Tree Service in Arcadia, CA

Arcadia sits at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains, and native oaks and sycamores are part of its landscape. The city protects them closely, so tree service in Arcadia often starts with a question: is this tree an oak, a sycamore or a mature tree in a setback? The answer decides whether you need an Oak Tree Permit before work begins.

What Arcadia protects

Under Arcadia's oak tree regulations, a coast live oak or Engelmann oak is protected once its trunk is larger than 4 inches, or it has two or more trunks of at least 3 inches each, measured 4.5 feet above the root crown. Other oaks are protected at 12 inches. The native sycamore, Platanus racemosa, is protected at 6 inches. A separate ordinance protects mature trees larger than 12 inches inside the required front, side and rear setbacks, unless they are on the city's unprotected list.

Section 9703 of the municipal code requires an Oak Tree Permit before removing an oak or encroaching into its protected zone. If you live in an area with a homeowners association, plans go to the association's architectural review board first.

Arborist reports

Arcadia asks for a certified arborist's evaluation when someone applies to remove a diseased or hazardous oak, and a fuller tree report for a healthy protected tree. The city has seven working days to decide on a hazard removal, and approved permits expire after 12 months. Our arborist consultations put what we see into plain language so you know whether a removal case is likely before you file.

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Trees that are not protected

Arcadia lists many trees as unprotected anywhere on a property, including palms, eucalyptus, fruit and nut trees, Shamel ash, most ficus, Brazilian pepper, carob, silk oak, mulberry, Italian cypress and sweet gum. Those can usually be trimmed or removed without the oak permit, which makes palm trimming, eucalyptus removal and stump grinding simpler here.

Wind and the Arboretum

The Los Angeles County Arboretum in Arcadia lost some 300 trees in the December 2011 windstorm. Big trees with heavy canopies are what wind takes down first, so we pay attention to end weight and old pruning cuts on large yard trees. Arcadia's housing has a median build year of 1965, with the 1950s the largest decade, so many lots now have trees fifty to seventy years old.

Peafowl and big yards

Arcadia's free-roaming peafowl, a remnant of the old Baldwin ranch, roam the Arboretum grounds and nearby neighborhoods. If birds are using a tree we plan to prune or remove, we work around them and check the crown before cutting. Large lots near the Arboretum and racetrack also tend to have several big trees, so a full-property walkthrough often makes more sense than pricing one tree at a time.

Call (626) 594-4788 to talk through a tree, a permit question or a removal.