Our qualified arborists and tree surgeons respond to callouts day and night, and we carry the right equipment and experience to remove hazardous trees safely and efficiently.
Whether it’s a fallen tree blocking access, storm damage threatening your property, or a branch that could come down at any moment, our Glasgow-based team will get to you and sort it.
What counts as a tree emergency
Not every tree problem needs an emergency tree service.
But some situations need immediate attention because the risk of injury or property damage is real and present.
Here are the major situations where you need to call a professional tree surgeon.
Fallen tree services
Fallen trees are heavy and unstable. They can even spring back up.
If a tree on or near your property has fallen, whether that is across a road, onto a building, over a fence, or blocking your driveway, it needs clearing as soon as possible.
Attempting to move it yourself without the right training and equipment is genuinely dangerous. The root plate can shift unexpectedly, and splintered timber under tension can spring with serious force.
Always call for help as soon as you can to reduce the safety risk.
Storm-damaged branches
Scotland is famous for its windy weather. These high winds can cause branches to snap or leave them hanging by a strip of bark.
Branches like these are called “widow makers” in the industry because they can fall without warning.
If you can see a large branch that’s cracked, split, or hanging at an angle it wasn’t in before, that’s an emergency.
The longer it stays up, the greater the chance it drops on someone or something below.
Trees leaning suddenly
A tree that’s always had a slight lean is one thing. A tree that’s shifted position overnight is something else entirely.
Sudden leaning usually means the roots are failing, often because waterlogged soil has loosened the root plate’s grip.
Once a tree starts to go, it rarely corrects itself, and the weight of the crown will pull it further over with every strong gust.
If you notice big changes to your tree, get it seen by a professional as soon as possible.
Trees on power lines
If a tree or branch has fallen onto power lines, do not go near it.
Call the Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) power cut line on 105 first, then call us.
We can work near power lines once they’ve been isolated, but live cables and fallen trees are a combination that kills people every year.
Keep everyone well back and away from the area, and let the professionals handle it.
Trees threatening buildings
Cracked trunks, large deadwood overhanging a roof, or roots lifting a wall all qualify as emergencies when there’s a real risk of structural damage as well as potential harm to life.
24-hour emergency tree surgery
Our emergency response is available around the clock. Evenings, weekends, bank holidays.
Trees don’t wait for office hours to cause problems, and neither do we.
When you call, we will first ask a few question to assess the situation, give you safety advice, and organise for a team to be with you as soon as possible.
Our crews are equipped to handle most emergency tree work on-site, carrying chainsaws, rigging ropes and harnesses, wood chippers, and all the personal protective equipment needed for safe and efficient tree work.
We arrive ready to carry out the work, not to assess and then come back another day.
Common causes of storm damage and tree emergencies
Most tree emergencies don’t happen completely out of the blue.
Understanding why trees fail can help you spot problems before they become dangerous, and a thorough tree survey by a qualified arborist can catch issues early.
Storm damage
Scotland gets its fair share of storms, particularly between October and March.
High winds put enormous stress on trees, especially those with large, heavy crowns or co-dominant stems (where the trunk splits into two main leaders).
After a recent storm, it’s always worth checking any large tree near your property for signs of movement, cracking, or lifted roots.
Always keep well back from a tree during inspection, as trees damaged due to storms may fall unexpectedly.
Decay and disease
Fungal infections like honey fungus, bracket fungi, and Phytophthora weaken wood from the inside out.
A tree can look perfectly fine from the outside while the heartwood is soft and crumbling.
Decay often starts where branches have been badly pruned or damaged, allowing fungi to enter through the wound. To prevent decay, trust tree surgeon services for professional pruning.
Root failure
Waterlogged soil, construction work near roots, changes in ground level, and compaction from vehicles or foot traffic all damage root systems.
When roots can’t anchor a tree properly, the whole thing can rock and eventually fall, pulling up a plate of soil and roots as it goes.
In Scotland’s often wet climate, the problem can be worse. Prolonged rainfall saturates the soil, reducing its structural strength and making it easier for tree felling to occur.
Poor previous tree pruning
Trees that have been topped, over-pruned, or had large limbs removed without proper technique often develop weakly attached regrowth.
The new shoots grow quickly, but they’re joined to the old trunk by a shallow connection rather than a proper branch collar.
This can cause branches to snap off under their own weight or in moderate wind.
