Best Tree Services in Missoula, MT (2026)

How did we put this list together?

We started from the City of Missoula's Local Certified Arborists List, which names tree services that are licensed by the city, carry at least $300,000 in commercial liability insurance, and have an ISA Certified Arborist on staff. We then read each company's own website for its services, location, history and stated credentials. A company needed a working website to be included. We left out the many search results that turned out to be lead-generation pages with no local business behind them.

After first place, the order is not a quality score. It moves roughly from full-service removal companies to specialists in pruning, plant health care and consulting, so you can jump to the kind of arborist your job needs.

1. HJ Property Care & Tree Service (Florence)

Our tree services are led by co-owner Justin Johnson, an ISA Certified Arborist (RM-8889A) who also holds a Line Clearance Arborist Certification from years of utility forestry work around high-voltage lines. We handle removals, structural and dormant pruning, stump grinding, tree risk assessments, fire mitigation and 24-hour storm response. Because we are also a landscaping and irrigation company, we can finish the job: grind the stump, regrade, replant and fix the sprinkler line the roots were wrapped around.

Best for: private-property tree work where you want the arborist and the cleanup crew to be the same company. Worth knowing: HJ is not on the City of Missoula's certified arborist list at the time of writing. That list covers companies permitted to work on boulevard trees in the city right-of-way, so for a tree between the sidewalk and the curb inside city limits, start with the list, and read our guide to Missoula tree permits. We are also a younger company, founded in 2024.

2. Treasure State Tree Service (Missoula)

Treasure State Tree Service is locally owned and says it has served Missoula for more than three decades. It does removals, trimming, stump grinding and emergency storm work, with ISA Certified Arborists on staff including superintendent Mike Babbitt, and a certified crane operator who leads difficult and hazardous removals. It is on the city's certified arborist list.

Best for: large or hazardous removals where crane work is likely. Worth knowing: the site lists no plant health care or spraying program.

3. Headwaters Tree Care (Missoula)

Headwaters Tree Care is family owned and has served Missoula since 2013 under certified arborist Ben Litz. It does removals, trimming and pruning, stump grinding and wildfire mitigation, and it offers consultations on tree health, structure, pests, planting and protecting trees during construction. It is on the city's certified arborist list.

Best for: one crew for removal, stumps and defensible-space work. Worth knowing: the site lists no spraying or plant health care treatments.

4. Continental Tree and Land Care (Missoula)

Continental Tree and Land Care was founded in 2007 by Rob Howells, a former U.S. Marine. It covers removals, stump grinding, trimming, disease prevention, fire mitigation, land clearing and brush mowing, plus a landscape installation arm. It is on the city's certified arborist list and keeps Saturday hours.

Best for: combining tree work with fire mitigation, clearing or new landscaping. Worth knowing: tree care is one of several service lines.

5. Missoula Valley Tree Service (Missoula)

Missoula Valley Tree Service lists removals, trimming, hedge work, stump grinding, cabling and bracing, lightning protection, tree assessments and 24-hour emergency service, with office hours seven days a week. It says its owner is an ISA certified member, and it is on the city's certified arborist list.

Best for: cabling, bracing or lightning protection on a valuable tree, and weekend availability. Worth knowing: the site gives no owner name or founding year.

6. Garden City Tree Service (Bonner)

Garden City Tree Service is family owned, based just east of Missoula in Bonner, and says it has more than 34 years of experience. It pairs removals, pruning, stump grinding and pesticide and fungal treatments with excavation, land clearing, demolition and snow management, and offers 24/7 emergency service. It appears on the city's certified arborist list as Garden City Lawn & Tree.

Best for: big jobs that combine tree removal with excavation or clearing. Worth knowing: it is a general contractor as much as an arborist firm, and the south valley is a long drive from Bonner.

7. Cedar Grove Tree Service (Missoula)

Cedar Grove Tree Service has branches in Missoula and Kalispell. It does storm cleanup, fire mitigation, fruit tree and orchard care, removals, structural pruning, pest prevention and planting, and it says it worked the 2024 Missoula windstorms and removed remaining hazard trees on public streets for the city. It uses battery equipment where possible and recycles green waste. It is on the city's certified arborist list.

Best for: storm and hazard cleanup, and owners who care about low-emission equipment. Worth knowing: the site does not name its certified arborist or list stump grinding.

8. Mountain Tree Company (Missoula)

Mountain Tree Company is built around tree preservation. Owner Cooper Elwood has been an ISA Certified Arborist and a Montana state pesticide applicator since 2013, and the company focuses on pruning, insect control, plant health care and management planning, with all trimming done by rope and saddle rather than heavy equipment. It is on the city's certified arborist list.

Best for: plant health care, insect problems and preserving a specimen tree. Worth knowing: no stump grinding is listed, and it is not the call for land clearing.

9. Missoula Tree Preservation (Missoula)

Missoula Tree Preservation is a small company operating since 2014, where all pruning is done by owner and ISA Certified Arborist Emily Garlough. It does pruning, removals and arborist advice, and calls fruit tree pruning its springtime specialty. It is on the city's certified arborist list.

Best for: careful owner-arborist pruning, especially fruit trees. Worth knowing: it describes itself as small, and lists no stump grinding or fire mitigation.

10. Unity Tree and Forestry (Missoula)

Unity Tree and Forestry is led by an ISA Certified Arborist owner who handles every consultation personally. It does assessments, trimming, commercial trimming for HOAs and property managers, forest management and training, and offers senior and veteran discounts. It is on the city's certified arborist list.

Best for: an independent second opinion before deciding whether to save or remove a tree. Worth knowing: removals and stump grinding are not listed services.

Why does ISA certification matter for tree work?

An ISA Certified Arborist has passed an exam on tree biology, pruning, safety and risk, and has to keep up continuing education to keep the credential. It does not guarantee good work, but it does mean the person pricing your job knows the difference between a cut that heals and one that invites decay. Ask for the arborist's certification number and look it up on the ISA's credential verification tool. Our guide to ISA certified arborists explains what the credential covers.

What should you ask a tree service before hiring?

Ask for proof of general liability and workers' compensation insurance, and check that it is current. Ask who will be on site and whether a certified arborist will be part of the crew or only did the estimate. Ask how they will protect the lawn, driveway and sprinklers, and what cleanup includes: chips hauled or left, stump ground or not, and to what depth. A written quote that spells those out prevents most disputes.

Be wary of anyone who recommends topping, knocks on your door after a storm, or asks for full payment up front. Our tree removal cost guide covers what drives price, and our guide to the signs a tree is about to fail helps you judge what is urgent.

Do you need a permit to remove a tree in Missoula?

For a tree on your own property, generally not. For a boulevard tree in the city right-of-way, yes: those trees belong to the city, and work on them goes through Urban Forestry and a company on the certified list. Our Missoula tree permits guide covers where the line falls. For work on your side of the sidewalk, contact us for an assessment.

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