Tree Service in Big Sandy, TX

Tree Service in Big Sandy deals with two kinds of ground: the town blocks along U.S. 80 and the low land toward the Sabine River, which flows just south of town. Big Sandy is a town of 1,231 people (2020 census) in Upshur County, about 14 miles southwest of Gilmer. It started after the Civil War as Big Sandy Switch, where the Texas and Pacific Railroad crossed a narrow-gauge line called the Tyler Tap, and it incorporated in 1926. Big Sandy Lake sits right in town, cut nearly in half by Highway 80.

Wet ground and shallow roots

Near the river and around the lake, soils stay wet much of the year. Trees on wet ground grow wide, shallow root plates and are prone to tipping when soil is saturated and wind picks up. They also hide decay well, because a trunk can look sound while the roots underneath have rotted. When we look at a big tree on low ground, we spend as much time on the root collar and soil as on the crown: mushrooms at the base, soil cracks, or a slight new lean are the signs we care about.

A big old campus

In the mid-1960s the Radio Church of God (later the Worldwide Church of God) built a second campus of Ambassador College in Big Sandy. The college closed in 1997, and since its sale in 2000 the property has been the headquarters of the Institute in Basic Life Principles. Campuses and large institutional grounds like that tend to carry many big, mature trees, and the same is true of older home sites around town.

Stump grinding and the 48-hour rule

Stump grinding is excavation. A grinder cuts several inches below grade and throws chips over a wide area, and on rural and older lots, water, gas, power and communication lines are not always where people think they are. Texas Utilities Code Section 251.151 requires anyone excavating to notify the state notification center (Texas 811) at least 48 hours before starting, not counting Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays, and no earlier than 14 days ahead. We request locates before grinding, so plan for a couple of business days between your approval and the grinding date. Private lines the utilities do not mark, such as a line to a shop or a well, are worth pointing out to us.

What we handle in Big Sandy

• Removing dead or leaning trees on wet ground near the lake and river
• Pruning large trees over homes and drives along the Highway 80 corridor
• Stump grinding after locates
• Storm cleanup after spring squall lines
• Clearing overgrown lots and fence lines

Call (903) 636-8096 with the address and tell us if any stumps are on the list, so we can start the locate request early. Get a free estimate