AFFORDABLE TREE REMOVAL SERVICE IN San Ramon, CA

What Are the Most Common Tree Issues in San Ramon?

It’s no secret that California is beautiful. Still, there’s nothing like San Ramon and its historical sites and landscape attractions like Las Trampas Regional Wilderness, Forest Home Farms Historic Park, and Tassajara Ridge Trail Loop — among many other appeals. Even the summers have an unmistakably warm climate, perfect for outside activities as it’s not too hot nor too cold, but just right.

That’s not to say it doesn’t tend to get dry in the summer or cold and pretty wet in the winter. But, once you get used to it, it doesn’t seem so bad. The same goes for trees that are used to our San Ramon climate. Despite the weather getting too dry or too cold for some tree species, our native plants find that it’s pretty perfect. For this reason, it is highly recommended that residents plant only native trees in their landscapes like the California Bay, Lemonade Berry, Back Cottonwood, White Alder, and the California state trees — Giant Sequoia and Coast Redwood. For more California native tree-planting options, check out Calscape. 

In the meantime, you should also keep up with common tree issues that affect the native trees in our landscapes. This way, we can combat them with preventative measures and treatments when possible. In San Ramon, the following issues are what you’ll find most problematic in our area. 

Fungus and Bacterial Diseases

A range of issues can hit our landscapes, but not many compare to the typical fungi and bacterial diseases that make their way into our precious trees. The most common bacterial infection is Fire Blight, a contagious issue that attacks our fruits more than anything (primarily apples and pears). It shows up looking like parts of your tree have been scorched, affecting not only leaves but branches, twigs, blossoms, etc. Unfortunately, there is no known cure yet, so we would remove your tree altogether or perform regular pruning to reduce the impact.

As for fungal diseases, the most common is Anthracnose (a group of fungal infections), which is a disease that thrives when it’s cool and wet — i.e., springtime in San Ramon. Although it dies out by summer, the impact it has on the early stages of your tree’s leaves and twigs can be fatal over time. The reason is that it weakens your trees to the point of vulnerability to more severe issues. Early detection is critical with this disease and can be detected by leaf blotches, prematurely falling leaves, and a halt in blossoming or growth. Fungicides are typically used to combat this problem. 

California Tree Pests

Aside from bacteria and fungi, there are also common pests that live in and snack on our native trees. While they aren’t usually the ‘disease’ that takes our trees down, they are indeed the ones who damage them until they’re too weak to defend themselves and often spread diseases from tree to tree.

Pests best suited to California habitats include Asian Gypsy Moths that attack North American tree and shrub species, Asian Longhorned Beetles that attack hardwood trees and national forests, Coconut Rhinoceros Beetles that attack palm trees, and Emerald Ash Borer Beetles that attack ash trees. More common pests include European Cherry Fruit Flies that eat honeysuckle and dogwoods, European Gypsy Moths that eat trees and shrubs, False Codling Moths that eat fruit trees, and the Spotted Lanternfly that eats fruit, ornamental, and woody trees.

Under federal quarantine for their damage to U.S. landscapes, there are also problems with the Asian Citrus Psyllid, Imported Fire Ant, Light Brown Apple Moth, and the Mexican Fruit Fly.

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

Generally speaking, the City of San Ramon does not assist private property owners who require tree removal services. It is up to the private property owner to contact us for removal and pay for the service themselves. On the other hand, public trees are the City’s responsibility, and anything concerning them should be addressed only by the City or with the City’s approval.

With that being said, you do need a permit to remove trees on your property in some cases. According to the City of San Ramon, you need a permit to remove a tree if “a non-oak tree, not including a willow, fruit tree, eucalyptus, alder, cottonwood, or pine tree, is greater than 8 inches in diameter measured 54 inches above the ground and is on a commercial property or a property owned by a Home Owner’s Association.”

On the other hand, you do not need one if “your property is a single-family residence that cannot be further subdivided.”

Who Is Responsible For Fallen Tree Removal in San Ramon?

Fallen tree responsibility can be a challenge to determine, and when money is involved — it can also trigger heated conversations. Fortunately, according to certain situations and other details, we have the breakdown for who is responsible for fallen tree removals in San Ramon. For more insight into tree disputes in your area, check out The Definitive Guide to Tree Disputes in California. 

