PECO — the electric utility serving all of Bucks County — handles trimming and removal that directly threatens their lines, at no cost to you. Everything else is yours: dead trees, leaning trees, structurally compromised trees, and any debris left behind after PECO's crew finishes. If you're looking at a tree near a line and wondering who's responsible, the question isn't really about the power line. It's about who owns the problem with the tree.
Who Is Responsible for Trees Near Power Lines in Bucks County?
Most Bucks County homeowners assume that if a tree is near a power line, PECO is on the hook for it. That's not how it works — and the misunderstanding leads to two bad outcomes: homeowners who do nothing while a dangerous tree deteriorates, and homeowners who call PECO expecting full removal and get a trim crew that addresses only the branch touching the wire.
PECO serves southeastern Pennsylvania including all of Bucks County — communities like Warminster, Doylestown, Perkasie, Quakertown, Yardley, and everything in between. They are responsible for maintaining the reliability of their infrastructure. You are responsible for the trees on your property. Those are two separate things, even when they're physically adjacent.
Trees account for approximately 40% of all power outages across PECO's service area. That's exactly why they spend heavily on vegetation management — $75 million committed in 2025 alone. But that program exists to protect their equipment, not to provide free tree removal service to property owners.
The PECO vs. Homeowner Responsibility Split
Here's how the responsibility actually breaks down. This isn't legal advice — it's a practical guide to how PECO operates and how the liability typically lands in Pennsylvania.
| Situation | Who Handles It | What That Means |
|---|---|---|
| Branch actively touching or growing into a distribution line | PECO | PECO will trim or remove vegetation in direct contact with their lines, at no cost to the property owner. They follow ANSI A300 pruning standards. |
| Tree in your yard that's growing toward but not yet touching a line | Homeowner | You can request PECO evaluate it, but they may not act until the line is at risk. A proactive private contractor can prune it back on your schedule before it becomes an emergency. |
| Dead or dying tree that happens to be near a power line | Homeowner | PECO does not remove dead trees as a property service. If the tree is structurally compromised and near a line, you need to hire a licensed tree service — the closer to the line, the more specialized the job. |
| Tree that has fallen on a power line | PECO + Homeowner | PECO secures the line and repairs their equipment. You hire a contractor to remove the tree from your property once the line is safe. Two separate jobs, two separate parties. |
| Debris left after PECO's crew trims around their lines | Homeowner | PECO will cut what they need to cut. Cleanup of the branches, logs, and chips left on your property is your responsibility. They are not a full-service tree company. |
| Trimming you want done near a line for aesthetics or light | Homeowner | PECO does not trim for aesthetic reasons. If you want work done near a line on your timeline, hire a contractor certified for line-clearance work. Never attempt this yourself. |
What PECO's Tree Trimming Program Covers (and What It Doesn't)
PECO's vegetation management program is real and it's significant. In 2025 they're investing $75 million in tree and vegetation clearance across southeastern Pennsylvania. In areas where they've completed this work, vegetation-related outages have dropped by 30%. That's a meaningful program — but it's worth understanding what it actually involves.
PECO uses two types of vegetation management:
- Preventive pruning: Fast-growing limbs and branches are cut back away from lines on a regular cycle. PECO certified arborists follow directional pruning techniques designed to train growth away from the line over time.
- Tree removal: When a tree poses a serious threat to the line and pruning isn't a viable long-term solution, PECO will remove the tree. This is not routine — it's reserved for trees where the line clearance risk cannot otherwise be managed.
All of PECO's work is done by certified arborists trained to ANSI A300 Part 1 standards. That's the same standard professional tree services use. The difference: PECO's crew is there to serve the line, not the tree. Their pruning approach prioritizes clearance, which can sometimes create lopsided, structurally weakened trees over time — because a healthy canopy shape isn't their priority. A well-rounded crown is yours.
For non-emergency concerns — a branch growing toward a line, a tree you think poses a risk — call PECO at 1-800-494-4000 or submit a request through their website. For emergencies where a tree or branch has contacted a live line, call 1-800-841-4141 immediately. Response times for non-emergency requests can range from weeks to months depending on their current schedule in your area.
Can PECO Trim Your Trees Without Asking? (The Right-of-Way Question)
This surprises a lot of Bucks County homeowners: yes, PECO can trim — or remove — trees on your private property without requesting your permission first. They have a legal right-of-way easement that gives them authority to clear vegetation within a defined corridor around their distribution lines, regardless of property lines.
This right-of-way is established in PECO's franchise agreement with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and is standard for all regulated electric utilities in the state. If PECO determines a tree on your property is an immediate threat to their infrastructure, they will act. They are required to follow ANSI A300 pruning standards and use certified arborists, but their objective is line clearance — not your tree's long-term structural health or appearance.
What this means practically:
- PECO may show up and trim a tree on your property without advance notice in emergency situations
- For non-emergency trimming cycles, they typically notify affected neighborhoods in advance, though not always individual homeowners
- The pruning may leave your tree looking lopsided or unbalanced — because one side was cleared for the line and the other was left untouched
- If their work structurally weakens your tree, the resulting hazard becomes your problem to manage
- Debris from their trimming is left on your property
If PECO has already trimmed a tree on your property and you're concerned about its structure or stability afterward, a professional assessment is worth having. An unbalanced tree that's been directionally pruned toward a line is a legitimate hazard in high-wind events.
When You Need to Hire a Private Contractor (Not PECO)
There's a wide category of power-line tree situations that are entirely your problem to solve, and where you shouldn't wait on PECO. These are also situations where hiring just any tree company won't do — work within proximity to energized distribution lines requires specific training, equipment, and insurance.
Dead or Structurally Failed Trees Near Lines
If a tree on your property is dead, has major structural defects, or shows signs of failure — and it's positioned to hit a line if it falls — that's an urgent private contractor situation. PECO will not proactively remove a dead tree from your property. Identifying a dead or dying tree early and getting it down before it falls is far less expensive than dealing with an emergency situation after it's already on the wire.
Preventive Pruning on Your Schedule
If you have a large tree that's growing toward a line and you want it addressed before it becomes PECO's problem, a private contractor can handle the pruning. This is often a smarter move than waiting: you get the work done correctly and completely, not just cleared from the wire. Our tree trimming service includes work near utility lines by trained crew members who know how to work in proximity to infrastructure.
Who Cleans Up After PECO Trims Your Trees?
PECO's tree crews are not cleanup crews. After they've pruned around a line, the debris — branches, limbs, brush — stays on your property. Some homeowners are surprised by the volume of material left behind, especially after major preventive pruning cycles. A tree service can haul it all out in a single visit.
Emergency Tree Service After a Storm
After major storms, the sequence matters. PECO responds to restore power — that means securing downed lines and removing whatever is actively interfering with their equipment. Once they've cleared and secured the line, your contractor comes in to remove the tree from your property. Our 24/7 emergency tree service responds throughout Bucks County when lines come down and trees need to come out fast.
Distribution lines running through Bucks County neighborhoods are not insulated. They look like cable or phone lines, but contact with them is fatal. Pennsylvania OSHA regulations require that only qualified line clearance arborists work within 10 feet of energized lines. This is not a job for a chainsaw and a ladder. If the tree is anywhere near a line, hire a licensed contractor.