Bradley Tree Service & Excavating in Charleston

Bradley Tree Service & Excavating

(423) 284-6881 www.bradleytreeservice.com

1646 Van Davis Rd, Charleston, Tennessee 37310

Equipment and Capabilities: Bucket Truck, Stump Grinder

Tree Services: Log Splitting, Stump Removal, Large Trees, Lot Clearing, Dead Tree Experience

Specialty Expertise: Fruit Tree Specialist

Emergency and Storm: Storm Cleanup, Quick Response

Credentials and Trust: Long Established, Family Owned, Insured, Licensed

Customer Experience: Affordable

Bradley Tree Service provides expert tree removal services in Cleveland TN, & surrounding areas including Athens TN, Benton, TN, Ooltewah TN, Etowah TN, Charleston TN, & Harrison, TN. Our team of licensed & insured tree cutting professionals has efficiently delivered safe tree removal & excavation services for over 20 years. We also offer other residential & commercial services, including tree stump removal, excavation, French drains, land clearing, delivery of firewood, topsoil, mulch and gravel . Our commitment to excellence and customer satisfaction makes us a trusted partner in maintaining the safety of your trees. Contact Bradley Tree Service today to see how we can help keep your property safe and beautiful.

4.8 from 325 reviews

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Pros

  • They are consistently described as professional, courteous, and knowledgeable.
  • They perform tree removals safely with no damage to home or property and clean up thoroughly.
  • They provide accurate, all-inclusive estimates with fair pricing and no surprise charges.
  • They respond quickly to inquiries and emergencies, often with next-day quotes and service.
  • They are a family-owned business that treats customers like family and earns repeat business.
  • They handle difficult removals in tight spaces between houses, fences, and power lines with precision.
  • They communicate well, walk the property, explain options, and keep customers informed.
  • They protect landscaping and property with careful practices and ensure thorough cleanup.
  • They consistently meet or exceed expectations on timeliness and debris removal.
  • They earn high recommendations and are described as the best value by many customers.

Cons

Based on reviews representing only 6% of total ratings

  • One reviewer said Bradley Tree Service canceled a job at the last minute, blaming “too hot outside,” and would not hire or refer them.
  • A reviewer claimed the company damaged their yard and hit their house multiple times and never completed the work after payment.
  • Another reviewer alleged the crew damaged a sidewalk and broke a grinder during shrub work and offered no remedy.

Review Overview

Bradley Tree Service & Excavating is best suited for homeowners who face high-stakes, technically demanding tree work on residential or small commercial properties in the Charleston, TN area. Ideal clients include properties with multiple large trees, trees perched near structures, fences, driveways, or power lines, and jobs that require precise rigging, careful drop zones, and coordinated cleanup. This outfit excels on complex removals, storm-damaged scenarios, and site-prep projects tied to new construction or drainage improvements. Budget-minded homeowners will still find value here, but the strongest fit is a mid- to upper-range budget account that prioritizes safety, precision, and thorough site restoration. For urgent needs, storm damage, deadwood hazards, or trees threatening roofs, Bradley demonstrates notably quick response and mobilization, often arriving with the right crew and gear to begin immediately.

Safety and cleanup standards dominate Bradley’s value proposition. Across the board, customers report a disciplined approach to safety, with crews carefully controlling drops, using ropes and pulleys for precision, and deploying bucket trucks or mini loaders where access is tight. Several reviews highlight protective measures such as laying down plywood to shield lawns and driveways, which minimizes ruts and turf damage in sensitive yards. The company’s emphasis on not compromising dwellings or utility lines appears repeatedly as a core competency, especially in tight drops near houses, fences, and power infrastructure. Cleanup is equally prioritized; debris is chipped, ground, and hauled away, leaving properties looking nearly as before or better. The strongest caveat arises when a review notes a missed surface repair or residual debris; even then, the prevailing pattern is a quick, professional response and corrective action.

Cleanup and site restoration are consistently highlighted as Bradley’s standout strength. Clients repeatedly describe yards cleaned to a degree that makes the trees seem to have vanished, stumps ground, and chips or mulch left in deliberate, useful places. In many jobs, the crew’s footprint is almost invisible after completion: no stray limbs, no woody debris, no tracks in delicate turf. In some cases, additional services are bundled, grading, dirt work, drainage improvements, seeding, and even French drains, demonstrating the team’s versatility beyond classic tree removal. Yet a few reviews flag minor miscommunications about exact cleanup scope or extra soil movement. The prudent approach is to document every cleanup expectation in writing and confirm post-work walkthrough to ensure both sides agree on completion.