If You’re a Homeowner?

If you’re a homeowner in San Ramon, you are responsible for any trees initially planted on your property and fell onto your property. A circumstance that may change this is if the tree fell onto several properties. In this case, everyone is responsible for the portions up to their property line — including the City if your tree has a portion on public property. 

For more incidents, check into our ‘neighbor’ section.

If You’re a Renter?

You’ll be happy to hear that as a renter, you do not have any responsibility when it comes to removing a fallen tree from the property you’re on. This doesn’t change no matter where the tree originated or where it fell. The reason is that your landlord is responsible for big projects like this.

We suggest that you discuss any potential problems concerning nearby trees with your landlord to ensure the safety of you, your family, and your friends. They can prevent more trees from falling through their attentiveness to preventative measures, care, and necessary removals. 

If You’re a Landlord?

Being a landlord is much like being a homeowner. You have all the significant responsibilities of maintaining your properties and the homes on your properties, including removing any fallen trees. 

However, you also have the responsibility of your renters and their safety to consider, so keeping up with maintenance, care, and removals is particularly important for you.

If You’re a Neighbor?

Tree health plays a significant role in who pays for what in these scenarios. If a healthy tree on your neighbor’s property falls onto your property after a natural disaster, then it is your responsibility to remove the tree. On the other hand, if the tree were dead or dying, it would be your neighbor’s responsibility to remove the fallen tree from your property (and cover costs related to the tree falling). 

How Does the Soil Affect Trees in San Ramon?

Soil is everything for trees, and this remains true even in San Ramon. They access their water and nutrients from their roots, and it is their primary source of livelihood. 

In California, the state soil is San Joaquin. This soil series type is described as consisting of “moderately deep to a duripan, well and moderately well-drained soils [and] medium to very high runoff [with] very slow permeability.” Our soil is so slow to absorb water and transmit it through the soil that runoff is possible (and often happens). Unfortunately, it also means that our soil has difficulty retaining nutrients and water, making it more difficult for our trees to access those through their roots.

Does Weather Affect Tree Health in San Ramon?

It is unavoidable for the weather in San Ramon to affect the health of our trees in the area. No matter how well they thrive in our climate, a rainfall that is too heavy or a storm that is too strong will always have the potential to weaken trees by tearing off limbs and leaves or taking them out of the ground completely. 

There are also natural disasters in the area to consider. Common San Ramon, CA, natural disasters that often damage or kill our landscapes include violent earthquakes, storm-swollen rivers, wildfires, floods, volcanoes, and tornadoes. 

What if Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in San Ramon?

Dead trees near power lines in San Ramon should never be altered, pruned, or removed by anyone who is not qualified to do so. Unfortunately, this includes homeowners and tree professionals who don’t have experience or expertise with power line safety. 

For this reason, PG&E provides tree work safety resources, among other safety tips on their site, to connect residents with their own professionals to manager these removals. Your electric company is a great place to resort to with any potential problems as it will prevent accidents that don’t have to happen otherwise.

How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in San Ramon?

On average, you can expect to pay anywhere from $15000 to $2,000 to remove your tree in San Ramon, with an average cost of around $680. However, you should note that this number does not accurately represent your total since it can be heavily influenced more or less by the following cost factors.

The Height of Your Tree 

The height of your tree can change your final costs substantially, especially if it’s much taller than the average 30-foot tree. A 30-foot still standing tree is typically around $450 to remove, but you can expect to pay somewhere between $20 and $30 per foot of height over 30 feet. The reason is that taller trees are much more challenging for us to take care of and remove than much shorter trees — they take more people, time, expertise, and equipment to complete. 

Additional Services

Additional services should also be considered when discussing money. Other services could be more minor charges like tree protection, where you can get trunk injections for $50 per trunk to protect them from what brought the original tree down. Or, this could be a much more significant expense like land and lot clearing. With this service, you pay more than a thousand extra but benefit from our professionals taking care of the added hassle of clearing your lot of yard waste and disposing of it according to local laws and regulations. 

Hourly Rates

Our hourly rates are fairly standard, but complications like proximity to your home, roadways, or other property can make jobs take longer. The longer it takes us to remove the tree safely, the more you can expect to pay.

