What Michael’s Tree & Loader Service Actually Is
Michael’s Tree & Loader Service is a full-service tree care and storm debris removal contractor serving residential, commercial, and municipal clients across St. Louis City and St. Louis County.
Services include tree removal, pruning, stump grinding, plant health care, lot and land clearing, debris hauling, mulch, emergency storm work, and disaster recovery. All work is performed by company crews using owned equipment, including grapple trucks, bucket trucks, and heavy material handlers.
The company is an experienced FEMA contractor with recorded storm engagements across at least fourteen states between 2015 and 2025, including the 2025 City of St. Louis tornado. Assessments are conducted by an ISA Certified Arborist. The company is licensed and insured and holds an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. Estimates are provided free of charge.
FEMA
Contractor
9
Services under one roof
A+
BBB rating
$0
Cost to reschedule for weather
Tree Services Offered in St. Louis
All work is carried out by our own crews. No subcontractors.
Tree Removal
Removal of trees of any size, including large and structurally compromised specimens standing close to buildings, boundaries, and utility lines.
Tree Trimming & Pruning
Removal of fallen and hung-up trees, clearance of blocked access, and removal of limbs bearing on roofs and structures following wind, ice, or tornado damage.
Disaster Recovery
Large-scale storm debris removal for municipal, commercial, and residential clients, including the documentation required for FEMA reimbursement.
Tree Trimming and Pruning
Structural pruning, deadwood removal, and clearance from roofs, drives, and service lines.
Stump Grinding
Stumps and surface roots ground below ground level, leaving the ground suitable for turf, planting, or a replacement tree.
Lot and Land Clearing
Clearance of trees, brush, and undergrowth to prepare a site for construction, agricultural use, or landscaping, with all material removed.
Debris Hauling
Collection and removal of branches, logs, and brush, whether generated by our work, by storm damage, or by the property owner.
Mulch
Supply and application of mulch to improve soil condition, retain moisture, and suppress weed growth.
Storm and Emergency Response in St. Louis, MO
Storm work is a core service line rather than an occasional overflow. The company is an experienced FEMA contractor with logged engagements across at least fourteen states between 2015 and 2025.
Recorded response includes the 2025 City of St. Louis tornado, Hurricane Helene in Georgia, ice storm response in Michigan and Virginia, and tornado response across Arkansas, Texas, Mississippi, and Tennessee. The operational capability this requires, meaning crews, heavy equipment, hauling capacity, and FEMA-compliant documentation, is the same capability applied to a single storm-damaged tree on a residential property.
During major weather events, emergency work is prioritized and estimate turnaround for routine work may extend accordingly.
Working Across St. Louis City and County Jurisdictions
The St. Louis metropolitan area is administratively fragmented in a way that directly affects tree work. St. Louis City and St. Louis County are separate jurisdictions, and the county contains numerous incorporated municipalities, several of which maintain their own tree ordinances. Clayton, Webster Groves, and Kirkwood are among those with local requirements, and rules commonly differ for trees standing within the public right-of-way as opposed to wholly on private property.
The practical consequence is that identical work at two addresses a mile apart may carry different requirements. Applicable requirements are identified during the on-site assessment, before the estimate is issued, so that permitting is established at the outset rather than discovered mid-project.
How We Work
- Initial contact. The office collects basic information about the property, access, and the condition prompting the inquiry. In most cases the on-site visit is scheduled during that call. Missed calls are returned the same business day.
- On-site assessment. The arborist examines the trees, the surrounding structures, and the access available for equipment, and explains the findings directly.
- Written estimate. The estimate sets out the recommended work, the reasoning behind it, and the cost. It is issued electronically for review, approval, and payment.
- Scheduling. A reminder is sent ahead of the service date, with notification when the crew is en route.
- Execution and site clearance. Work begins with a crew briefing covering the plan, the hazards, and each person’s role. Our crews operate to ANSI Z133 safety standards, establish drop zones, protect adjacent structures and planting, and clear the work area before leaving the site.
Why St. Louis Customers Choose Us
We started with the hardest work in the industry
Storm response, disaster recovery, municipal tree care, and large-scale vegetation management built this company. The standards that hold up on a disaster contract are the standards we bring to a residential job.
We own equipment most residential companies rent or skip
Grapple trucks, bucket trucks, and heavy material handlers, plus purpose-built plant health care rigs with split-tank spray systems that let us custom-mix treatments on site. The right machine on site means faster work, safer work, and less damage to your yard.
