The question behind almost every call we get about city trees is a practical one: is somebody else going to pay for this, or is it on me?
The answer comes down to where the tree stands. The City of Lansing maintains trees on public land and in the public right-of-way. Everything on private property is the owner's, and that is the large majority of trees in the city. Here is how to tell which is which, how to request city service when it is theirs, and what to do when it turns out to be yours.
What the city handles
Lansing's forestry work sits within the Public Service Department. Broadly, the city is responsible for:
Street trees in the right-of-way. The strip between the sidewalk and the curb. The city plants, prunes, and removes these.
Trees in parks and on other public property.
Hazards blocking public roads. A tree down across a city street gets cleared as a public safety matter, regardless of which property it grew on.
Seasonal brush and yard waste collection under the city's published schedule and size rules, with additional pickups sometimes added after major storms.
What the city does not do is take care of trees in your yard. It will not remove a dead maple behind your house, it will not prune a limb hanging over your garage, and it will not grind a stump on private property. Those are yours.
Quick test: whose tree is it?
| Situation | Whose problem | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Tree between sidewalk and curb | City | Submit a service request |
| Tree in your yard, behind the sidewalk | You | Hire a private crew |
| Tree down across a public street | City or county | Call it in, or 911 if lines are involved |
| Tree down across your driveway | You | Emergency crew, check your insurance |
| Limb on a primary power line | Utility | BWL in the city, Consumers outside |
| Neighbor's tree leaning at your house | Neighbor | Notify them in writing |
| Storm brush already at your curb | City collection | Follow the seasonal schedule and size rules |
If the sidewalk is missing on your block, which is common in parts of the Southside and in the townships, the right-of-way boundary is not visible from the ground. Check your plat or call the city before assuming.
How to request city tree service
Report the tree to the city and give them enough detail to triage it. The things that matter: the address and a landmark, whether the tree is between the sidewalk and the curb, what specifically is wrong (dead, split, leaning, blocking a sign or a sidewalk), and whether anything is currently unsafe.
Current reporting channels and phone numbers are published on lansingmi.gov. Outside city limits, contact your township office instead, and for a tree blocking a county road, the county road department.
Then set your expectations honestly. Municipal forestry programs everywhere run on a work queue and a fixed budget. Genuine hazards get prioritized. A structurally sound street tree that you simply dislike, or one dropping seeds on your car, sits low on that list and may sit there for a long time. If a city tree is an active danger, say so plainly when you report it, and follow up.
Storm cleanup: what gets picked up and what does not
After a significant ice or wind event, the city typically clears public streets first, then handles brush collection under its normal or an expanded schedule. That covers material you have already cut and stacked at the curb within the published length and diameter limits.
It does not cover the part people actually need. Nobody from the city is coming to take a tree off your roof, cut up the trunk in your back yard, or drag your debris to the curb for you. Getting the tree down and cut up is private work. Once it is at the curb in the right form, collection may take it from there.
If a tree is on your house right now, that is an emergency call, not a service request. See emergency storm cleanup and our Lansing storm damage guide.
Do not remove a city tree yourself
Even when a street tree is genuinely a problem, cutting it down without authorization is an expensive mistake. Cities appraise street trees by species, size, condition, and location, and a mature one can appraise into the thousands. You can be billed for that value on top of any fine and on top of what you paid the crew.
We check ownership as part of every estimate. If the tree you are asking about is in the right-of-way, we will tell you before quoting rather than taking the job. The legal detail on ownership, boundary trees, and Michigan's wrongful-cutting statute is in our Lansing tree permit guide.
When it turns out to be yours
Most of the time, it is. If the tree is on your property, the city is not going to remove it and waiting does not change that. What you can do is be strategic about timing and cost.
Schedule non-urgent removals for January through March, when frozen ground protects your lawn and demand is at its annual low. Get quotes in October before storm season fills every crew's calendar. Deal with standing dead ash sooner rather than later, because brittle ash gets more expensive to remove every year it stands. Our Lansing cost guide breaks down what drives the number, and the FAQ covers assistance options for seniors and low-income households.
If you are not sure whose tree it is, call us at (517) 793-5658 and describe where it sits. We will tell you straight, including when the answer means you do not need us.
City programs, schedules, and contact channels change. Confirm current details with the City of Lansing or your township before acting.