We'd rather prune a healthy tree than remove it. A mature oak adds shade, value, and character that takes decades to replace. But some trees are a liability, and pretending otherwise just moves the problem to the next storm.
Start with the trunk and the base. If the trunk is solid, the roots are anchored, and the problems are limbs, such as a branch over the roof or a dead section in the crown, pruning almost always solves it. Crown reduction and thinning can take a surprising amount of risk out of a big tree while leaving it healthy.
Removal makes more sense when the problem is structural: significant decay in the trunk, a lean that's getting worse, a large split between co-dominant trunks, or root damage from construction. Trees that are mostly dead, or a species prone to failure like a stressed water oak or laurel oak, also land on the removal side more often.
Location matters too. A borderline tree standing in an open field can be watched for a while. The same tree twenty feet from a bedroom is a different decision. We look at what's under a tree as much as at the tree itself.
Whatever we recommend, we explain why and put the price in writing. If pruning will do the job, that's what we'll suggest.