Deadwood
Dead branches in the crown shed naturally over time, but they don’t follow a schedule.
A dead limb that’s been up there for months can drop on a still day because the wood has dried out, the attachment has rotted, or it’s simply reached the point where gravity wins.
Deadwood removal during routine maintenance is one of the simplest ways to prevent emergencies.
What to do while you wait for us
Once you have called us, there are a few things that will keep you and your family safe until we arrive.
Our team will always guide you during your first phone call, but just in case, make sure to follow these steps:
- A general rule is to keep at least one and a half times the tree’s height away from it, because that’s how far debris can scatter if it falls further.
- Keep children and pets indoors or well away from the area.
- If a tree has fallen onto a car, do not try to drive the car out from under it. Wait for us.
- If a tree is blocking a road, call the local council as well as us. They may need to arrange traffic management or clearance services.
- If power lines are involved, call SSEN on 105 first, then call us. Do not touch anything.
- Take photos from a safe distance. These will help with insurance claims later.
Why choose GGM as your emergency tree surgeon in Glasgow
When a tree comes down at midnight, you need to know the people turning up actually know what they’re doing.
Here’s why domestic and commercial clients across Glasgow would highly recommend us with their emergency tree removal services.
Qualified, certified arborists
Our fully qualified tree surgeons hold City and Guilds NPTC certifications and we’re members of the Arboricultural Association.
We also hold Level 3 Awards in Aerial Tree Rigging, which means we can safely dismantle trees in confined spaces, near buildings, and over structures where a straightforward fell isn’t an option.
These qualifications aren’t just letters after a name.
They mean our expert tree surgeons have been trained and assessed on exactly the kind of urgent tree work an emergency callout demands.
Award-winning and trusted
We are proud to be have been named Best Tree Surgeon and Arboricultural Business in the Central Belt at the 2024 SME News Scottish Enterprise Awards, alongside Scotland’s Best Landscaping Company at the 2024 Scottish Home Improvement Awards.
Fully insured professional tree surgeons
We’re insured with public liability coverage for all emergency and scheduled tree work.
Every job comes with a clear quote before we begin, even in an emergency.
We’ll tell you what the work will cost before we pick up a chainsaw, so there are no surprises on the invoice.
Complete service, not just the emergency
Because GGM provides a full range of tree surgery services alongside landscaping, we can handle everything that follows the emergency too.
From stump removal to crown reduction, hedge trimming, replanting and vegetation advice, fence repairs, and garden restoration. We aim to be the only garden company you need.
Emergency tree surgeons: your questions answered
How quickly can you get to me?
Our emergency response across Glasgow and the Central Belt typically means we arrive within a couple of hours.
For wider Scotland and central Scotland, response times depend on distance, but we’ll give you an honest timeframe when you call.
Immediate threats to life are always prioritised.
Do I need to be there when you arrive?
Ideally yes, especially if the tree is in a back garden or somewhere we need access through your property.
If the emergency is on a boundary or road, we can sometimes begin work without you present, but we’ll always want to confirm the cost with you first.
Can storm-damaged trees be saved?
Sometimes, yes. If a tree has lost a major limb but the trunk and main structure are sound, we can carry out remedial pruning to reshape the crown and help the tree recover.
Our arborists will give you an honest assessment.
If the tree can be saved safely, we’ll tell you. If it can’t, we’ll explain why removal is the better option.
Do I need permission to remove a dangerous tree?
If a tree poses an immediate danger to people or property, we can carry out emergency work without prior consent, even if the tree is covered by a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) or sits within a conservation area.
You’re expected to notify the local planning authority within five days and to do only the minimum work needed to remove the danger. We’ll always advise you on this when we arrive.
What if the tree is on council land?
If a tree on public land has fallen or is threatening private property, contact your local council’s roads or environment department. In an emergency, you can also call us directly and we’ll help coordinate with the council. We work regularly with North Lanarkshire Council and other local authorities across Scotland.
Call us for emergency tree removal services
If you have (or think you have) a tree emergency, call us on 07946 322717.
We are happy to answer around the clock and we’ll get a qualified team to you as quickly as possible.
If it’s not urgent but you want a tree assessed, or you’d like to book routine tree care to prevent future problems, contact us or give us a call during working hours.
We’ll arrange a visit and give you a free, no-obligation quote.