Branch, tree and leaf removal in Almaty — we load and clear it ourselves

📖 Overview

Branch, felled tree and leaf removal: a detailed breakdown — season, volumes, mistakes, landfill

They cut down an old elm in the yard — and there it is, a pile. Branches, leaves, a couple of thicker logs, all of it lying along the fence and blocking the way out of the yard. A familiar sight for a private house in Almaty, and for a country dacha too. People call and the first thing they ask is: how much will branch removal cost. And the first thing I ask is: do you have a photo? Because one person's "a few branches" is two bags, and another's is a KAMAZ and a half, and you can't guess that over the phone.

I'm Daniyar, I work as a foreman of loaders. We remove branches, trees and leaves every day, and I can already tell by eye when someone's underestimating the volume by about three times. It's not greed, it's normal — from the outside a pile always looks small. So in this article I'll break it down honestly: how to estimate the volume, what fits in one trip and what needs a second, why dry leaves are deceptively light and wet ones heavy, and where it all goes after loading. No vague talk about a "professional approach" — only what we actually do with our hands.

I'll also explain why "free tree removal" is almost never about you, which branches you can't stuff into a GAZelle even for money, and in which season an order comes out cheaper. If you still have questions after the article — message us on WhatsApp, send a photo, we'll figure it out together.

How to estimate the volume of branches and leaves before the truck arrives

Let me start with an example that repeats every week. A call: "There are branches after pruning, about five cubes, I think." We arrive — a pile two by three meters and chest-high. In reality that's eight cubes, maybe nine. The person looked at it from above and guessed. Because by eye the volume of branches always seems smaller than it is.

So let's figure out how to estimate at least roughly. Not so you can give me an exact number — I'll double-check from photos anyway. But so you know whether to order one trip or two. And so we don't end up with the truck arriving and nothing to load.

A pile of branches by eye vs. a pile of branches in the truck bed: why they don't match

The eye is built to see the top layer. Branches lie loose, with air between them, and that looseness fools you. When we load, we tramp them down, trim them, stack them tighter — and the volume drops by one and a half to two times. But not always.

If the branches are fresh, with leaves, they stack poorly. They spring back, catch on each other, and the bed fills slowly. Dry ones without leaves, on the other hand, pack into a GAZelle almost completely. So the same pile by eye can give different results in the bed.

Another thing: shape. A pile swept into one spot always looks more compact than the same branches scattered around the yard along the fence. By area it seems like a lot, by volume it's the same six cubes.

A bag, a wheelbarrow, a trailer — converting to cubic meters without a ruler

A ruler is a poor helper here. It's easier to count in everyday units everyone has on hand. Here's the scale I use myself when sizing things up on site:

• A standard sugar sack packed with dry leaves is about 50–60 liters, that is, 0.05–0.06 cubic meters.
• A bag of wet leaves after rain weighs close to 20 kilograms and gives the same 0.05–0.06 cubic meters, just heavy ones.
• A 100-liter garden wheelbarrow heaped with branches is 0.15–0.2 cubes, if the branches are small and packed tight.
• A passenger car trailer heaped with branches is about 1.5 cubes, but only if the branches are dry and without leaves.
• A pile of branches waist-high to an adult and about five paces long is already 3–4 cubes.
• Leaves collected in bags and stacked in a pile take up more than you'd think: ten bags is only half a cube.

Now about removing branches from your property. If after pruning you have five to seven bags of leaves and a couple of piles of branches, that's one GAZelle trip. If the branches are from three large trees, plus logs, get ready for two trips or a ZIL right away.

And one more thing: don't try to tramp branches into bags with your feet. It doesn't help much and the bags tear. Better to leave them as they are and show us.

What two-angle photos give you and why one photo is worse than two

When you message us on WhatsApp about removing branches, trees or leaves, send two photos. One — a wide shot so I can see where the pile is: by the fence, deep in the yard, behind the house. The second — from the side, to understand height and density.