Value and reliability come through clearly, even when price discussions surface. Bradley is frequently described as fair or highly competitive, offering transparent, itemized quotes and a willingness to work within reasonable budgets. Many customers report faster response times and shorter lead times than competing outfits, with a willingness to quote early, start quickly, and finish efficiently, even on large jobs with dozens of trees. While the firm is not advertised as the cheapest option, the consensus is that the price-to-performance ratio is excellent, especially given the scale of work accomplished, the precision of tree removals, and the thorough cleanup. There are occasional notes about price surprises or added services, these reaffirm the need for a detailed written scope to avoid unintended work and ensure the estimate remains all-inclusive.

Experience and reliability across multiple crews build confidence for most projects. Bradley presents as a seasoned, family-owned operation with a long track record of handling both simple and monumental jobs, from trimming and deadwood removals to felling giant oaks near structures and safe, methodical stumps grinding. The company advertises specialized teams (Blue, Red, Yellow) and engineers complex workflows that enable drops in challenging sites, including near utilities and tight yards. The positive reviews emphasize punctuality, good communication, professional conduct, and a proactive attitude toward planning with clients. There are a few negative accounts, delays, perceived overpromising, and in rare cases, disputes over unfinished tasks or yard damage, that remind storm seasons and large workloads can stretch capacity. Overall, Bradley’s reliability, depth of arborist knowledge, and teamwork are credible signals of capability for demanding work.

Practical decision guidelines and cautions for potential clients. For high-hazard or tight-location jobs, engage with a written plan that includes a site walk by a qualified arborist, a clearly delineated scope, and a fixed timetable. Insist on proof of insurance and workers’ compensation, and request a documented safety protocol for working near structures and power lines. Specify cleanup expectations, whether stump grinding, soil leveling, seed or sod replacement, and disposal of wood chips are included, and require a final walkthrough with the foreman before dismissal. Expect a staged approach for large properties; complex jobs may unfold over several days, so confirm daily milestones and access to the site. Finally, leverage Bradley’s strong emergency-response reputation: when time is of the essence, the combination of rapid quoting, experienced crews, and a safety-first mindset makes this company a reliable choice for urgent, high-stakes tree work.

In sum, Bradley Tree Service & Excavating stands as a compelling choice for property owners facing difficult removals, storm-damage response, or site work where precision and care are nonnegotiable. The company’s safety culture, meticulous cleanup, and clear record of fair value for substantial, technically challenging jobs distinguish it from many competitors. The strongest buyers are those with sizable trees in close proximity to homes, fences, or power lines, who need a disciplined, coordinated crew capable of executing complex drops and post-work restoration. Caution is warranted on contracts and communications: verify a comprehensive, written scope, confirm all cleanup terms, and secure a firm timeline to minimize the risk of unfinished work or yard damage. When alignment is achieved, Bradley Tree Service & Excavating delivers an impressive, reliable, and practically knowledgeable service that real arborists would confidently recommend.

Equipment and Capabilities

Bucket Truck

Uses an aerial bucket truck for safe, efficient access to tall or hard-to-reach branches. Faster and more stable than climbing for many jobs.

Bucket truck access is a core capability, routinely used to reach tall trees directly beside homes, fences, and power lines in the Cleveland and Charleston, TN area. Teams elevate branches and trunks with the bucket, enabling precise cuts in tight spaces and safe lowering of debris around utilities. They demonstrate careful surface preservation, as crews often lay plywood to protect lawns and prevent tire tracks during yard work. This capability supports rapid response in storm or urgent removals, helping to remove hazardous trees quickly with minimal disruption. Overall, the bucket truck, paired with skilled operators, enhances Bradley Tree Service’s capacity to handle large, risky removals safely and thoroughly across the region.

Stump Grinder

Equipped with stump grinding machinery to eliminate leftover stumps after removal. Leaves your yard clean and ready for replanting or landscaping.

Stump grinding is a core capability, typically performed as part of removal projects, with crews quickly grinding out remaining stumps after a tree is taken down. Feedback patterns show thorough cleanup after grinding—debris removed, wood chips managed, and the area left clean and level for replanting or landscaping. They routinely handle stumps in challenging spots near houses, fences, and driveways, using careful rigging and precision to avoid damage. Across Cleveland, TN and surrounding areas including Charleston, the team delivers this service with prompt scheduling and reliable completion. Customers often request grinding of multiple stumps in a single job, and report consistent, professional performance from crews.

Tree Services

Log Splitting

Cuts felled trees into firewood-ready logs and splits them on site. Turn a removed tree into a winter's worth of firewood instead of hauling it away.

The team can cut large removals into firewood–ready lengths, as shown when a dying hickory was cut into 18-inch pieces for a fire pit and smoker, then stacked neatly. They also supply and deliver firewood, with customers noting quick turnaround and fair pricing. This pattern reflects their end-to-end wood processing capability for Charleston, TN and surrounding areas, moving from removal to finished firewood with safety and thorough cleanup.

