Tree Service in Murfreesboro, TN

Tree service in Murfreesboro is shaped by two things: the ground under the city and how quickly the city has grown on top of it. Murfreesboro went from about 44,900 people in 1990 to about 108,800 in 2010, and the Census Bureau now estimates more than 171,000. A lot of that growth happened on former farm fields and cedar thickets, so many yards have a mix of young planted trees, fast-growing Bradford pears, and older cedars, hackberries and oaks that were left along the old fencerows. Most of our calls come down to the same questions: is the tree sound, how close is it to the house, and how do we get it down or cut back without tearing up the yard?

Thin soil over limestone

Murfreesboro sits in Tennessee's Central Basin, also called the Nashville Basin, where limestone often lies at or just below the surface. That is the same geology behind the cedar glades preserved in state natural areas around Rutherford County, where the soil is so shallow that eastern red cedar takes root in cracks in the bedrock. In a yard, it means roots spread wide instead of deep. A tree on thin soil can look healthy and still have a small root plate, and after days of rain, when the ground is soft, high wind is more likely to tip the whole tree than snap a limb. When we assess a tree here, we look at the base and the soil as closely as the canopy.

Storms: tornadoes, wind and ice

The city averages almost 56 inches of rain a year and only about 2 inches of snow, so ice and wind do far more damage to trees than snow does. On April 10, 2009, a low-end EF4 tornado with winds up to 170 mph hit the edges of Murfreesboro, killing two people and destroying 117 homes. In January 2026, freezing rain on top of record precipitation in Nashville produced what was described as the region's worst ice storm in decades, and Tennessee logged more than 250,000 power outages. Ice finds the weak points: the tight V-shaped forks on Bradford pears, long horizontal limbs over roofs, and trees with old wounds or decay. Pruning those trees before storm season costs less than cleaning up after them.

Bradford pears and other short-lived trees

Callery pear, sold for decades as Bradford pear, was planted along countless subdivision streets in Middle Tennessee. It grows fast and blooms early, but its many narrow forks make it especially prone to splitting in storms, and its typical lifespan is under 25 years. It has also spread into fields and roadsides as an invasive plant; Ohio and South Carolina have banned selling it. Many Bradford pears planted when a neighborhood was built are now at the age when halves of the tree start dropping onto cars and fences. Sometimes pruning buys a few years; often replacing it with a sturdier tree is the better use of money.

City trees, creek buffers and power lines

The City of Murfreesboro's tree ordinance treats trees growing in the street right of way as public trees. Only the City Arborist, the arborist's designee or a city contractor may work on them without a permit; the permit is free and should be requested at least 48 hours before the work. The ordinance also makes it unlawful to top a street tree. Along creeks, newer developments may include streamside buffers where Water Resources restricts clearing, although individual trees likely to fall on a home can be removed. Middle Tennessee Electric clears its own 40-foot right of way, 20 feet on each side of the line, and its vegetation team takes calls about trees near lines. We will tell you if any of these apply before we quote.

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What happens at an estimate

• We walk around each tree and note species, lean, dead wood, cracks, fungus and the condition of the root zone.
• We note what sits under it: roof, deck, fence, cars, the neighbor's property.
• We check for wires and whether MTE or the city needs to be involved first.
• We plan access for climbers, ropes, a chipper or a lift, and how to protect the lawn.
• We agree with you on the brush, the logs and the stump.
• You get a written price for each tree, and nothing is added without your approval.

Murfreesboro is the center of our work, from the older streets around the courthouse square and East Main Street to the newer neighborhoods off Medical Center Parkway, Veterans Parkway and Blackman Road. We also cover the rest of Rutherford County: Smyrna and La Vergne to the northwest, Rockvale and Eagleville to the southwest, Christiana to the south, and Lascassas, Walter Hill and Milton to the north and east. The rules change at each boundary. Inside Murfreesboro city limits, the city's tree ordinance covers right-of-way trees and the city collects brush at the curb; in Smyrna, La Vergne and unincorporated parts of the county, a different set of rules and services applies. Each area page explains what we know about that place.