Why two? From one photo I see either the area or the height. I can't combine them. But from two, the picture comes together and I can say: GAZelle, ZIL or skip. Sometimes a photo of the pile next to something of known size is enough — a car, a fence, a gate, a person.

What's useless to photograph: individual twigs up close, leaves in bags without scale, a pile at dusk. Volume can't be estimated from such shots, and I'll still have to ask again.

When the volume honestly can't be guessed and an estimator's visit is needed

There are cases when neither photos nor your estimates work. For example, a property in the foothills, a pile of branches going down a slope, and you can't photograph it whole. Or a tree fell and lies mixed with other debris. Or the leaves are wet, compacted over the winter, and it's unclear how many cubes there really are.

In cases like that, I'm honest: come and take a look. An estimator's visit isn't a separate paid service — it's how you avoid picking the wrong truck. If the photos show the volume is borderline, somewhere between a GAZelle and a ZIL, it's better to spend twenty minutes on an inspection than to send equipment out twice.

And one last thing. If you're looking for free wood removal — that doesn't exist. The tree has to be cut down, sawn up, loaded and hauled away. Nobody's going to do that for free, unless you haul it yourself on your own trailer. So don't waste time searching — just message us and we'll tell you what it'll cost.

That's the whole calculation. Rough, no tape measure, but it works. If you're still unsure after reading this — that's normal. Send photos and I'll give you a more precise answer. In my experience, after two shots and a couple of follow-up questions, the volume almost always lines up.

What a GAZelle will take, what a ZIL will, and what only a dumpster

Let me start with what I see every week. We show up to remove branches from a plot in the Alatau district, and along the fence there are three piles of different density. Two neatly tied, one scattered across the lawn. And the owner says confidently: "That's a GAZelle load, easy." In the end we make two trips, because the tied branches fit and the scattered ones with leaves didn't. That's what this is about.

GAZelle: how many branches fit if you stack them smart

A 1.5 t GAZelle holds 12 m³. Sounds impressive — until you start stuffing branches in. Fresh ones, still leafy, and after rain on top of that: they don't stack well, there's air between them, and you actually load far less. If the branches are dry and bundled, you can pack them tighter. Cut trunks, about a metre each — that's a whole different story, and here the GAZelle is almost as good as anything.

An important point: a GAZelle is great for driveways a ZIL can't get into. Narrow courtyards downtown, barriers, low wires. Sometimes wood removal from a plot isn't about volume but about the fact that a big truck physically can't get in. Then the GAZelle is the only option, even if it takes several trips.

ZIL and dump truck: when the branches no longer fit in a light vehicle

A ZIL dump truck — 7–12 m³, and its main advantage isn't the volume, it's the tipping bed. Tilt it and the branches slide out on their own. With a GAZelle you unload every branch by hand; with a ZIL you don't. On tree removal from a plot, where the trunks are thick and heavy, that saves you an hour and a half.

But the ZIL has a price — its size. It can't get into every yard, and it clears wires with room to spare, but not always. And if you already have a corrugated fence on your plot and a three-metre gate, a ZIL won't get through. We check that from photos before dispatch so we don't send the truck out for nothing.

32 m³ bunker: who needs it and why it's not always worth it

A bunker is for when the branches are lying there and nobody's going to tie them up. You bring a container, drop it by the fence, and people toss everything in for a week. For large plots where the cleanup happens gradually, it's convenient. But there's a catch: it has to go somewhere, and not every plot has room for a crane truck to get in.

And another thing: people often order a bunker for no reason. They think "just in case," and end up filling it halfway. Branch removal from a country plot costs more precisely because of the empty space you're hauling too. Honestly: if the pile is already gathered and visible in the photos, you usually don't need a bunker.

Why two GAZelle runs almost never cost half as much as one

People think it's simple: a GAZelle is smaller than a ZIL, so two GAZelle runs are like one ZIL, only cheaper. It adds up on paper, not in real life. Every run means dispatch, loading, driving to the site, unloading and coming back. Loaders' time is spent twice, fuel twice, and you're not paying for the truck body but for the work around it.