One safety standard, every job
Crews work to ANSI Z133 standards, hold a job briefing before every project, and meet weekly for training built around TCIA Tailgate Safety sessions. If conditions turn unsafe, we stop, secure the site, and reschedule at no additional cost.
Our arborists are ISA Certified
Recommendations come from people who hold industry certification in tree care, tree health, and risk assessment, not from whoever answered the phone.
Commercial, Development, and Municipal Work
Commercial property and portfolio managers
Recurring maintenance across multiple sites, storm response, and tree condition assessment supporting liability management.
Contractors and developers
Lot and land clearing, large tree removal, and debris hauling coordinated to a construction program, including sites where access or proximity to existing structures constrains the method.
Municipalities and public agencies
Right-of-way clearance, storm debris removal, and FEMA-documented disaster recovery. The City of St. Louis engagement referenced above was performed under exactly these conditions.
Homeowners
Removal, pruning, and stump grinding across St. Louis City and County, plus scheduled plant health care for owners who want their trees maintained rather than replaced.
Where We Work in St. Louis
St. Louis City. Downtown, Central West End, Soulard, Lafayette Square, Tower Grove East and South, The Hill, Dogtown, Shaw, Benton Park, Carondelet, Bevo Mill, Holly Hills, Lindenwood Park, Skinker DeBaliviere, Fox Park, Compton Heights, Baden, and North City.
St. Louis County. Clayton, University City, Webster Groves, Kirkwood, Ladue, Creve Coeur, Chesterfield, Ballwin, Florissant, Maryland Heights, Richmond Heights, Brentwood, Maplewood, Affton, Crestwood, Sunset Hills, Oakville, Town and Country, Olivette, Ferguson, Hazelwood, Bridgeton, St. Ann, and Overland.
ZIP codes
City: 63101, 63102, 63103, 63104, 63106, 63107, 63108, 63109, 63110, 63111, 63112, 63113, 63115, 63116, 63118, 63120, 63139, 63147
Inner county: 63105 Clayton · 63117 Richmond Heights · 63119 Webster Groves · 63122 Kirkwood · 63123 Affton · 63124 Ladue · 63126 Crestwood · 63127 Sunset Hills · 63129 Oakville · 63130 University City · 63143 Maplewood · 63144 Brentwood
West county: 63005 and 63017 Chesterfield · 63011 and 63021 Ballwin · 63131 Town and Country · 63132 Olivette · 63141 Creve Coeur · 63043 and 63146 Maryland Heights
North county: 63031, 63033, 63034 Florissant · 63042 Hazelwood · 63044 Bridgeton · 63074 St. Ann · 63114 Overland · 63135 Ferguson
Not sure whether we reach your address? Call 901-331-8205 and we will tell you straight away.
St. Louis Tree Care Service | FAQs
Has the company worked in St. Louis before? Yes. St. Louis appears on the company’s storm log, including the 2025 city tornado, and the City of St. Louis Parks, Recreation and Forestry department has confirmed in writing that crews were on the ground within 36 hours of a storm with no contract in place at the time.
Do you work in both St. Louis City and St. Louis County? Yes. Coverage extends across the City and the County municipalities, though local ordinance requirements differ between jurisdictions and are identified during the assessment.
Is a permit required to remove a tree in St. Louis? It depends on the municipality and on whether the tree stands within the public right-of-way. St. Louis City and several county municipalities, among them Clayton, Webster Groves, and Kirkwood, maintain their own tree ordinances. Applicable requirements are confirmed during the on-site assessment.
How quickly can crews respond after a storm? Emergency work is prioritized during major weather events. The documented benchmark in this market is 36 hours from storm to crews working, achieved for the City of St. Louis without a contract in place.
Do you take on commercial and development-scale clearing? Yes. Lot and land clearing, large removals, and debris hauling are provided for contractors and developers, including sites where access or adjacent structures constrain the method.
Is there a charge for an estimate in St. Louis? No. Assessments and estimates are provided at no cost throughout the service area.
How is the estimate delivered? Electronically. The recommended work can be reviewed, queried, approved, and paid for by phone or computer.
What safety standards do your crews work to? Our crews operate to ANSI Z133 safety standards. Every job begins with a crew briefing covering the plan, the hazards, and each person’s role, and drop zones are established before work starts.
Request an Estimate in St. Louis, MO
For tree removal, pruning, plant health care, stump grinding, land clearing, storm cleanup, or debris hauling in St. Louis.
Email: info@michaelstree.com
Office hours: Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