Stump Removal

Full stump extraction, root and all - not just grinding. Ideal when you need the area completely cleared for construction, landscaping, or replanting.

Stump removal stands out as a core capability, with customers noting fast, thorough stump grinding after tree removals even when stumps are close to houses, fences, or power lines. Crews consistently clean up the site and haul away debris, leaving yards looking neat and free of remaining wood or roots. Many jobs involve grinding multiple stumps in the same property, sometimes across large yards, and finishing the grind with a tidy finish and often additional soil/topsoil work. The service is commonly integrated with other projects like tree removal, lot clearing, drainage work, or land grading, delivering a coordinated cleanup in one visit. While most feedback highlights fair pricing and dependable scheduling, there are a few isolated reports of incomplete stump grinding or communication gaps, underscoring the value of confirming scope before work begins.

Large Trees

Experienced handling oversized trees - tall, wide, or heavily branched. Removing or trimming a large tree requires specialized skill and equipment, and these pros have both.

Large-tree removals are a core strength, routinely bringing down towering specimens—often 80-foot oaks or larger with bases around 7 feet—without damaging nearby structures. Specialized crews operate with bucket trucks and precise rigging, working in tight spaces between houses or near fences and power lines to execute complex drops safely. Property protection is a priority, with protective plywood laid when needed, thorough stump grinding and debris removal, and clean sites left behind after each job. Storm and hazard scenarios are met with prompt, professional response and careful planning, with crews communicating openly and completing dangerous removals with meticulous cleanup. They serve Cleveland, TN and nearby Southeast Tennessee communities, including Charleston, Athens, Etowah, Benton, and Harrison, delivering safe, efficient large-tree removal, stump grinding, and site restoration.

Lot Clearing

Full-scale land clearing for new construction, overgrown acreage, or development prep. Trees, brush, and stumps - all of it gone.

Lot clearing is delivered with precision for large yards and tight spaces, capable of felling very tall trees—up to around 80 feet—without damaging nearby homes, fences, or power lines in the Cleveland and Charleston, TN area. The crew drops trees exactly where planned, works cohesively as a team, and cleans up thoroughly—dropping limbs safely, grinding stumps, chipping debris, and hauling it all away so the site is ready for development or landscaping. Site prep and drainage are often integrated, with services like driveway regrading, French drains, topsoil, mulch, and seed to establish a finished lot. Safety and property protection are prioritized, with practices such as laying down plywood to shield lawns and driveways and meticulous post-job cleanups. Local customers consistently note reliable scheduling, fair pricing, and a family-owned team that is professional, courteous, and easy to work with.

Dead Tree Experience

Specialists in the safe removal of dead, dying, or diseased trees. Dead trees are unpredictable - experience and caution matter.

Dead_tree removals are handled with safety, skill, and precision, including very large dead or dying trees that lean toward a house or sit beside power lines. The crew coordinates tight drop zones and uses bucket trucks, skilled climbers, and grinders to remove the threat without damaging surrounding structures, then leaves the site clean with debris hauled away. Customers consistently highlight fast, responsive service—often in storm or emergency situations—and thorough cleanup, with surfaces protected (for example, plywood laid to prevent yard damage) and yards returned to their prior condition. In the Charleston, TN area and nearby communities, Bradley Tree Service & Excavating is known as a licensed, insured, family-owned team that delivers reliable, professional dead_tree removal and related care.

Specialty Expertise

Fruit Tree Specialist

Experienced with the pruning, shaping, and care of fruit-bearing trees. The right cuts at the right time keep trees productive and healthy season after season.

Fruit-tree care is a notable strength, with crews actively pruning, removing deadwood, and shaping trees to support health and fruit production. One client highlighted manicuring several fruit trees and clearing out privet, noting the trees looked better than expected after the work. Across Charleston, TN and surrounding areas, customers repeatedly mention safety, thorough cleanup, and professional handling around perimeters and yards, with fruit trees treated as carefully as any other trees. The approach emphasizes health and longevity of fruit-bearing trees while preserving property aesthetics and safety.

Emergency and Storm

Storm Cleanup

Ready to respond after high winds, ice storms, or heavy snow bring trees and limbs down across your property.

Storm cleanup is a core strength, with crews that rapidly respond to downed or hazardous trees and clear debris efficiently. They consistently provide on-site assessments and quotes within hours or the same day, even during weekend storms. They handle complex removals in tight spaces near homes, fences, and power lines, often dropping trees between structures with careful rigging and safety. They protect landscapes during work by laying plywood to prevent yard damage and by performing thorough cleanup so driveways and lawns are left neat. Post-removal services like stump grinding, wood-chipping, and drainage improvements are part of their storm-response capabilities, and they coordinate with insurers to keep the process smooth. In the Charleston, TN area, this translates to reliable, storm-focused service with fast response, clear communication, and careful cleanup.

