Removing Deadwood in Boise Before Fence Removal: Trees and Vines

Removing deadwood in Boise before fence removal comes down to three things: cut the dead vines and limbs loose first, figure out who owns each tree, and know when the job belongs to a tree service.

On older lots in Boise, Idaho, like the Bench and the North End, it's common to find a fence buried under Virginia creeper with a Siberian elm growing out of the corner post. The trouble is that the plants are often holding the fence up now.

That means more work and more care. It's rarely a dealbreaker, though.

Why does removing deadwood in Boise slow down fence removal?

A plain wood privacy fence comes down fast: pop the pickets, cut the rails, pull the posts. Add a few years of overgrowth, and fence removal in Boise takes a lot longer.

Vines wrap around every rail and weave between the boards, so you can't just pull a panel off. You have to cut the vine loose first, or you'll drag half the fence and your neighbor's lilac down with it. Trees are slower still, since the fence can end up inside the trunk.

Then there's the stuff you don't find until you start. Black widows love a shady, overgrown fence line, wasps like to build in the gaps between boards, and posts that look solid can turn out to be rotted clean through, held up by nothing but ivy.

What happens when trees grew through the fence?

A volunteer elm or maple sprouted next to the fence years ago, and now the trunk has swallowed a rail or a chunk of chain link.

Can you just pull it out? Usually, you shouldn't. Trees grow around wire and wood kind of the way skin heals over a splinter, and ripping that material out tears open the bark, which hurts tree health and gives rot and bugs an easy way in.

The better move is to cut the fence material off flush with the bark on both sides and leave the buried piece where it is. The tree keeps growing over it.

The exception is when you want the tree gone too. Plenty of Boise homeowners do, especially with Siberian elms, which drop seeds everywhere and come up along fence lines like weeds. A small one can usually come out with the fence. If the trunk is thicker than your leg, though, that's tree removal, and you want a local tree service or an arborist.

Good to know: If the tree is in the strip between the sidewalk and the street, it's probably a city street tree. Check with Boise's Community Forestry office, which looks after local street trees, before anyone cuts it or tries to remove it.

Vines, ivy and storm damage on the fence line

On Boise and Treasure Valley fences, it's usually English ivy, trumpet vine, Virginia creeper, or wild grape. Wind and heavy snow can also snap limbs onto a fence line, and a dead tree leaning on the boards is a different job than a vine.

Don't grab a handful of vine and yank. Old vines are tougher than old boards, so you'll snap pickets, pull a section over early, or get a face full of dead leaves and spiders.

Quick tip: Cut every vine at ground level a few weeks before removal day. Once it dies back and dries out, it lets go of the boards a lot easier, and you get a real look at what shape the fence is in. Wear gloves and long sleeves, since Virginia creeper sap bothers some people's skin.

Next, decide if you want the vine back. If you're planning to let that trumpet vine climb the new fence, a hard pruning is enough. Done with it for good? Then you have to remove the root crown, or you'll see it again by June.

Roots also like to wrap around old concrete post footings, which turns pulling posts into a real fight. If nothing's getting built or planted in that spot, it's sometimes smarter to cut the post off just below ground level and leave the concrete alone. The same goes for an old stump in the fence line: grind it if it's in the way of new posts, and let it stay if it isn't.

Who owns the trunk, and when do you call a tree service in Boise?

Before anyone cuts anything, figure out exactly where the trunk sits.

A tree that's clearly in your yard is your call. When it's in your neighbor's yard, you can generally trim what hangs over onto your side, but you can't do anything that hurts or kills the tree. And if the trunk sits right on the property line, you both get a say.

Idaho law lets property owners go after damages when someone cuts or injures their trees without permission, and in some cases that means triple damages. A quick chat with your neighbor costs nothing. If it's a shared fence, have that conversation before you book anybody, us included.

Once ownership is settled, know where hauling ends and tree work begins. Most residential tree removals, hazardous trees near a house or power line, and any stump grinding are work for a local tree service with the right equipment. Ask whether stump grinding and hauling off the chips are included, since some outfits price them separately.

What moves the cost of fence removal in Boise?

For a standard wood fence with nothing growing on it, the cost of removal and haul-away comes down to the length of the run, the fence material, how the posts were set, and how close a truck can get.

Overgrowth pushes that up with extra labor and a separate pile of green waste:

Fence removal is part of our demolition work, and a real price comes from someone actually looking at the fence and what's growing on it.

Sorting as the fence comes down keeps the wood out of the same pile as the chain link and metal posts, and metal fencing can usually go to a local scrap recycler. Yard waste goes in its own pile. Your Boise curbside compost cart can handle some trimmings, but it's not built for a whole fence line of ivy.

Bottom line: An overgrown fence isn't really a bigger problem, just a slower one. Cut the vines early, figure out who owns the tree, and don't rip wire out of a living trunk.

If you'd rather hand the whole thing off, give us a call at (208) 593-2877. We'll come out to look at your fence line for a free estimate and give you a firm price before anything is touched.

Frequently asked questions

Can I clear deadwood and vines myself before the fence comes down?

Yes, you can remove most of it yourself. Cutting vines at the base and clearing dead branches you can reach from the ground is fine for a homeowner. Leave anything high, heavy or near power lines to a pro.

Does a stump have to come out when the fence does?

Not always. If the stump sits where a new post or footing needs to go, stump grinding clears it below the surface. If it's out of the way, it can stay.

When is the best time to trim near a Boise fence?

Late fall through winter works well, since the leaves are off, the wasps are gone and you can see every limb and post. Do it before the fence comes down so nothing lands on the new one.

Who should handle a big trunk?

The Demolition page covers what the service includes and how the estimate works.

Related reading: Concrete Slab Demolition: Can You DIY It, or Should You Hand It Off? and Chicken Coop Removal in Boise: Dust, Wire and Old Posts.

Usually, a pro. If the trunk is thicker than your leg, or the tree is dead and leaning, it's a tree removal job for a Boise arborist, and the fence work can follow.