Once called Little Farms

Tree Service in River Ridge, LA

Deep lots, mature trees, and unincorporated-parish rules for anything on the right-of-way.

Free estimates, in person, for homes in New Orleans and nearby towns
Itemized written price before any cutting
Logs left or hauled, your call, agreed up front

Plantation Strips Turned Into Deep Lots

Tree Service in River Ridge often means big trees with room around them. The land here was laid out in the French long-lot pattern, narrow plantations running back from the Mississippi, owned by families such as the Trudeaus and Sauvés. After World War II, G.I. Bill financing set off suburban building from the early 1950s, and by 1965 the stretch between Harahan and Kenner was largely developed and known as Little Farms. The community took the name River Ridge in 1974. Many of the lots from that era are deep, and the trees planted on them seventy years ago have filled them in.

Unincorporated means parish rules

River Ridge is an unincorporated census-designated place, so public right-of-way here is under Jefferson Parish. The Parkways Department oversees trees and shrubs on parish right-of-way, and a free vegetation removal permit is required for anything on that strip with a mature height over six feet. Only the adjacent property owner can apply, and an approved removal has to include taking out the stump. Parkways crews prune parish trees for hazards and traffic clearance, and if they cannot get to it soon, the owner can get a permit to have a qualified company do the work at the owner's expense.

The trees we see most

Live oaks that have spread over the house and into the neighbor's yard
Pecans that drop heavy limbs, especially after a wet spell
Water oaks reaching the age when heart rot and dead tops show up
Overgrown hollies and ligustrum along property lines that need thinning or removal

Wind from across the river

Waggaman sits directly across the Mississippi. During Hurricane Ida, a WeatherFlow station there recorded 72 mph sustained wind and a 92 mph gust, according to the National Weather Service's post-storm summary. River Ridge sat on the same stretch of river that night. On deep lots with tall trees, storms like that tend to produce large broken limbs and uprooted trees rather than just scattered twigs.

History in the ground

In 1849 a levee breach at Pierre Sauvé's plantation, known as Sauvé's Crevasse, sent water across much of the land to the east and into parts of New Orleans. The natural ground along the river is higher and better drained than the backswamp farther from it, and the trees on the older, river-side lots tend to be the oldest and the most firmly anchored on the East Bank side of the parish.

Planning work on a big lot

A large lot often has several trees that need different things. We walk all of it, rank the work from most urgent to least, and write it up so you can do it in one visit or spread it out. Call (504) 384-7694. Get a free estimate

River Ridge Facts

Unincorporated Jefferson Parish. River Ridge is an unincorporated CDP, so trees on public right-of-way fall under the Jefferson Parish Parkways Department and its free removal permit.
Little Farms era. G.I. Bill-financed suburban building began in the early 1950s; by 1965 the area was largely developed and known as Little Farms, renamed River Ridge in 1974.
High home values. Census QuickFacts (2020-2024) lists a median owner-occupied value of $357,400, a 70.6% owner-occupied rate and 24.8% of residents 65 or older.
Ida across the river. A station at Waggaman, directly across the Mississippi, recorded a 92 mph gust during Hurricane Ida in 2021.

Our Services in River Ridge, LA

River Ridge Questions

Who do I call about the tree between my sidewalk and the street in River Ridge?

Jefferson Parish Parkways, at (504) 349-5800. River Ridge is unincorporated, so that strip is parish right-of-way, and removals there need the parish's free permit.

Can Parkways be slow? Can I hire it out?

The parish says that if it cannot do the work quickly, the property owner may get a permit and have a qualified company do it at the owner's expense. The parish may still deny removal of a mature, healthy tree.

Our pecan keeps dropping big limbs. Should it come down?

Not necessarily. Pecans are prone to limb drop, and targeted pruning of the heavy, end-weighted limbs often fixes it. If the trunk has decay or cracks, removal may be the better choice, and we will tell you which we see.

Do you work around pools and sheds on deep lots?

Yes. Back-lot trees near pools, sheds and fences are usually taken down in sections and lowered so nothing lands on structures. We note the access path on the estimate.

Is spring or fall better for big pruning jobs in River Ridge?

For large structural work, late fall into winter is usually the better window. The trees are under less heat stress and the work is done well ahead of the June start of hurricane season. Hazard limbs over the house should not wait for either season.

Free Estimates in River Ridge, LA

Free estimates along Jefferson Highway and every River Ridge street.

Call (504) 384-7694 Free Estimate