Jason Lewis has been climbing and cutting in south Grand Rapids for over ten years. Diversified Tree Company is owner-operated, family-focused and Black-owned, run out of a yard on Paris Ave SE with a crew carrying . The jobs that make homeowners nervous — storm-torn oaks hanging over a roofline, century maples that have outgrown a city lot — are the ones we get called for. Here's exactly what happens when you call us.
From your first call to a crew in the driveway
No mystery, no vague ranges scribbled on a business card. Every job follows the same five steps, whether it's one limb over a garage or a full lot cleared for a build.
- You call or email. We answer around the clock. If you reach voicemail because a crew is aloft, you hear back within one business day — usually a lot sooner.
- We walk the property with you. Jason looks at the tree, the lean, the target, the drop zone and the access. He'll tell you if it needs to come down, if it can be pruned instead, or if bracing and cabling can save it. Estimates are free and written down.
- We check the rules. Private-property trees in Grand Rapids generally don't need a permit, but street trees in the right-of-way do, and some neighborhoods have their own covenants. That check is part of the estimate, not a surprise later.
- We schedule and show up. From the Paris Ave SE yard, most of the metro is inside 20 minutes in normal conditions. You'll know the day and the window, and we work around driveways, fences, gardens and septic lids.
- We rig it, cut it, and clean it. Big removals near structures come down in controlled pieces on ropes — nothing gets dropped that shouldn't be. Then we rake, blow and haul until the yard looks better than when we pulled in.
Glad I waited for the right professional. Jason was very careful in his approach with my fallen after the storm. If not for him I would have definitely damaged my roof. Very happy.
Nine services, one crew
The same people who take your call do the work. We don't subcontract the hard part out to strangers, and the process above applies to all nine of the things we do:
- Tree Removal — hazardous, diseased, dead or oversized trees, including large removals near structures with rigging.
- Tree Trimming & Pruning — canopy health, storm-risk reduction, and clearance from rooflines and power lines.
- Stump Grinding — ground 6–12 inches below grade, chips backfilled, spot left replant-ready.
- Emergency Tree Service — storm response for fallen trees, blocked driveways and roof-threatening limbs, with insurance-claim documentation.
- Lot Clearing — full or partial clearing for construction, expansion or overgrowth, with debris responsibly disposed.
- Bracing & Cabling — structural support that preserves split-prone trees instead of removing them.
- Firewood — seasoned hardwood, pickup at the Paris Ave yard or delivered.
- Snow Plowing — seasonal residential and commercial driveways, lots and walkways.
- Curbside Leaf Pickup — rake it to the curb in loose piles and we haul it away.
Jason answers the phone at 3 a.m.
Storm work is a core service here, not an upsell. When a maple comes through the roof on Christmas Eve, somebody picks up — we're open 24 hours, Monday through Sunday, and we document the damage for your insurance claim while we work. That's the part of the process most outfits skip, and it's the part that decides whether your adjuster pays.
A few things we won't do, because process means standards: we won't top a tree, because topping creates weakly-attached regrowth that fails in the next storm and shortens the tree's life. We won't prune an oak outside dormancy, because of oak wilt. And we won't promise that a cabled tree will live forever — support dramatically reduces the risk of union failure, but no honest arborist guarantees a tree.
I had 2 trees growing over and around my house.
We're a BBB accredited business rated 5 out of 5 from 13 reviewsserving Grand Rapids, Wyoming, Grandville, Byron Center, Caledonia, Moline, Jenison, Hudsonville, Dorr, Ada, Wayland, Alto, Marne and Comstock Park.
Permits, insurance and what happens to the stump
The questions below come up on almost every walkthrough, so we answer them before you have to ask. Ready to start? Tell us what the tree is doing and we'll come look at it — call (616) 407-0044 or email thegreatestwoodchucker@gmail.com for a free estimate.