AFFORDABLE TREE REMOVAL SERVICE IN Rocklin, CA

What Are the Most Common Tree Issues in Rocklin?

Over the years, we’ve seen many tree problems pop up here in Rocklin, but some stand out as being far more common for folks around here. The most frequent problems we see are just related to heat or moisture. Our hot summer days can scorch trees and exacerbate underlying health problems. With drought conditions regularly an issue in California, many weaker or damaged trees will struggle at the height of the summer as well.

With our proximity to the National Forest, we can also regularly see a lot more issues with the pests and diseases that commonly plague trees around the entire region. Boring insects like the mountain pine beetle can cause massive problems for conifers in the area, such as spruce, fir, or pine. Our native California oaks are an important part of our heritage here as well, and we try to stay vigilant for cases of Sudden Oak Death. The disease has spread throughout California and the entire country since it first was discovered on the continent in 2001.

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

Unfortunately, The City of Rocklin doesn’t assist with tree removal problems that you may have on private property. On the contrary, if you are trying to remove an oak tree that’s over 4.5 feet high, you’ll need to apply for a permit from the city to remove the tree, even if it’s on your property. Like many cities in the area, Rocklin works hard to monitor and maintain our native oak tree population, as rapid deforestation, wildfires, and sickness have crippled the once prolific trees throughout California.

Who Is Responsible for Fallen Tree Removal in Rocklin?

According to the law here in California, the person who owns the tree also has the responsibility of removing the tree once it’s fallen. This means whoever’s land the tree grew on will have their obligation to remove a fallen tree, even if it fell on someone else’s land. It’s worth noting that if a tree does fall on someone else’s land and causes damage, you’re likely not responsible for any damage that is caused, since insurance usually views this as a no-fault incident. However, if you had prior notice from the city or a neighbor that the tree was unstable and at risk of falling, your insurance could find you negligent and force you to pay for any damages caused by the tree.

If you’re a homeowner?

When you buy land here in Rocklin, you buy the trees that come with it too. Usually, these trees have caused the value of your land to increase over time and improve the beauty and comfort of your home, but they also come with responsibilities to maintain and care for them. To avoid running afoul of Rocklin city ordinances, you’ll need to remove fallen trees promptly off of your land. Fallen dead trees can be breeding grounds for insects and diseases that could harm other vegetation on your property, so it’s always in the best interest of your investment in your home to take care of these issues swiftly.

If you’re a renter?

If you’re a tenant at a rental property here in Rocklin, the responsibility of removing fallen trees on the property probably rests on your landlord and not you. While it’s true that tenants are regularly required to do general upkeep on a property, such as lawn care, trees are a permanent fixture of the property compared to grass that can be easily regrown. Like maintenance to a building, maintenance to trees is generally considered a landlord’s responsibility unless it’s specifically stated otherwise within your lease agreement.

If you’re a landlord?

If you own a property here in Rocklin, it’s likely that the responsibility to remove fallen trees is yours and not your tenants’. Sure you could add language to your lease agreements to require your tenants to take care of these issues, but it’s much better to leave any decisions concerning your trees on your property in your hands. The trees on your land can contribute significantly to the value of your investment over time. To leave any issues concerning them in the hands of your tenants is entrusting the value of your property to people who have no vested interest in its future.

To prevent tenants from taking matters into their own hands with tree maintenance or removal, communicate clearly with your tenants about what actions you’re taking when trees need removing. Communicating clearly and taking prompt steps to remedy tree maintenance issues or fallen trees that need removal will decrease the likelihood that your tenants make hasty decisions that can potentially damage your trees and, indirectly, the value of your land over time.

If you’re a neighbor?

If you have a neighbor in Rocklin whose tree has fallen onto your property, they must remove those trees. Fallen trees left to sit can pose a significant safety hazard over time and can bring pests and rodents that could potentially journey across the property line over to your home. It’s always a good idea to try to talk to neighbors and resolve things peacefully first. If you can’t come to an arrangement with your neighbors, however, contact Rockland code enforcement to see if anything can be done under the city’s nuisance law.