Plus the second run is often half-empty. The first trip was packed to the brim, the leftovers went into the second — and you're driving a half-empty truck across the whole city. That's exactly why hauling tree branches with one big truck usually makes more sense than running a small one three times.

But not always. If a ZIL can't get into the yard and the pile is medium-sized, two GAZelle runs will be the only option. That's no longer about saving money — it's about having no other way.

What we check in photos before sending a truck

A photo tells more than a phone call. From a picture you can see whether the branches are bundled or scattered, whether there are trunks among them, whether they're wet or dry. And most importantly — you can see where to load from: the ground, the side, or the third floor after pruning a tree in the yard.

Here's what really affects the choice of truck when hauling branches from a property:

• Bundled branches take up a third less space than the same pile scattered loose.
• A freshly cut trunk is one and a half to two times heavier than a dry one, and that's about tonnage, not volume.
• A narrow yard entrance rules out a ZIL right away, even if the pile is huge.
• Leaves separate from branches are two different loads with different loading logic.
• Stumps and roots don't go in the same truck body — they're counted as a separate line item.
• A pile wet after rain weighs more than it looks, and you need more loaders.

There's also the case where someone asks to haul away a tree for free — saying the wood is valuable, just take it. I get the logic, but free doesn't work out: the saw, the loaders, the truck, the drive to the site — those are all costs. The only free option is self-pickup, if you come with your own trailer and take the logs. We don't do that — we haul and dispose.

And one last thing about choosing. There's no such thing as a "right truck" in general — only one that fits a specific yard and a specific pile. That's why I ask for photos: two minutes for a picture saves both you and us half a day of redoing things.

Branches, trunks and leaves: why these are three different orders

I show up for a job and everything's in one pile: cut branches, dry leaves, a couple of logs. The owner says, "Looks like not much." But I look and realize — these are three different loads that behave differently. They need different trucks, different loading times, and that's why the price can't be the same. Let me break it down one by one.

Leaves: why a bag is light but a truck is packed to the brim

Dry leaves are air. A 120-liter bag will hold about three kilos, no more. But they hold volume like nothing else: once they settle under pressure, the truck body is full and the weight is next to nothing. That's why hauling leaves costs almost as much as branches. Fresh, just-raked leaves are a different story. After rain they get several times heavier, and one person can't lift a bag anymore. I always ask: are the leaves dry or wet? If they're wet, they're not leaves anymore — they're almost soil by weight. And they need to be loaded differently, and hauled out urgently before they start rotting. Leaves are not all the same, and you can't tell over the phone — only from a photo.

Another thing: leaves take up space unpredictably. You think you've gathered them neatly, but during loading they compress and the truck fills up faster than you expect. That's why for leaves we often use a truck with high sides so we don't lose them on the road. And yes, it's better not to mix leaves with branches — otherwise the leaves fall to the bottom, the branches stay on top and you can't tamp them down properly.

Branches: how we stack them so you don't pay for air

Branches are the bulkiest load. If you just toss them in the truck bed, they'll take up three times the space they could. We stack them tight, weave them together, press them down. Sometimes we even have to climb up and stomp on them to pack them in. That's not crude — it's saving your money: the tighter we stack, the fewer trips. But there's a limit: dry branches snap and splinter, while fresh, just-cut ones bend and spring back. Fresh branches are more of a hassle.

And branches come in all kinds. Thin twigs from shrubs can be tied into bundles and take up little space. But thick branches from an old tree are almost logs — heavier to load, and they sit tight in the truck bed but weigh a fair bit. So when you order branch removal from your property, specify: are they thin or thick? That determines both the truck and the time.

And most importantly: branches can't be left outside overnight. In Almaty the wind scatters them, neighbors complain. We try to pick up the same day, but if the volume is large, sometimes we come the next morning. We warn you in advance.

Trunks and logs: when you need a saw, not just loaders

A trunk is a category of its own. A fresh elm or poplar trunk weighs so much two people can't lift it. You need a saw: cut it into 50–70 cm logs, or it won't fit in the truck. We always carry a chainsaw, but we factor in cutting time separately. If the trunk is over 30 cm in diameter, that's not loaders — that's sawyers. And yes, the logs can be left for the owner afterward — some people take them for firewood. But if you don't need them, we haul them away.