What Are the Most Common Tree Issues in San Ramon?

It’s no secret that California is beautiful. Still, there’s nothing like San Ramon and its historical sites and landscape attractions like Las Trampas Regional Wilderness, Forest Home Farms Historic Park, and Tassajara Ridge Trail Loop — among many other appeals. Even the summers have an unmistakably warm climate, perfect for outside activities as it’s not too hot nor too cold, but just right.

That’s not to say it doesn’t tend to get dry in the summer or cold and pretty wet in the winter. But, once you get used to it, it doesn’t seem so bad. The same goes for trees that are used to our San Ramon climate. Despite the weather getting too dry or too cold for some tree species, our native plants find that it’s pretty perfect. For this reason, it is highly recommended that residents plant only native trees in their landscapes like the California Bay, Lemonade Berry, Back Cottonwood, White Alder, and the California state trees — Giant Sequoia and Coast Redwood. For more California native tree-planting options, check out Calscape. 

In the meantime, you should also keep up with common tree issues that affect the native trees in our landscapes. This way, we can combat them with preventative measures and treatments when possible. In San Ramon, the following issues are what you’ll find most problematic in our area. 

Fungus and Bacterial Diseases

A range of issues can hit our landscapes, but not many compare to the typical fungi and bacterial diseases that make their way into our precious trees. The most common bacterial infection is Fire Blight, a contagious issue that attacks our fruits more than anything (primarily apples and pears). It shows up looking like parts of your tree have been scorched, affecting not only leaves but branches, twigs, blossoms, etc. Unfortunately, there is no known cure yet, so we would remove your tree altogether or perform regular pruning to reduce the impact.

As for fungal diseases, the most common is Anthracnose (a group of fungal infections), which is a disease that thrives when it’s cool and wet — i.e., springtime in San Ramon. Although it dies out by summer, the impact it has on the early stages of your tree’s leaves and twigs can be fatal over time. The reason is that it weakens your trees to the point of vulnerability to more severe issues. Early detection is critical with this disease and can be detected by leaf blotches, prematurely falling leaves, and a halt in blossoming or growth. Fungicides are typically used to combat this problem. 

California Tree Pests

Aside from bacteria and fungi, there are also common pests that live in and snack on our native trees. While they aren’t usually the ‘disease’ that takes our trees down, they are indeed the ones who damage them until they’re too weak to defend themselves and often spread diseases from tree to tree.

Pests best suited to California habitats include Asian Gypsy Moths that attack North American tree and shrub species, Asian Longhorned Beetles that attack hardwood trees and national forests, Coconut Rhinoceros Beetles that attack palm trees, and Emerald Ash Borer Beetles that attack ash trees. More common pests include European Cherry Fruit Flies that eat honeysuckle and dogwoods, European Gypsy Moths that eat trees and shrubs, False Codling Moths that eat fruit trees, and the Spotted Lanternfly that eats fruit, ornamental, and woody trees.

Under federal quarantine for their damage to U.S. landscapes, there are also problems with the Asian Citrus Psyllid, Imported Fire Ant, Light Brown Apple Moth, and the Mexican Fruit Fly.

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

Generally speaking, the City of San Ramon does not assist private property owners who require tree removal services. It is up to the private property owner to contact us for removal and pay for the service themselves. On the other hand, public trees are the City’s responsibility, and anything concerning them should be addressed only by the City or with the City’s approval.

With that being said, you do need a permit to remove trees on your property in some cases. According to the City of San Ramon, you need a permit to remove a tree if “a non-oak tree, not including a willow, fruit tree, eucalyptus, alder, cottonwood, or pine tree, is greater than 8 inches in diameter measured 54 inches above the ground and is on a commercial property or a property owned by a Home Owner’s Association.”

On the other hand, you do not need one if “your property is a single-family residence that cannot be further subdivided.”

Who Is Responsible For Fallen Tree Removal in San Ramon?

Fallen tree responsibility can be a challenge to determine, and when money is involved — it can also trigger heated conversations. Fortunately, according to certain situations and other details, we have the breakdown for who is responsible for fallen tree removals in San Ramon. For more insight into tree disputes in your area, check out The Definitive Guide to Tree Disputes in California. 

If You’re a Homeowner?

