Yavapai County · Brush Chipping
Brush chipping and debris removal in Prescott
Plenty of Prescott homeowners do their own cutting. After a weekend of limbing up pines, pulling scrub oak or clearing junipers along the fence, the problem is the pile: a mountain of brush that won't fit in the trash can and turns into a fire hazard as it dries out in June. A chipper turns that pile into a small heap of mulch in an hour or two.
Call (928) 766-TREE with a rough size of the pile and where it sits. A local crew brings a chipper, feeds everything through, and either leaves the chips for you or hauls them away.
- Chipped on siteBrush and limbs fed through and reduced to mulch, up to the chipper's capacity.
- Chips stay or goKeep them for paths and beds, or have them hauled away.
- Storm debrisLimbs and broken tops from monsoon or snow damage cleared and chipped.
- Fire-season timingPiles cleared before they dry out in late spring.
Why brush piles are a problem in Yavapai County
A brush pile beside a house in Prescott is a ready-made fire hazard. Cut juniper and oak dry out within weeks, and a pile against a fence or under a pine can carry fire straight to the structure. Pine slash has an extra catch: fresh-cut ponderosa and pinyon branches left in piles in spring and early summer attract Ips bark beetles, which breed in the slash and then move on to the living pines nearby.
Getting rid of the pile quickly protects both the house and the trees you're trying to keep, whether you chip it, haul it, or use the city's brush programs when they run.
Putting the chips to work
Wood chips earn their keep in Prescott's rocky decomposed granite. A layer 2 to 4 inches deep over tree root zones holds moisture through the dry spring, keeps the soil cooler in summer and slowly adds organic matter. Keep chips a few inches back from trunks, and keep them out of the five feet right around your house, where any mulch can catch embers in a wildfire.
Chips from diseased or beetle-infested trees should be hauled away, not spread under healthy pines. If you don't want any chips at all, haul-off is quoted as part of the job.
Disposal options around Prescott
To haul it yourself, the City of Prescott's transfer station on Sundog Ranch Road takes clean brush by weight, and in some years the city has offered free spring brush drop-off or curbside brush collection. Programs change from year to year, so check with the city before you load the truck. In Prescott Valley, Chino Valley and the Verde Valley, check your own town's or the county's options.
Burning piles is allowed in some areas with a permit from the local fire district, only on approved burn days, and never during fire restrictions. For most people, chipping is faster, cleaner and skips the smoke.
Why call this line
What you can count on
Licensed, insured
Every company we send holds an Arizona ROC license and liability insurance. Ask to see both.
Written quote first
A price in writing before work starts, with stump grinding and haul-off listed separately.
Local to the county
Crews based around Prescott and the Verde Valley who know the trees and the terrain.
Storm calls 24/7
Trees on homes, cars and driveways, any hour of the day or night.
Questions
Questions about brush chipping
How big a branch can a chipper handle?
Most tow-behind chippers take branches somewhere between about 6 and 12 inches thick, depending on the machine. Bigger trunks are cut into rounds and either hauled away or left for you as firewood.
Do I need to be home?
Not if the pile is easy to reach and you've agreed on what happens to the chips. The crew needs truck access close enough to drag brush to the chipper.
Can neighbors share a chipper visit?
Yes. Neighbors often pile brush together and split one visit, which lowers the cost for everyone.
Can I put the chips around my house?
Use them in beds and on paths, but keep the 5-foot strip next to the house free of wood mulch for fire safety. Gravel or bare soil is better there.
Also available
Related tree work
Tree Removal
Dead pines, failing elms and junipers in the eaves, taken down in sections when there is a roof underneath.
Tree Trimming
Roof clearance, deadwood out and lower limbs lifted, timed around pine beetle season.
Storm Cleanup
A tree on the roof, the car or the driveway after a monsoon microburst, a lightning strike or a wet spring snow.