Deadwood out before it falls. Limbs off the roofline. Storm-heavy canopies thinned while it's calm — the cheapest tree work you'll ever buy.
Most of the tree damage that follows a Gulf blow was visible in June: the dead limb over the patio, the water-oak canopy grown thick as a sail, the pine branch resting on the shingles. Good pruning takes the deadwood out, opens the canopy so wind moves through instead of pushing, and lifts limbs off roofs and drives — done right, on the tree's schedule, it's the difference between raking leaves in September and calling the emergency page.
Good pruning is also restrained. Topping a tree — hacking the whole crown flat — is the one thing you should never let anyone sell you: it forces weak, fast regrowth that breaks worse in the next storm. A professional prunes to the tree's structure, not against it.
Most single-tree residential trims run $250–$700 depending on size and how much comes out; large trees, roof-overhang work, and multi-tree jobs get quoted as a package. Trees near service drops and power lines are the exception — limbs in contact with lines are the power company's territory, and a professional will tell you which parts of the job are theirs to do and which belong to the utility.
For most structural pruning, the dormant months are ideal — the tree's shape is visible and it heals into spring growth. Deadwood and hazard limbs, though, come out whenever you find them; the right time to remove a widow-maker is now.
If the trunk is sound and the problem is specific limbs, trimming usually wins and costs far less. If the top is dying back, fungus is fruiting at the base, or the lean is growing, removal money is better spent. The free quote gives you an honest read.
Don't touch them and don't let anyone but the utility touch them. Line-clearance work belongs to the power company — call them for the line side, and the tree professional handles the rest of the tree.