What size tree can a homeowner safely fell?

As a rough guide, a straight, healthy, freestanding tree up to about 8 to 10 inches in diameter, in open ground with at least two and a half times its height of clear space to fall into, and nothing valuable within reach. Beyond that the stored energy and the consequences of a misjudged hinge rise steeply. Diameter is not the only test — a leaning, split or hollow 6 in. tree is more dangerous than a straight 10 in. one.

How deep should the notch be when felling a tree?

About one fifth to one third of the trunk diameter, with the two notch cuts meeting cleanly at a single line rather than crossing past each other. An open-face notch of roughly 70 degrees is the most controllable for a beginner because it stays open through the fall and keeps the hinge working until the tree is on the ground. A notch that is too shallow lets the tree close it early and break the hinge.

What is the hinge when felling a tree?

The strip of uncut wood left between the back of the notch and the back cut. It is what steers the tree, controlling both direction and rate of fall, and it must be uniform in thickness — roughly a tenth of the trunk diameter — across its full width. Cutting through the hinge removes all control and the tree can go anywhere, which is the most common serious felling error.

Which way will a tree fall?

Toward its lean and toward its heaviest side, unless a correctly cut hinge steers it otherwise. Assess the lean by standing well back at two points 90 degrees apart, look at where the canopy weight sits, check for a heavy branch on one side, and note the wind. A notch can influence the direction of a balanced tree by a modest amount; it cannot overcome a significant lean without wedges or a rope, which are skills beyond a first felling.

When should you not fell a tree yourself?

Any tree near a house, shed, fence, road, driveway or power line; any tree that leans toward something you cannot afford to hit; anything split, hollow, rotten, dead or storm-damaged; anything with limbs hung up in another tree; anything over roughly 10 inches in diameter if you have not done it before; and anything requiring you to leave the ground. OSHA bars unqualified people from working within 10 feet of overhead lines.

How to Fell a Small Tree (Notch, Back Cut, Hinge)

Written & researched by Priya Anand DIY & Tools Editor

Updated October 2026

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Fell a small tree by cutting an open-face notch about a third of the way through on the side you want it to fall, then a back cut from the opposite side, slightly above the notch floor, stopping before you reach the notch so a uniform hinge of wood about a tenth of the trunk diameter is left to steer the fall. Before any of that, plan two escape routes at 45 degrees behind you and clear them. This applies only to straight, healthy, freestanding trees roughly 8 to 10 in. across in open ground. Anything leaning, split, hollow, storm-damaged or near a structure or power line belongs to a certified arborist.

Before you start the saw: assess

Most felling accidents are decided before the chain touches wood. Walk around the tree and work through this deliberately.

Lean and weight. Stand back at two points 90 degrees apart and sight up the trunk. A tree falls toward its lean and toward the heaviest side of its canopy. If those two disagree with where you want it to go, stop.
Landing zone. You need clear ground at least two and a half times the tree's height in the fall direction, and nothing you care about within reach in any direction. Trees do not always land where planned.
Overhead. Power lines, phone lines, other canopies, and dead limbs in the tree that will come down first. Anything within 10 feet of a line is not your work — OSHA bars unqualified people from that zone.
Trunk condition. Cracks, seams, fungal brackets, hollow sounds, missing bark, ants. Compromised wood makes hinges fail unpredictably.
Wind. Do not fell in gusty conditions. A modest gust moves a canopy more than a notch can compensate for.
Escape routes. Two, at roughly 45 degrees back and away from the fall line on both sides. Clear brush, branches and trip hazards from both before cutting, not after.
People and pets. Nobody within twice the tree height. Never fell alone if you can avoid it.

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Tools and gear

A chainsaw with a bar at least 2 in. longer than the trunk diameter — sizing in what size chainsaw do I need, and picks at best chainsaw.
A sharp, correctly tensioned chain. A dull chain in a felling cut is genuinely dangerous.
Cut-resistant chaps, a helmet with a face screen, eye and hearing protection, heavy gloves, boots covering the ankle — see best chainsaw chaps.
Two plastic felling wedges and a small maul, in case the back cut starts to close.
Loppers or a pruning saw to clear brush from the escape routes.
A helper standing well back, watching the canopy.

