AFFORDABLE TREE REMOVAL SERVICE IN Culver City, CA

What Are the Most Common Tree Issues in Culver City? 

Since its founding on historic California Ranchos, Culver City has been an attractive destination for movie studios, industries, and countless families. A vibrant shopping and dining scene, complemented by our shady streets and numerous parks, make our city comfortable and appealing. Ongoing commitment to protecting and enhancing our community’s trees is just one of the ways we support the natural environment which helps make Culver City such a great place to live. Unfortunately, all trees, especially in urban settings, require some maintenance, and eventually, many trees require removal as they fall victim to damage and disease. As we perform tree service in Culver City, we find some tree problems crop up more often than others, including:

Drought Damage and Wildfire Risk

Our ongoing drought concerns here in Culver City, throughout California, and across the West, combined with continued growth, high temperatures, and water demand, have left our trees with a diminishing supply of this critical resource. Frequent cycles of drought put an increasing strain on trees as they struggle to survive with less water, making them more vulnerable to other types of damage. Closely connected to drought conditions is the risk of wildfires, which has become so much more frequent in recent years. Properly maintained trees and urban forests can help reduce the risk of sparking or spreading devastating wildfires.

Insect Damage and Tree Diseases

Trees damaged or killed by invasive insects and diseases are one of the service calls we frequently make. Insect pests such as shot hole borers can cause tree damage and spread fungal infections, especially to landscaping favorites such as willows, Japanese maples, avocados, and sycamores. Bot canker (the botryosphaeria fungus) is rapidly killing the ficus trees that many of us either love or hate. Majestic oak trees around Culver City are also vulnerable to the goldspotted oak borer. A fungal disease that spreads easily through firewood from infected trees or carried by insects, thousand cankers disease affects our prized walnut trees, affecting their ability to move water and nutrients through their systems. Drought conditions can magnify the effect these threats have on our beloved trees, limiting their ability to withstand such invasions.

Wind Damage

Not only do the Santa Ana winds cause anxiety and contribute to making a hazardous fire season even more dangerous, but they’re also hard on our trees. Those unwelcome, strong winds can damage many dead or dying limbs and trees, and our drought-weakened trees are especially vulnerable.

Does the City of Culver City Provide Any Assistance in Tree Removal Problems?

Culver City does not routinely help out with tree removals on private property because that is normally the responsibility of the homeowner who can hire a privately contracted tree service like Tree Triage. If you encounter a problem with a city-owned tree, you can contact the city to report your tree concerns. You may also alert the Public Works maintenance operations division at 310-253-6420 or 310-253-6440 about issues with unhealthy or dead trees. If you do some tree trimming of your own or need to dispose of some branches which have fallen, you can include pieces up to 4 feet long and less than 6 inches in diameter in your green cart.

Who Is Responsible for Fallen Tree Removal in Culver City?

According to California law, the responsibility for a tree lies with the property owner(s) where it grows. So, if a tree’s trunk is entirely on one property, that owner is responsible, while trees with trunks that cross property lines will have multiple responsible owners. If a dead or a visibly unhealthy tree falls, each of those owners are normally responsible for its removal. Healthy trees, on the other hand, usually only fall as the result of a storm or high winds, and the responsibility for their removal normally lies with the property owner on whose property they land, regardless of which property a tree grew on.

If you’re a homeowner?

Homeowners (and their insurance companies) are normally responsible for healthy trees which fall onto their property, no matter where they grew. Insurance companies consider these acts of God and will usually cover related claims as well as all or part of the cost of tree removal. If a dead or dying tree falls onto your property, the tree’s owner(s) may be liable for its removal instead. 

If you’re a renter?

Renters are seldom responsible for fallen tree removal on the properties where they live. That level of maintenance is normally a landlord’s responsibility as the owner of the property in question. That said, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on the trees around your home, both on your property and the neighboring lots, to help identify tree problems before they cause damage.

If you’re a landlord?

