we build the plan before we climb. That's the whole job.
We're B's Trees, a locally owned tree service working across Grand Rapids every day. Our shop sits on the east side of the metro on Thornapple River Drive in Cascade, and we cover the city from Heritage Hill to the West Side on a normal week. Need a tree pruned, removed, or just looked at by someone who actually knows what they're talking about, give us a call.
Crown cleaning, thinning, structural pruning & hazard reduction.
🪵Safe removal including crane-assisted jobs near structures.
🌀Complete below-grade stump removal and cleanup.
💉Fertilization, EAB treatment, disease & pest management.
⚙️Structural support to preserve trees you want to keep.
⚡Available 24/7 for storm damage and urgent situations.
🏅 ISA Certified Arborist on staff (MI-4776A). Fully insured. No deposit required. Free estimates.
One of the largest urban historic districts in the country, Heritage Hill is home to century-old red Oaks, American Elms, and sugar Maples on compact lots with overhead utility lines. Most common requests here are deadwood removal, crown reduction to clear structures, and emergency storm response.
Dense mature canopy of maples, oaks, and ornamental trees lining narrow residential streets. Emerald Ash Borer removal has been heavy here since 2018, and remaining trees face compacted soils and restricted root zones from sidewalks and driveways.
Mix of post-war silver Maples and younger street tree plantings on smaller urban lots. Tight lot spacing and adjacent structures mean most removals here require crane access or careful rigging between homes.
Hilly terrain with mature hardwoods on slopes — red Oaks and hickories are common. Steep grades add complexity to removals and stump grinding, and hillside root systems play a critical role in erosion control.
Established mid-century neighborhoods with large silver Maples, ashes, and pin Oaks. Many of these trees are reaching the end of their safe lifespan and need either significant pruning or planned removal before they fail.
We work all across Grand Rapids, and these are the issues that come up over and over:
We're not a franchise. We're a locally owned Grand Rapids tree service. When our purple truck pulls up to your property, you're getting the real team — not a subcontractor.
I'm Matthew Bossche, ISA Certified Arborist. I started B's Trees because I got tired of seeing tree companies show up with a chainsaw and no plan. We look at the tree, we look at the site, and we figure out the right approach before anyone starts cutting. That matters when you've got a 70-foot oak between two houses and zero room for mistakes.
We've got a crane for the jobs that need it, climbing gear for the ones that don't, and we clean up everything when we're done. Fully insured, no deposit, free estimates. Pretty simple.
Nothing complicated:
It depends on the tree, the site, and what needs to happen. Here are typical ranges for Grand Rapids residential tree work:
Every property is different. Want a quick ballpark? Try our online cost estimator. For an accurate price, request a free on-site estimate — our arborist will come out, evaluate the job, and give you an honest quote with no obligation. For a deeper look at what drives pricing, see our guide: What Does Tree Trimming Cost in Grand Rapids?
Call us at 616-947-4050 or fill out our contact form. We're in Grand Rapids every day — coming to walk a property is part of the normal schedule. No pressure, no deposit.
For trees on your own property: no permit needed. The City of Grand Rapids only requires permits for trees in the public right-of-way (boulevard trees between the sidewalk and the street), and they charge a replanting fee. If you're in Heritage Hill Historic District, there are additional review requirements for removing significant trees visible from the street. Some newer developments and HOAs have tree preservation clauses too. We handle permit coordination with the city when needed — just let us know during your estimate.
There's a difference between a tree service and a certified arborist. An ISA Certified Arborist has passed the International Society of Arboriculture's exam covering tree biology, diagnosis, pruning standards, soil science, and safety — and has to keep that certification current with continuing education. When you hire B's Trees, the person diagnosing your tree is the same person who'll do the work: Matthew Bossche, ISA Certified Arborist credential MI-4776A. That matters when the recommendation is "remove this 70-foot oak" versus "prune it and watch it for two years" — you want someone who knows the difference and can prove it.
Yes. Matthew Bossche, owner of B's Trees, is an ISA Certified Arborist (credential MI-4776A) working across Grand Rapids and Kent County. The International Society of Arboriculture certification means he's tested on tree biology, structural pruning, hazard assessment, and safety standards, and maintains the credential through continuing education. We're one of the few tree services in the Grand Rapids area where the certified arborist is the same person who shows up to do the work.
Not for trees on your private property. The City of Grand Rapids requires permits only for trees in the public right-of-way (boulevard trees between the sidewalk and street). If you're in Heritage Hill Historic District, the Historic Preservation Commission may review removal of significant trees visible from the street. B's Trees handles permit coordination when needed — we'll let you know during your free estimate if any permits apply.