Sometimes the trunk is already cut and lying in pieces — then it's easier. But if it's still in the ground or hanging, we don't cut it: that's a job for arborists, our specialty is different. We'll be honest: you need someone who knows how to fell trees. We remove what's already cut.

A trunk's weight is water weight. Fresh wood is 60% water. Let it sit for a month and it'll be half as heavy. So if you can let the trunk dry out, removal will cost less. But not everyone can wait.

Mixed pile: how to estimate when everything's in one spot

The most common case: branches, leaves and logs all dumped together. The key here is not to try to size it all up at a glance. We break the pile down mentally: branches — bulky, leaves — light but take up space, trunks — heavy. If leaves are more than half, we send a truck sized for volume, not weight. If there are lots of trunks, it's the opposite — we watch for overload. Sometimes it's cheaper to do two runs: first leaves and branches, then trunks. But that's rare.

To make things easier, here's what we ask when you request branch and leaf removal:

• A photo of the pile — at least one, from different angles.
• Approximate diameter of the trunks, if any.
• Are the leaves dry or wet, fresh or old.
• Are the branches thin or thick, are there thorny shrubs.
• Access: can the truck park at the gate or will we have to carry everything through the house.
• Floor and elevator, if it's an apartment or office.
• Is there other trash to pick up along the way.

From these points we can tell you right away which truck you need and how long loading will take. Without photos we might get it wrong, so we always ask.

I remember going to remove branches from a dacha near Almaty. The owner said, "It's not much, two apple trees." Right, two apple trees — that's four cubic meters of branches and a trunk we sawed for an hour. She was surprised it took so long. I said: an apple tree is dense, heavy. Good thing we brought a GAZelle, not a car.

One more thing: don't try to burn branches on your property. In Almaty you'll get fined for that, and fire safety is no joke. Better to call a truck and forget about it.

Branch removal from a property and from a dacha: what changes outside the city

We go to Talgar, Kaskelen, Uzynagash, Turgen, Boraldai. The road adds mileage, but it's not always more expensive. If a GAZelle circles the city for an hour in traffic, out of town that same hour gets you there. Removing branches from a country plot often goes faster: no traffic lights, no other cars. Though mileage is still mileage — fuel, time, wear and tear. We count honestly.

Can the truck get to the pile: three typical situations on a plot

First: driveway right up close, wide gates — we load straight into the bed, work fast. Second: narrow passage, truck stops ten meters away — we carry branches by hand, that's plus twenty to thirty minutes. Third: dirt road after rain, a GAZelle makes it, a ZIL gets stuck — then either we wait for the weather, or we reload into a GAZelle and make two trips.

Before dispatch I ask: what's the entrance like, is there a barrier, is the driveway blocked by neighbors. A small thing, but it causes more failed dispatches than volume does.

Dirt road, slope, narrow gates — what makes loading harder

Dirt road is the main enemy. After rain there are ruts, the truck spins, we have to add gravel or wait. Slope is second: if the plot is on a hill, we position the bed lower than the pile so branches don't roll back. Narrow gates are third: a GAZelle squeezes through, a ZIL doesn't. I ask about these three things in advance so we don't send a truck for nothing.

Sometimes you can't get into the yard at all — then we work from the street. It takes longer, but it's doable.

Fall and spring: when people haul the most from their country plots

September–November is peak. Leaves, pruning, getting ready for winter. Orders are three times higher than in summer, and it's best to book a truck a day or two ahead. Spring is the second wave: after winter people clear dry brush, broken branches, old leaves. Summer is quiet, but there are occasional orders after a thunderstorm.

In winter, branch removal from a plot is rarely ordered — snow, everything's at a standstill. But if you need it, we work.

If leaves are wet, they're heavy — they weigh like concrete. Dry ones are light but bulky. These are two different trucks.

