The Ranking
Our top 5 tree services in New York
Tree work in New York City is shaped by the trees themselves. London planes and honey locusts line the sidewalks, pin oaks and Norway maples crowd old rowhouse yards, and ash trees across the boroughs have been under pressure from the emerald ash borer for years. Spotted lanternfly has joined the list of pests. When a nor'easter or a late summer storm like Ida or Isaias comes through, the calls for fallen limbs and cracked trunks pile up in Staten Island, the Bronx and Brooklyn first, so it pays to have a name ready before you need one.
Permits matter here more than in most places. NYC Parks controls street trees and park trees, and a Parks tree work permit is required to prune, remove or plant one. Fines apply to unpermitted work, so ask any company who is filing the permit when the tree stands on the sidewalk. Trees on private property usually do not need a Parks permit, but parts of Staten Island and Riverdale in the Bronx sit inside special natural area districts with their own limits, and historic districts add review of their own. Check with the Department of City Planning or the Landmarks Preservation Commission if your block might be covered. Anything near power lines is a separate matter: crews should not work close to live lines, and downed wires should be reported to the utility before anyone touches the tree.
On licensing, New York State has no general licence for tree service companies, and we found no city licence for private tree work either. Companies that spray pesticides need a certified commercial applicator from the state Department of Environmental Conservation, and the closest thing to a standard credential is the International Society of Arboriculture certification, which you can look up by name on the ISA website. Ask for a certificate of insurance that shows both liability and workers compensation, because an uninsured climber who falls on your property becomes your problem.
We searched Google Maps on November 7, 2026 across the five boroughs and kept only companies with a street address inside the city, 4.5 stars or better, at least 50 Google reviews, a working website and a real logo. Many promising listings were set aside because they shared a call center website, sat at a mailbox or virtual office, or showed a house address with no business presence. The five below are what remained.
