Tree Trimming in Memphis, TN: Pruning, Thinning and Limb Removal
Tree trimming is the cutting of branches to keep a tree healthy, safe and the right shape. 18 Primos Solutions is a tree service based in Raleigh, Memphis, and our crew trims and prunes trees for homes and businesses in Memphis, Shelby County and 13 nearby towns.
- Free on-site estimates
- Phone answered 7 days a week
- Climbers on every job
- Full cleanup
Published price guides put tree trimming from about $85 for a small tree, with most trees landing around $430 to $640. Those are guide figures, not our prices. We give you a free estimate after we see the trees. Call (901) 389-2360, Monday to Saturday 7am to 9pm and Sunday 6am to 8pm.
Below you’ll find the 5 types of pruning we do, why topping is a bad idea, when to trim, what trimming costs, how a branch should be cut, and what to do about limbs near power lines.
Sources: LawnStarter tree trimming cost (updated 24 Sep 2026, read 1 Nov 2026).
What types of pruning do we do?
We do 5 types of pruning: dead wooding, crown thinning, crown raising, crown reduction and structural pruning. Tree service in Memphis crews like ours do all five, and most trims mix two or three of them.
1. Dead Wooding
Taking out dead and dying limbs before they fall on a roof, a car or a person.
2. Crown Thinning
Taking out select branches so wind and light can pass through. A thinned crown catches less wind in a storm.
3. Crown Raising
Lifting the low limbs to clear the roof, the driveway, the sidewalk or the lawn.
4. Crown Reduction
Shortening long limbs back to a side branch to take weight off and make the tree smaller, without leaving stubs.
5. Structural Pruning
Shaping young trees so they grow one strong leader and well spaced limbs. It heads off the weak forks that split years later.
We also do cabling and bracing. Steel cables or rods support a weak fork, but they don’t fix it, so they go with good pruning, not in place of it. Whichever type your tree needs, one thing should never be on the list, and that’s topping.
Sources: UT Extension Tree News, Pruning Techniques (April 2024), TCIA, ANSI A300 Part 3.
Why should you never top a tree?
You should never top a tree because topping strips off most of the leaves the tree feeds on and leaves big stubs that rot. Topping means cutting the main limbs back to stubs to make a tree shorter.
The ISA says topping can remove 50 to 100 percent of a tree’s leaf-bearing crown at once. The tree answers with a burst of fast, weakly attached sprouts that can grow up to 20 feet in a year. Those sprouts break easily, and the stub cuts often decay.
What to do instead: if a tree is too big for its spot, a crown reduction back to side branches takes the size down without stubs. If it’s still too big after that, removal is the honest answer.
Crape myrtles too
Cutting crape myrtles back to the same knuckles every winter is a form of topping. Light pruning of crossing branches and suckers keeps the natural shape. Watch for crape myrtle bark scale too, white felt-like patches on the bark. UT Extension says Tennessee’s first case was found in Shelby County in 2013.
Sources: ISA, Why topping hurts trees, ISA, Pruning mature trees, UT Extension on crape myrtle bark scale.
When should you trim trees in Memphis?
For most trees in Memphis, the best time to trim is late fall through winter, while the tree is dormant. The leaves are off, so the structure is easy to see, and fresh cuts aren’t sitting open while insects and diseases are most active.
Oaks have their own timing. The Tennessee Division of Forestry asks people not to prune oaks from March through July, to avoid spreading oak wilt. Our oak tree guide has the details.
Some jobs can’t wait for the right month. Dead, cracked or hanging limbs should come off as soon as you see them, and so should limbs rubbing the roof. Next, the price.
Sources: MU Extension, It’s tree pruning time (2018), Tennessee Division of Forestry on oak wilt.
What does tree trimming cost?
Published price guides put tree trimming at about $430 to $640 per tree, and most of the swing comes from how tall the tree is. These are guide figures, not our prices. We price each job after we see the trees, and the estimate is free.
| Tree height | Guide range per tree (LawnStarter, 2026) |
|---|---|
| Under 30 ft | $85 to $415 |
| 30 to 60 ft | $215 to $790 |
| Over 60 ft | $475 to $1,835 |
HomeBlue, which writes a Memphis page, prices trimming at about $180 to $230 an hour for a three person crew.
Sources: LawnStarter tree trimming cost (updated 24 Sep 2026, read 1 Nov 2026), HomeBlue Memphis guide (dated 5 Mar 2025), City of Memphis garbage and yard waste rules.