Landlords in Culver City are generally responsible for fallen tree removal along the same lines as homeowners. Proper tree maintenance and tree removal, as needed, is one way to help ensure good landlord-tenant relations.

If you’re a neighbor?

If your neighbor’s healthy tree falls onto your property, it is normally considered an unlucky accident, usually caused by a storm or other weather event, and you and your insurance company will need to pay for its removal. If, however, a neighbor’s dead or dying tree lands on your property, it may be your neighbor’s responsibility to remove the tree instead. Keeping an eye on your trees and alerting your neighbors to any problems you notice with the trees on their properties can prevent damage or injury and can help build good relationships with your neighbors, too.

How Does the Soil Affect Trees in Culver City?

While our part of California generally has good soil called loam for growing healthy trees, decades of land use for industrial and commercial purposes, along with the disruption of construction and traffic, have made our soil much more compact. The more tightly packed the soil is, the less room it has to hold water and nutrients and to allow roots adequate space to spread. This results in less vigorous root systems, which means fewer healthy trees. 

Does Weather Affect Tree Health in Culver City?

California’s beautiful, sunny weather is one of the reasons it’s such a popular and desirable place to live. Sadly, the same appealing climate can be hard on our trees in years when there’s not enough rain. Abundant sunshine and warmth are critical to healthy tree growth when enough water is also available to support that growth. Drought conditions in recent years have turned all of that wonderful sunshine into a drying cycle that strains and weakens our trees, leaving them more susceptible to disease and insect pests. 

What if Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in Culver City?

As many of us remember from recent years, trees falling on power lines are a frequent cause of wildfires in California. To limit trees coming into contact with electrical lines, and in conjunction with federal guidelines, Southern California Edison (SCE) is responsible for trimming and maintaining trees and other vegetation including the removal of dead trees along primary power transmission lines. If you notice risky trees, you can contact SCE about them. You may also report dead trees that may already be in contact with power lines to 1-800-611-1911. Preventing tree problems around secondary transmission lines (from the pole to your home) is normally your responsibility. If you are adding or replacing a tree on your property near power lines, you can follow SCE’s right tree, right place suggestions to choose an appropriate species which won’t grow to interfere with lines.

How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in Culver City?

Removing dead, diseased, or otherwise hazardous trees is important to protect your safety and property as well as your neighbors and your community at large. It is also critical to preventing the spread of many tree diseases and harmful insects. Unfortunately, many homeowners postpone or avoid having trees removed, fearing it will be too expensive. Around Culver City, the average tree removal service we perform costs between $200 and $1,800. Of course, precise estimates are hard to provide until we’ve seen your specific tree problem, since each tree’s situation and surrounding area can be very different. There are, however, a few aspects of tree removal that most often affect how much it will cost, including:

Tree Size and Type

Size does matter, especially when it comes to tree removal. Most of the time, a larger tree will bring with it a larger cost to remove, and smaller trees will normally cost less. While that was probably no surprise, you may not have realized that the type of tree being removed can also affect your costs. When we remove denser, heavier trees, such as oaks, more time and labor are required, adding to your expense.

Location and Accessibility

When we are in the planning stage of removing your tree, we must take into consideration your house, garage, swimming pool, utility lines, patio, other trees, landscaping, and, naturally, your neighbors’ properties, too, to prevent causing them damage in the tree removal process. The more obstacles we need to work around, the higher your costs may be. In addition, if your tree is harder to access or if we can’t easily move any necessary equipment close to it, your costs may also rise. Trees that have already fallen will almost always cost less to remove than standing trees, regardless of their location.

Additional Equipment and Services

We sometimes need to use additional equipment, such as a bucket truck, to safely remove a tree from your property. We may also need a larger crew to complete the work, which can also add to your costs. Many homeowners also request additional services, like log cutting and splitting for firewood, limb chipping for mulch, or stump grinding to get rid of a tree’s stump after it has been removed. Any of these added services, along with work outside of normal business hours, can affect the total cost.