Some trees have made the decision for you.
A tree that has died standing, or grown into the roof, or started shedding limbs the size of a leg. At that point the question is not whether, it is how it comes down without taking anything with it.
Taking a big tree down is mostly a question of what is underneath it. A fence, a pool, a neighbour’s garage, a power drop, a driveway the truck has to sit on. That is what decides the method, and it is why a price over the phone is a guess.
What you can do on the phone is describe it: roughly how tall, how close to the house, and what the access is like down the side. Say that and the visit is a short one.
Is it leaning toward the house?
Say that first when you call, and say which side of the house it is on.