Tree Service in San Marino, CA

San Marino is a city of large residential lots and mature landscaping, so tree service here often means managing several big trees on one property rather than a single problem tree. Many lots average more than 30,000 square feet, most homes were built between 1920 and 1950, and the city's median build year is 1943. Trees planted with those homes have had close to a century to grow.

The established tree rule

Section 23.06.15 of the San Marino code applies to established trees in the R-1 and C-1 zones: a tree at least 15 feet tall with a trunk circumference of 24 inches or more, measured 4 feet 6 inches above grade. A permit is needed to remove an established tree, even one that is dead, diseased or dying. The exception is a tree damaged by storm, fire or another disaster that a listed official determines is dangerous.

Pruning has rules too

A permit is required to remove foliage or branches from an established tree in the front yard, in the side yard of a corner lot, or anywhere on the lot once the tree is taller than 30 feet. Severe pruning is prohibited in any yard. The code exempts work by holders of a C-27 or C-61/D-49 contractor license and by owners doing their own work, so ask for the license number on any estimate.

For large, tall trees, that means planning. We write pruning scopes in terms the city can read, such as deadwood removal, clearance and selective thinning, and we avoid anything that looks like topping or severe cutting.

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Arborist consultations

On an estate-size lot, a walkthrough of all the trees is often the most useful first visit. We look at each large tree's structure, deadwood, root zone and clearance from the house and walls, then rank the work by urgency so you can spread it over seasons.

Close to the gardens

San Marino is home to the Huntington's roughly 120 acres of botanical gardens and to Lacy Park, a 30-acre park of grass and trees in the center of the city that began as a sag pond called Wilson Lake. That setting shapes what residents expect from their own yards: big canopy, careful work and no hacked trees.

Storm history

San Marino was among the San Gabriel Valley cities hit hard by the December 2011 windstorm. Trees with heavy, extended limbs over a house are worth an inspection before the fall wind season.

Protecting lawns and gardens

On landscaped estate lots, the work site matters as much as the tree. We use ground protection where equipment crosses lawns, lower wood into open areas instead of planting beds, and keep the chipper on the driveway. Before we leave, we rake, blow and walk the property with you.

Call (626) 594-4788 to set up a property walkthrough and written estimate.