Front Range storm cleanup and fallen-tree removal, fast.
Creative Tree & Stump LLC is a Brighton, CO-based tree removal company serving 22 communities across Adams, Weld, Jefferson, Boulder, Broomfield, and Denver counties, with round-the-clock storm coverage. Shawn Brandau — an ISA Certified Arborist — has cleared the aftermath of Front Range wind, snow and hail events across Brighton and greater Adams County since 1991.
Storm work spans the urgent and the routine: stabilizing and removing what has already failed, then the follow-up tree removal and cleanup once the immediate danger is handled. Either way, the same owner-led crew is on site, and the company is fully insured for high-risk work near homes and lines. When you are dealing with a tree on your house at 2 a.m., the difference between an experienced, insured crew and a chainsaw-for-hire is enormous.
Whatever the storm leaves behind — a tree on the roof at midnight or a yard full of debris by morning — we handle it.
Around-the-clock crews on call for fallen and hazardous trees, any hour.
24/7 emergency response →Full debris removal and hazard clearing after wind, snow and hail.
Storm damage cleanup →Trees off your home, car, fence or driveway — extracted safely.
Fallen tree removal →Repair and recovery from Colorado’s heavy storm seasons.
Snow, wind & hail damage →A tree emergency is any situation where a tree or limb has already failed or is about to. The calls we get most after a Front Range storm are uprooted or snapped trees resting on a house, garage or vehicle; large limbs hung up in the canopy — “widow-makers” that can drop without warning; split or cracked trunks after high wind; leaners with the root plate heaving out of the ground; and trees blocking a driveway, street or only safe exit.
Any of these near people or a structure should be treated as urgent. The most dangerous mistake homeowners make is approaching a limb resting on a power line: treat every downed line as energized, keep everyone back at least 30 feet, and let the utility de-energize it before any work begins. When in doubt, call us and describe what you are seeing — we can tell you over the phone whether it needs an immediate response or can safely wait until morning, which saves you both worry and the premium of an unnecessary midnight call.
Once the immediate danger is handled, the work shifts to putting your property back in order. We remove downed trees and limbs, cut and stack any wood you want to keep, chip or haul the rest, and rake the area so you are not left dragging branches to the curb for weeks. For a damaged structure, we can tarp a roof opening or secure a fence line to protect it until repairs are made.
Storms rarely damage just one tree, so we assess everything while we are on site — flagging cracked limbs, split unions and leaners that did not fail this time but will in the next storm. Catching that damage now, on the ground and on your schedule, is far cheaper and safer than waiting for the follow-up failure. We will lay out what is urgent, what can wait, and what it costs before any non-emergency work begins, so the cleanup never turns into a surprise bill.
When you call, we triage by phone first: what failed, what it hit, and whether anyone is in danger or a power line is involved. During an active storm we stage crews to move fast, because the first hours after a tree comes down are when the most additional damage and injury occur. On arrival we make the scene safe before anything else — stabilizing leaners, clearing access, and dealing with the immediate hazard. We carry tarps and rigging so a roof opening or a leaning tree can be secured fast, before the next gust makes it worse.
Once the danger is controlled, we complete the emergency tree removal, haul off the debris, and document the damage for your records. We work to ANSI Z133 safety standards even under pressure, because storm conditions — wet wood, wind, trees under load — are exactly when shortcuts get people hurt. A tree bent under tension stores enormous energy, and releasing it the wrong way is how serious injuries happen.
When a tree damages a structure, homeowners insurance often covers the removal and repair — but claims go more smoothly with proper documentation. We photograph the damage, provide a written assessment of what failed and why, and itemize the work on a clear invoice you can hand to your adjuster. We can also speak directly with the adjuster about the scope of work if that helps move things along, and we keep our documentation clear enough that there is rarely any back-and-forth.
Coverage varies by policy and situation, so we never promise what your insurer will pay — but we make sure you have everything a claim needs. And because Creative Tree & Stump is fully insured, you are protected if anything is damaged during the removal itself, which is not something an uninsured storm-chaser crew can offer. After a big event, out-of-town crews flood the area chasing work; we are local, here year-round, and accountable long after the storm passes.