Late fall through early spring (November–March) is ideal for most hardwoods — trees are dormant, disease transmission risk is lowest, and it's easier to see the branch structure. The critical exception: never prune oaks between April and July, when oak wilt fungus is actively spread by sap beetles. We schedule pruning year-round but adjust species timing to protect your trees.
If your ash tree still has at least 50% of its canopy intact and shows no major structural cracking, trunk-injection treatments can protect it. Trees with less than 50% canopy, extensive woodpecker damage, or bark splitting are typically past the point of treatment and should be removed before they become a hazard. Our arborist can assess your ash trees during a free on-site visit and give you an honest recommendation.
Grand Rapids sits on heavy clay — the kind that holds water, causes shallow root systems, and makes stump grinding take longer than you'd expect. Root flares spread wider in clay, which is why surface roots are constantly lifting sidewalks and driveways. Near the Grand River floodplain the soil gets sandier, which means trees grow faster but don't anchor as deeply.
Grand Rapids averages 75 inches of snow a year, with ice storms from November through March. Lake-effect moisture off Lake Michigan creates heavy, wet snow that causes way more branch failure than dry snow — silver Maples and Bradford Pears are especially vulnerable. Summer thunderstorms with straight-line winds are the biggest driver of our emergency calls, and microbursts can topple even healthy trees without warning.
A lot of Grand Rapids tree services will look at a big or awkwardly positioned tree and tell you they can't do it — or they'll try to piece it apart in a way that puts your house, your fence, or your neighbor's garage at risk. We own crane capability for exactly these situations. Lifting sections straight up and out means less risk to surrounding structures, less damage to your lawn, and a faster, cleaner job. If you've got a 70-foot oak hanging over your roof on Wealthy Street, or a dead ash wedged between two buildings in Creston, we have the equipment to handle it safely. Learn more about our tree removal process.
B's Trees is based in Caledonia, and we work throughout Grand Rapids and more than 20 surrounding communities — from Ada and Cascade to Rockford, Kentwood, Wyoming, and Walker. We know the neighborhoods, we know the tree species, and we know the specific challenges Grand Rapids properties deal with — from the heavy clay soils that cause shallow root systems to the lake-effect ice storms that split limbs every winter.
When a storm rips through Grand Rapids at 2 AM and drops a cottonwood across your driveway or punches a limb through your roof, you need someone who answers the phone. We provide 24/7 emergency tree service throughout Grand Rapids and the surrounding area. We'll get to your property, assess the situation, make it safe, and work with your insurance company if needed. We don't charge for emergency estimates, and we prioritize situations that pose immediate danger to people or structures.
We don't give prices over the phone based on a description. Every property is different, every tree is different, and the only way to give you an honest number is to come look at it. We'll walk your property, assess the trees, explain what we're seeing in plain English, and give you a written quote. If you want to think about it, great. If you want a second opinion, go for it. Request your free estimate here.
Whether you need a single stump ground out, a full property of dead ash removed, or a long-term cabling and bracing plan for a heritage tree you want to preserve — we've got you covered.
Depends on the job. Tree removal typically runs $500 to $5,000 or more depending on size, proximity to structures, and whether we need the crane. Pruning is generally $200 to $1,500 based on tree size and scope. Stump grinding runs $100 to $400 per stump with volume discounts. The only way to get an accurate number is a free on-site estimate — every tree and every property is different.
For trees on your own property, no. The city only requires permits for trees in the public right-of-way — that strip between the sidewalk and the street. Those belong to the city and need approval from the Grand Rapids Forestry Division. If you're in a neighborhood with a historic district overlay, there may be additional guidelines. We'll let you know during your free estimate if any permits apply to your situation.
We work year-round, but timing matters for certain species. The most important rule in West Michigan: never prune oaks between April 15 and July 15. That's when oak wilt fungus is most easily transmitted through fresh pruning wounds. For most other hardwoods — maples, elms, lindens — dormant-season pruning (late November through March) is ideal because branch structure is fully visible and disease pressure is lower. Emergency work and hazard removals happen whenever they're needed, regardless of season.
Some warning signs you can spot yourself: large dead branches hanging in the crown, cracks or splits in the trunk, mushrooms or bracket fungi at the base, a lean that's gotten worse recently, heaving soil around the root zone, or big sections of missing bark. In Grand Rapids specifically, any untreated ash tree should be considered high-risk — even trees that still look healthy can be structurally gone on the inside from EAB. If you see any of these signs, don't wait. Call us at 616-947-4050 for a free assessment.