Quick answer
A hanging limb comes down by rope, not by shaking or pulling: a climber or lift reaches it, ties it, cuts it free and lowers it to the ground crew. If it rests on a wire, the utility makes the line safe first. Keep people, pets and cars out from under it until then, and call us any hour.
Why a hanger is more dangerous than a fallen limb
Tree workers call a broken limb caught in the crown a hanger, and they treat it with more caution than anything on the ground. It can sit for days and then drop with no warning when the wind shifts or a bark strip tears. Tugging it with a rope from the ground often brings it down onto the person pulling.
So we get above or beside it, tie it to a sound part of the tree, and cut it free in a controlled way. Then we check the wound it left. A clean break can be pruned back; a tear into the trunk may mean the whole tree should come down.
How to spot a hanging limb
- Wilted leaves in one patch
A brown clump in a green crown, often hanging upside down.
- A branch at a wrong angle
A limb pointing down or sideways among others that point up.
- Pale fresh wood showing
Light-colored torn wood at a fork or along a limb.
- A strip of bark holding it
A limb connected only by a ribbon of bark.
- A branch on the line
A limb lying on or draped over the wire to the house.
- Twigs and bark below
Fresh debris on the ground under one spot in the crown.
How we bring a hanger down
Keep the area clear
Nobody under it, cars moved if it is safe to reach them.
Call about any wire
If it touches a line, the utility goes first.
Get above it
A climber or lift reaches a sound point higher in the tree.
Tie it off
A rope takes the limb's weight before any cut.
Cut it free
One controlled cut, sometimes two for a long limb.
Lower it
The ground crew lets it down slowly on the rope.
Clean the wound
The torn stub is pruned back to a proper collar.
Hangers caught in the canopy
You may see a dead-looking branch hanging upside down, leaves wilting while the rest of the tree is green. It is resting on lower limbs, not attached. We rig above it, take its weight on a rope, and lower it, sometimes in two pieces if it is long. HomeBlue puts a Philadelphia three-person crew at $240 to $310 per hour, a fair way to frame a short visit like this.
Split leaders
A tree with two main stems can tear apart at the fork, leaving one leader peeled back but still connected. That remaining hinge holds a lot of wood at an angle it was never built for. We rope the torn leader, cut it off above the split, and look closely at the crack. A small split on a young tree can sometimes be cabled and braced; a deep one usually can't.
Limbs resting on a service wire
A branch on the line from the pole to your house might look harmless, but nobody should touch it, including us, until the line is made safe. Making the service drop safe is PECO's part, and it comes first. Then we cut the limb off in pieces, lifting each one clear of the wire. Our service line trimming page covers keeping limbs off it.
Service lines, PECO and the limb on yours
PECO trims trees that threaten its distribution lines, but not along the service line that runs from its line to your house; that stretch is yours or your contractor's to keep clear. PECO will make the service drop safe so tree work can go ahead, and asks for the request at least two weeks ahead for planned jobs. Storms show why it matters: the March 2018 nor'easter, with gusts near 60 mph, left about 598,800 PECO customers dark, and Isaias about 402,400.
Pulling it down yourself versus having it lowered
| Doing it yourself | Having us do it | |
|---|---|---|
| Pulling with a rope | The limb can swing or drop toward you with no warning | Tied from above and lowered under control |
| Using a pole saw | You are standing right where the limb lands | Cut from above, out of the drop path |
| Limb on a wire | Contact with an energized line can kill | Utility make-safe arranged first |
| Leaving it | It falls on its own schedule, maybe onto someone | Gone on a planned day, with the wound checked |
What hanging limb removal costs
A single hanger is usually a short job priced on time and access. These five things move it.
- 01
Height of the hanger. A limb at 20 feet is a ladder or short climb; one at 60 feet is not.
- 02
Size of the limb. A heavy limb is lowered in pieces with more rigging.
- 03
What is under it. A roof, car or wire below means every cut is lowered, never dropped.
- 04
Utility make-safe. A limb on a line waits for the utility, which can mean two visits.
- 05
Other damage found. A tear into the trunk can turn a limb job into pruning or removal.
| Job | Published range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tree crew, Philadelphia hourly | $240 to $310 per hour | HomeBlue, 2025 |
| Tree trimming, per tree | $430 to $640 | LawnStarter, 2026 |
Planning numbers from published surveys, not our prices. We price after seeing the tree.
Hanging limb questions
There is no safe answer. Some hang for weeks; others drop the next breeze. Treat the space under it as dangerous until it is down.
It is how many people get hurt. A hanger can swing toward you, snag and drop off line, or bring other branches down with it. Leave it to a rope from above.
PECO handles its distribution lines. The service line from the pole to your house is your responsibility to keep clear, though PECO will make it safe so work can proceed.
Not by itself. Healthy trees lose limbs in storms. Look at the break: clean wood suggests wind, while dark, soft or hollow wood points to decay worth checking.
The tree's owner is responsible for it, overhanging branches included. You may trim what crosses your line at your own cost, but not enter their yard without permission.
Other work after limbs break
Storm Damage Cleanup
Limbs and trunks scattered after a microburst or nor'easter, cut up and hauled away.
Tree Trimming Near Service Lines
Clearing the wire to your house, with the utility make-safe step booked first.
Deadwood Removal
Dead branches cut out of the crown before they drop on someone.
Tree Cabling & Bracing
Steel cables and rods that support weak unions in trees worth keeping.
Branch hanging over the house?
Keep people out from under it and call. We'll tell you whether it needs the utility first.