Arborists call them "widowmakers" for a reason — large dead or damaged limbs can fall with no warning, even on a calm day. Here's what to look for from the ground.
A living branch has intact bark. Bare wood, especially combined with a gray or bleached look, usually means the branch is dead and drying out.
During the growing season, a branch that stays bare while everything around it leafs out is very likely dead or dying.
A branch that's cracked, split, or hanging by a thread of bark at the union is one of the most urgent hazards — it can drop at any time, including with no wind at all.
Conks, mushrooms, or wood that feels soft when tapped with a tool (versus a solid knock) indicates internal decay that weakens the branch from the inside.
Where two large limbs join at a tight V, bark often gets trapped between them (included bark), creating a structurally weak point more prone to splitting under wind or ice load.
Even a healthy-looking branch can be a hazard simply because of where it hangs — directly over a roof, driveway, play area, or walkway raises the stakes if anything does go wrong.
A professional assessment looks at more than just the one branch you're worried about — it looks at the whole tree's structure, whether the issue is isolated or a sign of broader decline, and whether removing the branch alone solves the problem or whether the tree needs more comprehensive pruning. We use proper rigging to lower cut branches in a controlled way, which protects everything underneath — your roof, fence, landscaping, or vehicle.