Quick Response

Fast to answer calls and quick to schedule. Whether it's routine work or an urgent situation, these businesses don't leave you waiting.

Rapid response is a hallmark of Bradley Tree Service & Excavating, with crews across the Cleveland, TN area—including Charleston, Athens, Benton, Ooltewah, Etowah, and Harrison—mobilizing quickly when called. Customers consistently experience same-day or next-day availability, often arriving within hours to assess hazards and begin work. In urgent storm or hazard scenarios, they respond promptly—sometimes on site within an hour and handling dangerous removals near homes or power lines. They deploy bucket trucks and a coordinated crew structure to access tight spaces, execute precise cuts, and leave the area clean. Overall, this quick-response capability pairs with dependable scheduling and clear communication in their Tennessee service area.

Credentials and Trust

Long Established

A business with years - often decades - in the community. Local reputation and deep experience speak for themselves.

With more than 20 years serving the Cleveland, TN area and surrounding towns, Bradley Tree Service & Excavating demonstrates a long-established capability that customers repeatedly validate through their experiences. Feedback consistently highlights safe, professional crews that show up on time, communicate clearly, and complete work with thorough cleanup, often turning first-time customers into repeat clients. Many reviews describe delicate work near homes and fences—dropping large trees with precision, protecting lawns with protective measures, and grinding stumps—reflecting an established approach to minimize damage and maximize safety. Observers note a scalable operation using multiple crews (Green, Blue, Yellow, Red) and rapid storm-response, which signals mature processes built over decades. As a family-owned, licensed and insured provider, they’ve built a strong reputation across Charleston, Cleveland, Athens, Benton, Ooltewah, Etowah, and Harrison.

Family Owned

A business built and run by family, often passed down or grown from the ground up. Personal accountability and pride in every job.

Family ownership shows in hands-on leadership that guides every job—from the initial quote to final cleanup—in the Cleveland and Charleston, Tennessee area. Customers repeatedly describe honest pricing, courteous crews, and a sense of being treated like family, with the owner on site and foremen personally overseeing work. The pattern of quick responses, careful work around homes, and thorough cleanup reflects a reliable, long-standing operation that has served the area for over 20 years. This family-driven approach has earned strong repeat business and referrals, making Bradley Tree Service & Excavating a trusted partner for tree removal, stump grinding, and excavation needs in East Tennessee.

Insured

Carries proper liability and workers' compensation insurance. If something goes wrong on your property, you're protected.

Insured status and licensed operation are consistently cited as a core reassurance in client feedback, with many reviewers noting liability insurance and workers’ compensation coverage as part of the service. In urgent storm scenarios, customers highlight quick response, safe work around homes and fences, and the ability to coordinate with insurance providers to authorize and complete work promptly. The coverage supports strong safety and cleanup records, as reviewers describe protective measures (such as plywood protection for yards) and thorough debris removal with minimal if any damage to property. Across Charleston, TN and nearby areas, these insured capabilities underpin trust for residential and commercial tree removal, excavation, stump grinding, and drainage projects handled by the team.

Licensed

Holds all required state and local licenses to operate legally as a tree service. A basic but important box to check before hiring.

Licensed and insured status underpins the trust customers express in this service, with multiple clients noting that they carry liability insurance and workers’ compensation, and that certificates of insurance are readily provided. In the Charleston, TN and Cleveland-area context, people consistently describe safety-first, careful work around homes, fences, and power lines, including practices like laying plywood to protect lawns and detailing precise drop zones. The pattern of on-time arrivals, professional conduct, and thorough cleanup further reinforces that licensed crews operate with accountability and discipline. In emergencies and storm damage, customers highlight quick coordination with homeowners and even insurance providers, and in some cases refer to working directly with an insurer to get rapid results. Overall, feedback indicates that the licensed capability translates into experienced, reliable crews who manage tight sites safely, while offering fair pricing and strong safety practices.

Customer Experience

Affordable

Competitive pricing without cutting corners. These arborists offer fair rates and transparent quotes, making professional tree care accessible for most budgets.

Affordable pricing stands out in the Charleston-Cleveland, TN area, with many customers noting fair, transparent quotes and competitive rates for large tree removals and stump grinding. The value extends to complex jobs near homes, fences, or power lines, where safe, efficient removals and thorough cleanup are delivered at a reasonable cost. Several clients highlight that Bradley Tree Service often offers the best price in town without sacrificing safety or quality, a pattern echoed across their service range. Beyond price, they provide broad capabilities—licensed and insured crews handling tree removal, stump grinding, land clearing, drainage work (French drains), topsoil, mulch, gravel delivery, and firewood—serving Cleveland, Charleston, Athens, Benton, Ooltewah, Etowah, and Harrison. This combination of cost-effectiveness, reliability, and full-service capacity makes them a go-to option for East Tennessee homeowners and businesses.