Why going out of town isn't always as expensive as it seems

The road adds mileage but saves time on loading. In the city there's often no room to maneuver, loaders carry branches through entrances and parking lots. Out of town it's a straight line from pile to bed. In the end, the price difference isn't as big as people expect.

Plus, out of town the volume is usually bigger — meaning one trip instead of two. That's savings too.

Compare: branch removal in central Almaty — a GAZelle, three hours of work. The same volume outside the city — two hours and a round trip. The cost is about the same.

But if the plot is far away, mileage will still add up. We count based on actuals.

The procedure on a country plot is different from the city. Here's how we work:

1. We call, confirm the address, volume, and exactly what we're removing: branches, trunks, or leaves.
2. Send us a photo of the pile and the driveway — that's how we know which truck you need.
3. We calculate the mileage, give you the price, and lock it in before we arrive.
4. On the day of the pickup, the truck arrives, the loaders size up the driveway, and start loading.
5. We load branches, leaves, and trunks, packing them tight so it all fits in one trip.
6. After loading, we sweep the area and pick up the small debris.
7. We haul it to disposal, unload, and head back.

If your property has branches, leaves, and trunks, it's one order, but we price them differently: trunks are heavy, leaves are bulky. Removing trees from a property sometimes requires a chainsaw to cut the trunk into logs.

Is tree removal free? No, nothing's free. But if the tree is dry and can be cut into firewood, that's not removal — that's firewood. We don't do that.

Removing tree branches from a dacha is our daily work. Ask us, we'll help.

How we load branches and leaves and what we do with the site

We arrive — and the first thing we do isn't grab the branches. The foreman goes to take a look. He walks around the pile, kicks it, digs through the top layer. He needs to see what's inside: there could be wet leaves, scrap boards, bags of something heavy. That determines how many people to put on loading and which truck to send. Branch removal only looks simple.

Next — estimating the volume. The main thing here is not to be fooled: a pile of branches looks intimidating, but in reality it's one GAZelle trip. Or the opposite — a small-looking heap of leaves, but it's wet, compacted, and heavy as cast iron. We figure out how many cubic meters it'll be once it's packed into the truck bed. Because branches don't stack evenly: thin twigs take up a lot of space, thick trunks take little but weigh down.

What the foreman starts with when he arrives on site

The inspection isn't a formality. If you don't notice right away that there's a concrete slab or old tires under the branches, you'll have to unload them back and explain yourself. Or that the pile is in a narrow driveway where a GAZelle can't turn around. Then we either reposition the truck or carry the branches out by hand on stretchers. We've seen it all.

The foreman also checks if there's an outlet nearby for a saw. If the branches are long, they'll need to be cut, and a chainsaw isn't always appropriate in a yard — neighbors might object to the noise. Then we use a hand saw or a battery-powered saw. It's a small thing, but it affects the pace.

After the inspection, the foreman tells the client: this many cubic meters, this truck, this many trips. If the volume doesn't match what was discussed from the photo, we sort it out on site. The price is fixed before arrival, so any changes only with the owner's consent.

What we do with branches that don't fit in one trip

Sometimes there are so many branches that a GAZelle can't take them all at once. Then there are two options. Either we load everything that fits, haul it away, and come back for the rest — but that's two trips, and the owner should understand that the second trip isn't a "surcharge for audacity," it's fuel and time. Or we order a bigger truck right away: a ZIL or a dumpster. A 32-cubic-meter dumpster is for when the branches are long, don't need to be cut into pieces, and can just be tossed into the container.

Another nuance: if the branches don't fit, but some are thick trunks, we can leave them for next time or suggest the client cut them into firewood. Sometimes people ask themselves: "Leave the logs, I'll use them for the banya." Then we stack them separately.

What we sweep the area with and why it's not a formality

After loading, there's debris left: leaves, small twigs, dirt, wood chips. We don't leave until we've swept. The truck always has two or three brooms and scoop shovels. If the area is asphalt, we sweep with a stiff broom; if it's a lawn, we're careful not to tear out the grass.