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The three cuts

Top notch cut. Standing on the side you want the tree to fall toward, cut downward at about 60 to 70 degrees, going in about one fifth to one third of the trunk diameter. Keep the cut horizontal across the trunk, not sloping to one side.
Bottom notch cut. Cut horizontally to meet the first cut exactly at its innermost point, and remove the wedge of wood. The two cuts must meet on a single clean line — if they cross past each other you have cut a step into the hinge and it will not work properly. Look into the notch: the back face should be a clean vertical line perpendicular to the intended fall direction, because that line is what aims the tree.
Back cut. Move to the opposite side. Cut horizontally into the trunk, positioned about 1 to 2 in. above the floor of the notch — that offset creates a step that stops the trunk kicking backward off the stump. Advance slowly and stop before you reach the notch, leaving a uniform band of wood about one tenth of the trunk diameter across the full width. That band is the hinge.

Trunk diameter	Notch depth	Hinge thickness	Back cut height above notch floor
6 in.	~1.5–2 in.	~0.6 in.	~1 in.
8 in.	~2–2.5 in.	~0.8 in.	~1–1.5 in.
10 in.	~2.5–3 in.	~1 in.	~1.5 in.

Never cut through the hinge. It is the entire steering mechanism, and once it is severed the tree is free to go in any direction, including backward over the stump toward you. If the back cut starts to close on the bar, stop, tap a wedge in behind the saw, and continue.

As it goes over

Watch the top of the tree, not the cut. The canopy tells you it is moving several seconds before the trunk does.
The moment it commits, remove the saw, set the chain brake, and walk — do not run — along your escape route at 45 degrees back from the fall line, watching upward the whole time.
Get at least 15 to 20 feet clear and keep looking up. Falling trees throw broken limbs, and the butt can jump off the stump.
Do not approach until everything has stopped moving, including the canopy settling.
If the tree hangs up in another tree, stop entirely. A hung-up tree is one of the most dangerous situations in tree work and it is not a homeowner job — call an arborist.

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Limbing and bucking the felled tree

Work from the base toward the top, standing on the uphill side of the trunk and always on the opposite side from the limb you are cutting so the trunk is between you and the bar. Limbs on the underside are under compression and will spring — cut those last, and cut them in stages.

Reading tension is the whole skill in bucking. A log supported at both ends is compressed on top and in tension underneath: cut a third down from the top, then finish from beneath, or the kerf closes and pinches the bar. A log supported at one end only is the reverse: cut a third up from beneath, then finish from the top. Keep the bar out of the dirt — cut on a stand or leave the last inch and roll the log. More on processing the wood in best chainsaw for firewood.

Safety: the things that actually injure people

Kickback is the mechanism behind most severe chainsaw injuries, and felling puts you in the situations that cause it. When the upper quadrant of the bar nose contacts wood or any solid object, the chain cannot pull through and instead drives the bar backward and upward toward your head and shoulder in a fraction of a second, far faster than you can react. Keep the tip in view and out of everything, never cut with the nose, wrap the thumb of your leading hand fully under the front handle, stand slightly to the side of the cutting line, and confirm the chain brake stops the chain before you start. Detail in what causes chainsaw kickback.

Never fell from a ladder, and never cut above shoulder height. Both remove your ability to see the tip and to brace, and there is no version of felling that requires either. OSHA lists a hard hat, safety glasses, hearing protection, heavy gloves, cut-resistant chaps and boots covering the ankle as standard chainsaw kit, and a helmet matters more here than anywhere else because falling limbs are a felling-specific hazard. The CDC covers the same protective equipment and safe practice for post-storm work.

Stop and call a certified arborist for: any tree near a house, shed, fence, road or driveway; anything within 10 feet of a power line; any tree that leans toward something you cannot afford to hit; anything split, hollow, rotten, dead or storm-damaged; any tree hung up in another; and anything over roughly 10 in. in diameter if you have not felled before. Local ordinances also regulate tree removal in many municipalities and permits are sometimes required — check before you cut. An arborist carries insurance, rigging and training, and costs a great deal less than the alternatives.

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How to Fell a Small Tree