How Does the Soil Affect Trees in Rocklin?

Our soil around here in the Valley tends to be mostly loam with very fine grains of sand. Loam is a type of soil usually made of roughly equal parts natural clay, silt, and sand that contains large amounts of decaying organic material. Here, the sand in our soil is made of fine grains of minerals brought down from the Sierra over thousands of years.

This typically makes our soil very well-drained, meaning that water can penetrate to deep roots easily and sustain large trees. Fine-grain sands are also incredibly good at retaining water, but that same trait can also occasionally limit their absorption. Sand tends to get more attraction to itself as it gets wet, and will eventually form a cohesive unit under pressure. With very fine grains of sand, this can form almost a solid rock-like surface that, during periods of heavy rainfall, can leave precious water trapped on the surface to evaporate.

Does Weather Affect Tree Health in Rocklin?

Here in the Placer Valley, the mountains give us a bit more seasonal variance than our neighbors down on the coast. Our winters stay fairly mild and feature cool days and cold nights, but temperatures infrequently dip below freezing except on the coldest nights. Trees do great here as a result, avoiding the bitter cold most other alpine valleys experience during the winter months.

The summer months frequently get hot around here, and highs around 100ºF aren’t uncommon from June ‘til September. While this can be tough for some trees to handle, nights are refreshingly cool in Rocklin, even at the height of summer. Even days at triple-digit temperatures typically see night temperatures dip to the 50s or 60s. This at least gives trees that are struggling with health issues in the heat some reprieve throughout the summer.

While year-round precipitation here is pretty great for trees compared to surrounding areas, at around 23 inches per year, the distribution of that moisture throughout the year may cause some tree issues or exacerbate other health problems. Most of our rainfall happens between November and April, meaning in the hottest months of the summer, we may go entire months without rainfall. Couple this with California’s escalating drought problems and this means that often trees need to be capable of surviving for up to a few months without water here. This is more than doable for well-established trees, but without extreme care, saplings and young trees of species not native to this climate will struggle to survive in the summer.

What if Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in Rocklin?

Trees should always be kept clear of overhead power lines so that no part of the tree can come into contact with them if it falls. If you have dead trees near power lines, though, that warning’s probably coming too late. If a tree is encroaching on the power company’s right of way, it is incredibly important that you call Pacific Gas & Electric to address issues with these traits. Power lines pose a serious threat of electrocution and dangerous fires, and trees near them should only be trimmed or removed by qualified technicians from the utility company.

How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in Rocklin?

Tree removal can be a little bit above the national average cost here in Rocklin, but still quite affordable. This means quick, easy jobs can be done for as little as $120 to $160, while the most complicated removals can total close to or over $2,000. Every tree removal job is unique, and the prices for your tree removal job may depend on several different factors.

Size

This one’s pretty intuitive, but bigger trees are bigger jobs. Very large trees can pose significant safety hazards to our arborists as we work to remove them, and so we’ll need to prepare more extensively and employ more tools to get the job done right. Massive trees can come down with a lot of weight, so they’ll require more planning to ensure that all nearby structures are safe during removal as well.

Type of Tree

Not all trees are the same, and the type of tree you need to remove may affect the cost. Even larger conifers like our spruces and firs may be relatively easy to bring down due to their softwood and symmetrical structure, but some other kinds of trees pose unique challenges.

Oaks or other hardwood trees can be incredibly heavy and require more equipment to remove and haul away. Trees that grow in gnarly and asymmetrical patterns may require more planning to safely and efficiently remove than a more consistent tree would.

Accessibility

The situation that each tree grows in is also unique and it can also affect the cost of its removal. Trees growing near structures could pose a significant risk to the building during removal and will require more planning and safety precautions. Trees that need to be removed that are growing in tight proximity to other healthy trees could also complicate removal, as we’ll have to figure out a way to remove the problem tree while also ensuring the health of other nearby trees.