The single biggest cause of storm tree damage on the Front Range is not summer wind — it is heavy, wet spring snow. March and April storms drop dense snow onto trees that are leafing out, and the weight snaps limbs and splits trunks that would shrug off a dry winter storm. Brittle, fast-grown species like cottonwood, Siberian elm and ash fail first, and a large or hazardous tree coming down can take out a roof, a fence and a power line at once. These spring storms, not summer thunderstorms, are responsible for most of the major tree failures we are called to across the Front Range.
High winds add to it. Downslope windstorms regularly push gusts across the plains east of the foothills, and a dense, unbalanced canopy catches that wind like a sail. Dead and declining trees are the most likely to fail — a dead or diseased tree that limped through summer is exactly what comes down in the first big storm.
Much of this is preventable. Thinning a heavy canopy and removing deadwood before storm season meaningfully lowers the odds of failure, which is why off-season tree trimming and pruning is some of the best storm insurance there is. Hail, while hard on foliage, rarely brings a tree down on its own, though it can strip leaves and damage bark in ways that stress a tree over the following seasons.
Owner-operated, and trusted enough that Denver7 News featured our crew’s response after the August 2022 Front Range derecho.
Shawn Brandau answers the emergency line and leads the response himself — no call center.
An ISA Certified Arborist on the job and full insurance on every storm call.
Recognized for our derecho storm response across the Front Range in August 2022.
Based in Brighton, we answer storm calls throughout the 22 communities we serve across Adams, Weld, Jefferson, Boulder, Broomfield and Denver counties.
From Thornton and the north metro out to the rural eastern plains, when a storm rolls through, the same owner-led crew is ready to respond — day or night.
Creative Tree & Stump is rated highly across Brighton and the Denver metro for fast, calm storm response when homeowners need it most. Every review is read and answered personally, and the most recent ratings tell you the most about the service you can expect today. Read verified Google reviews on our customer reviews page.
Get everyone to safety and away from the tree and any limbs under tension. Do not touch a tree contacting a power line — call 911 and your utility. Once safe, call us at (970) 580-6932 for same-day removal, and photograph the damage from a safe distance for your insurer before anything is moved.
Yes. We run a live emergency line and respond around the clock across all 22 service-area cities, including nights, weekends and holidays. The owner answers and dispatches the crew — there is no after-hours call center, so you are talking to the person who will actually run the job, not a dispatcher reading a script.
Often, especially when a tree strikes a home, garage, fence or vehicle. Coverage varies by policy, so we document the damage with photos and a written assessment and itemize the invoice to support your claim. We can also coordinate with your adjuster.
Heavy, wet spring snow is the top cause on the Front Range. Dense March and April snow loads onto leafing-out trees and snaps limbs and trunks. High winds and brittle, dead or over-dense trees make failures more likely; hail rarely fells a tree by itself.
From our Brighton base we reach most of Adams County and the north metro quickly, frequently within a few hours during an active storm. We prioritize calls where a tree is on a structure or blocking safe access, and we keep you updated on timing during an active storm rather than leaving you wondering.
Sometimes. If the trunk and major limbs are sound, removing broken branches with clean cuts lets a tree recover, and cabling can support a weakened union. If the damage is structural or more than half the canopy is gone, removal is usually safer — we will tell you honestly which applies, rather than charging you to patch up a tree that is not going to recover.
Treat the line as live and dangerous. Keep everyone at least 30 feet away, keep children and pets clear, and call 911 and your electric utility to de-energize it. We coordinate with the utility before removing anything near the line, and we never cut a tree off an energized line ourselves — that is the power company’s job, and it keeps everyone safe.
Have trees thinned to reduce wind load, remove deadwood and weak limbs before storm season, and cable or brace weak unions. Off-season pruning is the most cost-effective storm protection, and we are glad to assess your trees before the next big storm and point out the limbs and unions most likely to fail.
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