Why bother? Because the owner pays for removal, not for cleaning up after us. And because the neighbors are watching. If we leave a pile of trash behind, they'll hire someone else next time. So sweeping isn't a favor — it's part of the job. Hauling away leaves without sweeping is a half-assed job.

Sometimes you have to sweep twice: first right after loading, then again once the truck pulls out, because the wheels can drag dirt around. But that's small stuff.

What the owner is left with after we leave — and what they're not

After we're done, you're left with a level spot. No branches, no leaves, no wood chips. If we agreed to leave logs for firewood, they're stacked neatly in one place. If we agreed to dig something up or trim something back, that's a separate conversation — that kind of work isn't part of branch removal.

And no "surprises" either: we don't dump branches around the corner or burn them on site. Everything goes to proper disposal. Where exactly — I'll cover that in the next section. For now, remember the main thing: if someone promises free tree removal, they're probably just dumping it in the nearest green belt. We don't do that.

So that's the deal. If anything's unclear, ask me on WhatsApp and I'll explain. Tree branch removal is hard work, but it's routine for us. We'll leave it clean.

• Wet leaves weigh three times more than dry ones — that's the big surprise when loading.
• Conifer branches are prickly, so the loaders work in thick gloves.
• If the pile has particleboard scraps or old boards, they need to be pulled out separately.
• We only dig out a stump from a felled tree on a separate request.
• Branches longer than two meters get cut down, otherwise they won't fit in the truck bed.
• Don't tie leaf bags too tight — they rot and then the smell lingers.

Where branches, trunks and leaves go after loading

We pull out of the yard — and the pile is gone. But the owner has a fair question: gone where? We don't dump it in the nearest green belt — you can tell right away from the truck: the bed is closed, nothing sticking out. The route is this: from you to a site where the load gets sorted. Branches and leaves go separately, trunks separately. Leaves get pressed, branches get chipped into mulch, logs go in a separate compartment. If you ordered tree branch removal, it all goes in one truck, but sorted by type.

Why you can't just haul branches out of town and dump them

Dumping in a green belt isn't disposal — it's just moving the problem. In a month the branches dry out and become a fire hazard. Plus fines: for unauthorized dumping inside the city or in the suburbs, the fine goes to the property owner, not the truck. That's why we don't offer a "cheap option — haul it out of town and leave it." That kind of free tree removal ends with a talk with environmental inspectors. Honestly, in five years I've never seen it end well.

From experience, people underestimate how many branches are left after pruning a single tree. An average elm in a yard means 3–4 cubes of branches and leaves, loose. If you cut three trees, the volume compacts in the truck bed to 8–10 cubes. That's almost the entire bed of a 12 m³ GAZelle. Knowing where the load goes helps you avoid getting stuck in a mess with the neighbors and the chairman.

What you can make from a felled tree before removal

Before you call to order tree removal from your property, take a look at the trunk. Straight logs 40–50 cm long are firewood or blanks for woodworking. You can keep those and only haul away the branches and leaves. That way you pay less: smaller volume — smaller truck. We often recommend exactly that, even though it's more profitable for us to haul everything. But we don't want to cheat you.

If the logs are damp and heavy, leaving them on the plot is pointless — they'll take a year to dry. Better to haul them away with the branches. But dry trunks that have been lying around for over a year are great firewood. Keep those.

Leaves separate, branches separate: why bother

Leaves are the trickiest load. Dry, they seem weightless, but they don't compact in the truck bed: you drive, and they fly. Wet, after rain, they get two or three times heavier. We always ask when you book: are the leaves dry or have they been sitting in the rain? That determines how many people we need for loading and what transport to send.

You can mix branches and leaves in one compartment, but it's awkward: leaves sift between the branches and then you can't scoop them out. So we load in layers: big branches first, then leaves, then branches again on top. That way the bed packs tighter.

Can wood chips or logs be returned to the plot

Yes, if you told the foreman in advance. We can leave the chips with you instead of hauling them away — for mulch on garden beds or paths. We also return logs if you need them. One catch: chips take up space in the truck, so an order to remove branches from a dacha plot with chips returned may need a second trip. But that's cheaper than buying mulch separately.

