Kitsap lots come with trees, and a lot of them are close to the house. Homeowners usually call us with one of two worries: the tree is too big, or the tree looks unhealthy. The answer is different for each.
A healthy tree that's too big is usually a trimming job. Limbing up the lower branches opens the yard and lets light reach the lawn, crown thinning reduces wind load and lets storms blow through instead of pushing, and clearance cuts keep limbs off the roof and away from lines. A well-trimmed fir or cedar can live next to a house for decades.
Removal is the answer when the tree itself is the hazard. Watch for a dead or thinning top, large dead limbs, fungus or mushrooms at the base, cracks in the trunk, a new lean, or soil lifting on one side after a storm. Any of those on a tree that could reach the house, the driveway, or a neighbor's property is a removal, and sooner is cheaper than after the windstorm.
There's a middle category too: alders and cottonwoods that grow fast and break, and trees planted too close to foundations or septic fields. Those are often worth removing before they become a problem, even if they look fine today.
If you're not sure, have us look. A site visit is free, and we'll tell you honestly whether it's a trim, a removal, or a tree you can leave alone.