Emergency tree service in Vancouver, Washington

First hour: who to call

In the first hour, work in this order. Get people out of any room under the tree and keep everyone well back from any downed wire, then report it to Clark Public Utilities at 360-992-3000. Do not cut, pull or climb anything touching a line; the utility clears within 10 feet of its overhead conductors and handles anything energized.

Next, stop the damage spreading: shut off gas if you smell it, tarp an open roof, and move vehicles from under hung limbs. Only then call a tree crew. A tree blocking the street or with its trunk in the right-of-way is a street tree, so report it to Public Works Urban Forestry at 360-487-8332 as well.

Vancouver’s private tree permit path includes a Level III permit for nuisance or hazard trees. Ask Community Development how that applies once the emergency is past and a damaged tree is still standing.

Storm records for Clark County

Clark County’s storm count is rising. NOAA logged 39 reports in the latest three years against 30 in the three before, for 118 since 2016 and a rank of 21st among Washington’s 39 counties. Heavy snow leads with 45 reports, followed by winter storms at 22, ice storms and high wind at 11 each.

Those ice storms are the emergency driver. FEMA’s National Risk Index (December 2025) rates Clark County’s ice storm risk Relatively High at 90.5, and wind Relatively Moderate at 82.3. With 76 percent of reports between November and February, plan on emergency crews being booked solid for days after any ice event.

NWS forecast zones covering the county: East Clark County Lowlands; Inner Vancouver Metro; North Clark County Lowlands; South Washington Cascade Foothills; South Washington Cascades.

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 2016 to June 2026 · NWS zone-county correlation files (2019 to 2026 versions). Checked 2026-10-02. NOAA Storm Events 2016-2026; zone-based events assigned to every county the NWS zone covers using the zone-county correlation file in force on the event date (2019-04-02 file used for 2016-2018).

Insurance and documentation

Insurance turns on documentation. Before any cutting, photograph the tree, the stump or root plate, and every point of contact with the house, fence or car, with a wide shot that shows the whole scene. Keep invoices for the tarp, the emergency cut and any hotel night.

Most homeowner policies treat a tree that fell on a covered structure differently from one that fell in the yard, and a tree that was visibly dead beforehand may be argued as neglect. The Washington storm damage and tree insurance guide walks through the claim, and fallen tree removal covers the job itself.

Full guide: storm-damaged trees and insurance in Washington.

What emergency work costs

Emergency jobs price above the modeled range for planned work in the table below, because the tree is already under load, often on a structure, and crews are working nights and weekends after a storm. A trunk resting on a roof has to be lifted off in pieces, sometimes with a crane, so the house takes no more damage.

The labor base is the same as any job here: BLS puts the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro mean wage at $35.04 an hour (method). Storm demand is what pushes the final number up.

Modeled estimate, not quotes (method): crew-hours × $210 per crew-hour; ×1.25 within 10 ft of a structure, ×1.3 with no truck access; a crane day adds $1,500–$3,500; stump grinding is separate.

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, SOC 37-3013. Checked 2026-10-02.

What to do next

Save two numbers now: Clark Public Utilities at 360-992-3000 for lines down, and Urban Forestry at 360-487-8332 for a street tree. After a storm, check that the crew at your door is registered with the Washington tree service license lookup before you sign anything.

Once the emergency is over, a tree risk assessment on the trees that survived is the step that prevents the next call. The Vancouver hub has the rest of the city’s data.

Back to tree service in Vancouver · Emergency tree service across WA and OR · Emergency tree service in Washington · cost guide.