It happens the other way too: someone asks to haul everything away, then regrets not keeping the firewood. So we ask before loading — no one's coming back later.

Here's how it goes step by step:

1. The truck leaves the yard, the bed is closed, the load doesn't scatter on the road.
2. On the way to the site we don't stop in green belts or dump anything in the wrong place.
3. At the site the load is weighed and sorted by fraction.
4. Branches are chipped, leaves are pressed into briquettes, trunks are sawn into logs.
5. Chips and logs can be returned to the plot if you asked for it in advance.
6. Everything else goes to recycling or disposal according to the site's rules.

What happens to each fraction is shown in the table:

If you still have questions about removing leaves or branches, message us on WhatsApp — I'll explain it simply. And in the next section we'll look at how not to overpay for an extra trip.

The bottom line: branch and leaf removal without surprises

If you've read this far and your head is still spinning — that's normal. The material is dense; when I first started, I myself got confused about what was a GAZelle and what was a skip. So here's a summary: four things that really affect your order. The rest are details; they'll come up in the chat.

Three things that affect the final price the most

First — volume. Not 'how many branches', but how many cubic meters they'll take up once loaded. Second — weight. Dry leaves fly; wet ones after rain pull so hard the truck bottoms out. Third — access. If the driveway is clear and the site is by the wall, that's one story; if you have to carry everything across half the yard, through a gate with a low crossbar — that's a different one.

• We estimate volume from a photo next to a reference: fence, person, car, door.
• You can't measure weight with a pitchfork, but you can tell the species: elm is heavier than acacia, poplar is lighter.
• A long carry adds time, and time is a strain on the crew.
• Wet leaves after rain weigh like wet sand; better to let them dry out a bit.
• A stump from a felled tree is a separate story — it gets uprooted, not loaded.
• A mixed pile (branches, leaves, logs) is always more awkward than a sorted one.

Those six points are your conversation with the foreman. If you have an answer for each, the order comes together in five minutes.

What to photograph before calling so you don't have to redo the order

Shoot the pile from two or three angles, and put something of a known size next to it. Not a full-length shot of yourself against a fence — a bucket, a wheelbarrow, a tire, a shovel. With a reference object in the photo, I can see the scale; without one, I'm just guessing. Also important: where the pile sits relative to the gate and where a truck can park. If the driveway is blocked, that changes the whole delivery plan, and it's better to know that upfront than when the GAZelle is already in the yard.

Photograph dry and wet piles separately. The dry ones will go easily; the wet ones may need a different approach and, frankly, a different budget. One wide shot and one close-up — that's almost always enough.

When to wait and when you can't put it off

Branches don't spoil on their own. If they're sitting in the backyard and not in the way, you can wait — but not for long: dampness starts underneath, and by spring there's a nest in there. Leaves are better removed before the rain, because afterward their weight doubles, and hauling branches off the property turns into hauling wet mass that not every truck can take in one trip.

Urgent — when the pile is blocking the exit, when the neighbors are already messaging, when the lot is being prepped for construction. A felled tree in a yard with a narrow driveway is also not the kind of thing to sit on: the longer it lies there, the more trash gets trampled into it.

What to ask the foreman if you're unsure about the volume

Ask straight out: how many cubic meters do you see, and why. A good answer includes a comparison — "like two GAZelles," "like one dumpster." A bad one is "well, roughly." Also clarify what's included in the service: just loading, or sweeping the area too. We sweep up after ourselves, but it's better to say it upfront so there are no questions later.

And one last thing. If someone promises free tree removal — ask exactly what they're taking. Usually it's the trunk, which will go for firewood, and the branches and leaves will still be left behind. It's not a scam, just different things. Tree removal from a property is always a combination: trunk, branches, leaves, and each part follows its own logic. Sort this out before the truck arrives, and branch removal in Almaty will go smoothly, with no redoes and no extra trips.