Tree Care in Sioux Falls, SD

Connect with local trade pros serving Sioux Falls and the rest of Minnehaha County.

Tree care in Sioux Falls

Sioux Falls trees face an invasive insect that kills ash trees, severe summer windstorms and heavy winter snow and ice. Caring for them means planning for all three.

Emerald ash borer

South Dakota keeps an internal emerald ash borer quarantine that covers all of Minnehaha and Lincoln counties, along with several neighboring counties. The quarantine was first put in place in May 2018 and has been amended several times since. Emerald ash borer kills ash trees, and infested trees become brittle and dangerous as they die. If you have ash trees, ask an arborist whether treatment makes sense for a healthy, valuable tree, or whether planned removal and replacement is the better choice. The quarantine restricts moving ash wood and firewood; ask the tree company how they'll handle and dispose of ash wood.

Storm damage

On the night of September 10–11, 2019, straight-line winds of 80 to 100 mph caused considerable tree damage, and three brief EF-2 tornadoes touched down within Sioux Falls. During the May 12, 2022 derecho, straight-line winds of 50 to 70 mph were widespread, with gusts measured at 97 mph in Madison, South Dakota. Trees with dead limbs, decay, cracks or weak forks are the ones that fail. Have an arborist look at large trees near the house before storm season.

Snow and ice

NOAA's engineering weather data for Sioux Falls lists a 50-year ground snow load of 40 pounds per square foot and about 75 freeze-thaw cycles a year. Heavy snow and ice load limbs, especially on evergreens and trees that still have leaves in an early storm. Pruning to remove weak and overextended limbs reduces breakage.

Pruning

Good pruning thins and shapes without stripping. Topping weakens trees and invites decay. Late winter, when trees are dormant, is a common time for pruning many species; ask the arborist about timing for your trees.

After a storm

Stay away from downed power lines and call your power company. For trees on your house, call your insurer, then a tree company. Get a written price before work starts, even in an emergency, and be wary of door-to-door crews asking for payment up front.

Before you hire

Ask for proof of liability and workers' compensation insurance. Ask for a written estimate that names each tree, the work, stump grinding, and whether wood and debris will be hauled away. Ask whether climbers use spikes; they shouldn't on trees you're keeping.

Local facts behind this page

South Dakota keeps an internal emerald ash borer quarantine that covers all of Minnehaha and Lincoln counties, along with Brookings, Codington, Grant, Turner and Union counties; it was first put in place in May 2018 and has been amended several times since, most recently in June 2025. Source: South Dakota DANR, Emerald Ash Borer in South Dakota: Quarantine
On the night of September 10–11, 2019, a line of severe thunderstorms brought straight-line winds of 80 to 100 mph and considerable tree damage, and three brief EF-2 tornadoes touched down within Sioux Falls, damaging the Avera Health complex along 69th Street and the 41st Street commercial corridor. Source: NWS Sioux Falls, Sioux Falls Tornadoes – September 10, 2019
During the May 12, 2022 derecho, straight-line winds of 50 to 70 mph were widespread across the region, with smaller areas of 80 to 100 mph; measured gusts reached 107 mph in Tripp and 97 mph in Madison, South Dakota. Source: NWS Sioux Falls, May Derecho Brings Widespread Damage to the Area
NOAA's engineering weather data for Sioux Falls lists an average of 75 freeze-thaw cycles a year, a 50-year frost depth of 102 inches and a 50-year ground snow load of 40 pounds per square foot. Source: NOAA NCEI Engineering Weather Data (Sioux Falls, SD)

Sources checked 2026-10-26. Codes, rebates and standards change; the contractor you hire and your local building department have the final word on what applies to your property.

Before you hire in Minnehaha County

Get Tree Care Pros doesn't check contractors' credentials for you, so do it yourself before you sign anything: ask the City of Sioux Falls whether the contractor holds a current city license for the work and who will pull the permit. The City of Sioux Falls Contractor Licensing lookup is free: City of Sioux Falls Contractor Licensing.

Get the scope, price and timeline in writing before work starts.
Ask who pulls any required permit, and whether an inspection is part of the job.
Ask for proof of insurance and for references from recent local jobs, and call them.