Quick answer
Yes. Roxborough tree work splits two ways. Lower Roxborough is mostly older rowhomes where trees grow in tight yards and sidewalk strips, while much of Upper Roxborough was built after 1950 with lawns and garages that give us room. Across both, the ridge-top setting and a 40 percent or better canopy mean wind damage is a regular call.
Living on the ridge above Ridge Avenue
Roxborough runs along a ridge between two valleys: the Wissahickon Valley Park side to the northeast and the Schuylkill River to the southwest, with old Ridge Road, now Ridge Avenue, following the crest. The ground is high enough that broadcasters have put transmission towers here since the 1950s, the tallest about 1,250 feet.
High, exposed ground and tall trees are a windy pairing. Side streets fall away toward both valleys, and Philadelphia's 2012 steep slope rules apply mostly to hilly Northwest neighborhoods like this one: no earth disturbance on slopes of 25 percent or more. On a steep lot we lower wood uphill and keep stump work shallow.
Roxborough jobs, from the ridge to the river side
The housing split and the wind exposure shape what most Roxborough owners need.
- Fallen Tree RemovalA tree down across a parked car or a front step gets cut off it in pieces, lifting weight off before anything is pulled free.
- Street Tree RemovalSidewalk trees heaving the pavement or leaning toward a house need a Parks and Recreation permit before removal.
- Tight-Access Backyard Tree RemovalLower Roxborough rowhome yards with no alley mean small cuts and every log carried out by hand.
- Storm Damage CleanupSnapped tops, split limbs and brush across the yard cleared after a ridge-top storm.
Rowhomes in Lower Roxborough, lawns in Upper Roxborough
Lower Roxborough is mostly rowhomes and houses from the 19th and early 20th centuries. A backyard tree there often means carrying every log out through the house or a narrow side passage, which is the job our tight-access backyard removal page covers.
Much of Upper Roxborough was built after 1950 with a suburban feel, bigger front lawns and garages. A driveway lets the chipper sit close, and that shortens the day. Green space is close by on both ends, from Gorgas Park to the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education and the Upper Roxborough Reservoir Preserve.
Juneteenth 2025: cars under trees
The storms of June 19, 2025 toppled more than 200 trees across Philadelphia and knocked out power to more than 100,000 customers. In Roxborough, one tree crushed several parked cars and another fell on a car that was moving.
If that happens on your street, call 911 when a tree is on a car, a house or across the road, and PECO when it is on the power lines. After that, a tree on private property is the owner's to clear. We answer the phone 24/7 and start with whatever is pinning a car or pressing on the roof. Our fallen tree guide explains who pays for what.
The sidewalk tree in front of your Roxborough house
During a July 2012 storm, wind tore a large street tree out from under the sidewalk on Acorn Street and dropped it onto a house, cracking the brick walls. The owners had been asking the city to remove it since 2006.
The rules behind that story still apply. A street tree belongs to the adjoining owner, but the city holds jurisdiction, and major pruning or removal needs a permit. Parks and Recreation removes hazardous street trees at no charge but will not take out a living, healthy one. You also stay responsible for the sidewalk, roots or not, and the repair must leave a healthy tree's roots unharmed.
Roxborough tree questions
Call 911 if anyone is hurt or the road is blocked, and PECO if wires are involved. Then call us to cut the tree off the car; your insurer handles the car itself.
Only if Parks and Recreation judges it dead or hazardous. A living, healthy street tree stays unless you hire a contractor with a permit to remove it.
Often a little slower. On sloping lots we lower wood uphill, set the chipper on level ground and keep stump work shallow where city slope rules limit digging.
Frequently, because a driveway and lawn let us work faster than a rowhome yard where every log is carried out. Tree size and what sits underneath still matter most.
Other neighborhoods near Roxborough
Tree down or leaning in Roxborough?
Call at any hour. Tell us what it is on or leaning toward, and we will explain the first cut and what happens after.