Emergency Tree Removal in Mobile, AL

Emergency tree removal in Mobile

Mobile had 200,824 people on July 1, 2025. Emergency tree removal in the public right of way needs a city permit, and the city permit fee is $75 per tree. Call 911 or the utility if a wire is down.

Fact check

Checked against City of Mobile, National Weather Service, Alabama Power, Southern Company, Census Bureau, and Alabama Attorney General guidance on October 27, 2026.

Reading time

2 minutes

Emergency tree removal in Mobile starts with the wire, then the right-of-way permit. Emergency tree removal, in this order is the safety order. The city pieces are the permit, the city permit fee, Alabama Power, and who hauls the limbs.

A wire comes first

Stay away from a tree on a line. Alabama Power says: "Stay away from downed power lines. Always assume a downed power line is live and life-threatening." It says: "Do not attempt to remove tree limbs or any other object from a downed line." If you see a downed line, Alabama Power says to call 1-800-888-2726, or your police or fire department, so the line can be barricaded until it is repaired. If anyone is hurt or in danger, call 911 first. Call the company on your power bill if it is not Alabama Power.

OSHA tells cleanup workers to assume every power line is live and to stay at least 10 feet from downed lines. Stay much farther back, and treat the line as live. Work within 10 feet of a power line must be done by trained tree trimmers. A tree is on a power line. What do I do? quotes each source.

The city permit fee

A tree in the public right of way needs a permit from the Mobile Tree Commission before anyone prunes, moves, or removes it. The city permit fee is $75 per tree. For a residential property the city caps that fee at 3 trees, which is $225. You pay that fee to the city for the permit. A crew's price for cutting is a separate written quote, and this page does not print one.

Outside historic districts, the city says no permit is required on a developed home lot when the tree is not in the public right of way. Do I need a permit to remove a tree? has the other cities.

If you hire a crew, the city says the contractor collects the debris and takes it to the landfill. Limbs greater than 12 inches in diameter are on the city's not-collectible list. How to judge a tree crew asks who hauls the wood for that reason.

Hurricane Sally in Mobile County

The airport gust in Hurricane Sally was 82 mph. Trees and power lines came down across Mobile County, especially in the central and southern parts. The Census Vintage 2025 estimate is 200,824 people on July 1, 2025.

A tree on a car is still the insurance question on the car page. The permit fee does not answer it.

The local record for Mobile

What it costs

In Mobile, the price a crew charges depends on the tree and the job, including its size, where it fell, and what it is touching. Get a written quote from each crew you call. In an August 2021 release during Tropical Storm Ida, the Alabama Attorney General's office said: "Make sure quotes and contracts are in writing." It said a contract should include "the contractor's full name, address, telephone number, a description of the work to be performed, starting and estimated completion dates, and the total cost of the job." It also said: "Ask for proof of insurance, including workers compensation and general liability."

Permits and registration

The City of Mobile says a permit must be applied for and obtained from the Mobile Tree Commission to prune, move, or remove any tree located within the public right of way. For a developed home lot outside historic districts, the city says no permit is required if the tree is not in a public right of way. The city permit fee is $75 per tree, with a cost cap of 3 trees for residential property, which is $225. That money is a fee to the city for the permit. It is the city's fee, and it is separate from what a crew charges to cut the tree.

Climate

The National Weather Service says that during Hurricane Sally the airport in Mobile County recorded an 82 mph gust, close to the 83 mph peak gust the Weather Service gives for Hurricane Katrina. Numerous trees and power lines were downed across the county, especially in the central and southern parts.

About Mobile

The city trash page says that if a resident hires a contractor, it is the contractor's responsibility to collect and remove the debris and take it to the landfill. The same page lists limbs greater than twelve inches in diameter as not collectible. The U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimate for Mobile city is 200,824 people on July 1, 2025. That figure describes the city. It is not a price for tree work. Alabama Power's parent company said that after Hurricane Sally, electric service had been restored by Sunday to 99 percent of Alabama Power customers able to safely receive power, after crews worked in and around Mobile. That report describes Hurricane Sally.

Sources