If you’re a homeowner in San Ramon, you are responsible for any trees initially planted on your property and fell onto your property. A circumstance that may change this is if the tree fell onto several properties. In this case, everyone is responsible for the portions up to their property line — including the City if your tree has a portion on public property. 

For more incidents, check into our ‘neighbor’ section.

If You’re a Renter?

You’ll be happy to hear that as a renter, you do not have any responsibility when it comes to removing a fallen tree from the property you’re on. This doesn’t change no matter where the tree originated or where it fell. The reason is that your landlord is responsible for big projects like this.

We suggest that you discuss any potential problems concerning nearby trees with your landlord to ensure the safety of you, your family, and your friends. They can prevent more trees from falling through their attentiveness to preventative measures, care, and necessary removals. 

If You’re a Landlord?

Being a landlord is much like being a homeowner. You have all the significant responsibilities of maintaining your properties and the homes on your properties, including removing any fallen trees. 

However, you also have the responsibility of your renters and their safety to consider, so keeping up with maintenance, care, and removals is particularly important for you.

If You’re a Neighbor?

Tree health plays a significant role in who pays for what in these scenarios. If a healthy tree on your neighbor’s property falls onto your property after a natural disaster, then it is your responsibility to remove the tree. On the other hand, if the tree were dead or dying, it would be your neighbor’s responsibility to remove the fallen tree from your property (and cover costs related to the tree falling). 

How Does the Soil Affect Trees in San Ramon?

Soil is everything for trees, and this remains true even in San Ramon. They access their water and nutrients from their roots, and it is their primary source of livelihood. 

In California, the state soil is San Joaquin. This soil series type is described as consisting of “moderately deep to a duripan, well and moderately well-drained soils [and] medium to very high runoff [with] very slow permeability.” Our soil is so slow to absorb water and transmit it through the soil that runoff is possible (and often happens). Unfortunately, it also means that our soil has difficulty retaining nutrients and water, making it more difficult for our trees to access those through their roots.

Does Weather Affect Tree Health in San Ramon?

It is unavoidable for the weather in San Ramon to affect the health of our trees in the area. No matter how well they thrive in our climate, a rainfall that is too heavy or a storm that is too strong will always have the potential to weaken trees by tearing off limbs and leaves or taking them out of the ground completely. 

There are also natural disasters in the area to consider. Common San Ramon, CA, natural disasters that often damage or kill our landscapes include violent earthquakes, storm-swollen rivers, wildfires, floods, volcanoes, and tornadoes. 

What if Dead Trees Are Near Power Lines in San Ramon?

Dead trees near power lines in San Ramon should never be altered, pruned, or removed by anyone who is not qualified to do so. Unfortunately, this includes homeowners and tree professionals who don’t have experience or expertise with power line safety. 

For this reason, PG&E provides tree work safety resources, among other safety tips on their site, to connect residents with their own professionals to manager these removals. Your electric company is a great place to resort to with any potential problems as it will prevent accidents that don’t have to happen otherwise.

How Much Does Tree Removal Usually Cost in San Ramon?

On average, you can expect to pay anywhere from $15000 to $2,000 to remove your tree in San Ramon, with an average cost of around $680. However, you should note that this number does not accurately represent your total since it can be heavily influenced more or less by the following cost factors.

The Height of Your Tree 

The height of your tree can change your final costs substantially, especially if it’s much taller than the average 30-foot tree. A 30-foot still standing tree is typically around $450 to remove, but you can expect to pay somewhere between $20 and $30 per foot of height over 30 feet. The reason is that taller trees are much more challenging for us to take care of and remove than much shorter trees — they take more people, time, expertise, and equipment to complete. 

Additional Services

Additional services should also be considered when discussing money. Other services could be more minor charges like tree protection, where you can get trunk injections for $50 per trunk to protect them from what brought the original tree down. Or, this could be a much more significant expense like land and lot clearing. With this service, you pay more than a thousand extra but benefit from our professionals taking care of the added hassle of clearing your lot of yard waste and disposing of it according to local laws and regulations. 

Hourly Rates

Our hourly rates are fairly standard, but complications like proximity to your home, roadways, or other property can make jobs take longer. The longer it takes us to remove the tree safely, the more you can expect to pay.