What moves the price
- Size. A taller, wider tree takes more cuts and more time.
- How much comes off. A light clean out costs less than a full thin and raise.
- Access. A tree behind a narrow gate means carrying every limb farther.
- What’s under it. A roof, pool or line means limbs are lowered on ropes, not dropped.
- Cleanup. Hauling the brush is part of the work, and Memphis won’t pick up debris left by a tree contractor.
Ask what the estimate covers and get it in writing before work starts.
Why does trimming matter for a tree?
Trimming matters because it keeps a tree healthy, keeps people and roofs safe, keeps the shape strong, and lets light through.
Health. Dead, diseased and broken limbs are where decay gets in. UT Extension lists the five Ds to take out: damaged, dead, diseased, duplicate and drooping branches.
Safety. Overgrown limbs rub shingles, fill gutters, hang over the driveway and come down in the first strong storm.
Shape. A young tree pruned to one strong leader grows into a tree that holds together. Skip it, and you often get a weak fork that splits later.
Light. A thinned crown lets sun reach the lawn and lets wind pass through instead of pushing on the whole tree.
All four depend on one thing: where the cut goes.
Sources: UT Extension Tree News, Pruning Techniques (April 2024), ISA, Pruning mature trees.
How should a branch be cut?
A branch should be cut just outside the branch collar, the swollen ring where the branch meets the trunk, and never flush with the trunk. UT Extension says the collar is where the tree closes a wound fastest.
A flush cut slices off the collar. MU Extension calls the collar the zone where the tree walls off decay, so cutting it away leaves a bigger wound that’s slower to close.
Large limbs get the three cut method, so the weight doesn’t tear a strip of bark down the trunk:
- Undercut. A cut on the underside of the limb, about 12 inches out from the collar.
- Top cut. A cut from the top that meets the undercut and drops the weight of the limb.
- Final cut. The short stub is cut off at the branch collar.
The same method is how we take off one large limb, which is the next thing people ask about.
Sources: UT Extension Tree News, Pruning Techniques (April 2024), MU Extension, It’s tree pruning time (2018).
What about taking off one large limb?
We can take off one large limb without touching the rest of the tree. You don’t need to remove the tree to fix one bad limb over the roof or driveway.
Over open lawn, a limb can come down with the three cuts above. Over a roof, a fence or a pool, a climber ties the limb off, cuts it in pieces and lowers each one on a rope, so nothing drops on what’s below. We cut back to the collar or to a strong side branch, not to a stub.
If the limb is cracked where it joins the trunk, or the trunk itself is rotten, the tree may be past saving, and our tree removal page explains what happens next. If the limb is near a wire, stop and read the next part first.
What about branches near power lines?
Branches near the main power lines are MLGW’s job, and our crew does not touch a line. MLGW trims its own clearance around its lines on a three year cycle.
MLGW keeps 10 feet clear on each side of single-phase lines, 15 feet on each side of three-phase lines, and 5 feet around service lines to houses. It does not remove a tree just because it touches the service line from the pole to your house. With your written consent, it can take a dead or diseased tree it sees as a hazard to its lines. MLGW does not clear storm debris.
For limbs near the service line to your house, call us first. We’ll look and tell you what can be trimmed safely and what has to wait for MLGW.
Sources: MLGW tree trimming (read 1 Nov 2026).
Is it safe to trim near power lines?
No, it isn’t safe to trim a limb that is touching or close to a power line, for a homeowner or a tree crew. The utility trims its own lines, and nobody else should touch one.
A limb can carry power, and a wire can be live even when the lights are out. Don’t climb, cut or pull on anything near a line, and keep ladders and pole saws well away.
If a wire is down or sparking, stay back and call MLGW at (901) 528-4465, the 24 hour emergency line. Call 911 if anyone is hurt or something is on fire. To report a power outage, call (901) 544-6500. For a question about a tree growing toward a line, call the MLGW Customer Care Center at (901) 544-6549. That number is for service requests, weekdays 9 to 3, and it isn’t an emergency line.
Once the line is safe, we can trim or take down the rest of the tree. Call (901) 389-2360 for a free estimate.
Sources: MLGW downed power lines, MLGW, storm notice with emergency and outage numbers, MLGW tree trimming (read 1 Nov 2026).
Trees getting out of hand?
Free trimming estimates. Our own team answers the phone.