Call Us Now: 504-732-9714
Call Us Now: 504-732-9714
Big Easy Tree Cutting provides tree removal in Metairie for homes and businesses across this part of Jefferson Parish. We take down dead, damaged and unwanted trees on private property, clean up afterward, and help you understand the parish rules that may apply before the first cut. Every estimate is free.
Mature trees often sit close to houses, fences and driveways on Metairie lots, and that makes removal a careful job. A limb over a roof, a trunk leaning toward the neighbor’s fence, or a storm-cracked oak near your driveway all call for planning, the right equipment and a crew that cleans up after itself.
Big Easy Tree Cutting is based in New Orleans and works throughout the East Bank. If you want to see everything we do here, start with our tree service in Metairie page.
Metairie is an unincorporated community in Jefferson Parish, so there is no city government writing its tree rules. The parish does. That matters because two different parts of the parish code can come into play:
Outside those two districts, we found no general parish-wide permit for removing a tree on a private lot. Rules can change, so confirm with Jefferson Parish before a large removal.
If you live in one of these areas, read this section before you schedule a removal.
The Metairie Ridge Tree Preservation District (Sec. 33-3.66) exists “to protect the existing tree canopy.” The code describes its boundaries as running from Bonnabel Boulevard at I-10 south to Metairie Road, along Metairie Road to North Labarre Road and the Norfolk Southern tracks, along Metairie Road to the 17th Street Canal, north along the canal to I-10, and back west to Bonnabel.
The Old Metairie Neighborhood Conservation District (Sec. 33-3.65) also aims to protect and preserve the tree canopy. It is bounded by the New Orleans Terminal Railroad on the north, Metairie Road and Orpheum Avenue on the east, and Metairie Country Club on the south and west.
In both districts, Sec. 33-3.66.7.2 says the tree removal application must be filed with the Department of Parkways before any tree removal. The code treats these “significant trees” as protected when at least half of the base sits in a preservation area:
Even in areas the code treats as uncontested, such as the buildable part of a lot, an application is still needed, and significant trees removed there must be replaced or covered by a fee in lieu. You can read the full text in Jefferson Parish Code Chapter 33. We can talk through what your project may need, and Jefferson Parish Parkways confirms the requirements.
Storms are part of life here. Hurricane Ida made landfall near Port Fourchon on August 29, 2021 as a Category 4 storm, and the National Hurricane Center’s Hurricane Ida report says all power was lost in Jefferson Parish, aided by the collapse of a large transmission tower along the Mississippi River.
The preservation districts have a rule for storm damage. Under Sec. 33-6.27.3(d), a protected tree irreparably damaged by a hurricane, tornado or similar event that poses imminent danger may be removed right away. The owner must then submit a tree removal permit within 30 days and replace the tree one for one, and a Louisiana-licensed arborist, landscape architect or landscape contractor must certify the emergency by affidavit. Ask early who will provide that affidavit for your property.
For more on what to do after a storm, see our guide to storm-damaged tree removal.
Not every tree with a problem has to go. Some can be pruned, cabled or simply watched. Removal is worth discussing when you see:
Our article on hazardous tree warning signs explains each of these in more detail. If you are unsure, our Metairie arborist services can help you weigh keeping the tree against taking it down.
Entergy Louisiana serves Metairie. Entergy says it is not safe for homeowners or private contractors to work near energized lines, and Louisiana law generally prohibits work that could bring a person or tool within 10 feet of a line carrying more than 600 volts. If a tree is on or near a line, call Entergy at 800-ENTERGY (800-368-3749) before anyone starts cutting.
It starts with a consultation. We visit, look at the tree and what is around it, and give you an estimate. Once we agree on the scope, our crew arrives to do the work. When the tree is down, we clean up the debris and follow up with you afterward.
The stump stays unless you ask us to remove it. You can pair a removal with our stump grinding in Metairie so the yard is ready for grass or a replacement tree. You can learn more about our general tree removal service, and we also offer tree removal in Kenner and tree removal in Harahan.
Have a tree that needs to come down? Contact us for a free estimate or call 504-732-9714, and we’ll come take a look.
It depends on where the tree stands. Protected trees in Old Metairie and the Metairie Ridge Tree Preservation District require a removal application with Jefferson Parish Parkways, and any tree on public property needs a Parkways permit. Outside those districts, the parish code sections covered here do not set a general permit rule for private lots, so confirm with the parish for your address.
The parish code protects oaks other than water oaks, elms, magnolias and sycamores that are 8 inches or more in diameter at breast height. Canopy trees 24 inches or more are also protected, except bald cypress and prohibited trees.
Yes, if it was irreparably damaged by a hurricane or similar event and poses imminent danger. The owner then has 30 days to submit a removal permit and must replace the tree one for one. A Louisiana-licensed arborist, landscape architect or landscape contractor must certify the emergency by affidavit.
That strip is often parish public property, and removing a tree there always requires a Jefferson Parish Parkways permit. We work on trees on private property, so contact Parkways first about any tree on the public strip.
Stump grinding is a separate service we can add to the same job. Grinding turns the stump into wood chips, which leaves the area ready for replanting or grass.
Stay away from the tree and the line and call Entergy at 800-ENTERGY right away. Entergy says it is not safe for homeowners or private contractors to work near energized lines.