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Wildfire Mitigation Contractors in El Dorado County, CA
El Dorado County in 30 secondsContractors, local rules, where to get help
75 wildfire mitigation contractors are listed for El Dorado County, 51 with a clear CSLB license.
- Fire hazard zones
- Look up your address
El Dorado County's fire hazard map was last updated in 2022 (replacing the 2007 map), and much of the county's unincorporated foothill and Tahoe Basin terrain falls in State Responsibility Area High or Very High zones. Check your exact parcel on CAL FIRE's map tool before assuming your zone.
- Defensible space rules
- Source
Chapter 8.09 (Ordinance 5186), effective August 16, 2024, requires the standard 100 feet of defensible space but allows inspectors to require up to 300 feet case-by-case, adds a Good Neighbor Policy that can push clearance onto an adjacent parcel, sets 10-foot/15-foot clearance along private driveways, and gives home buyers just 180 days after close of escrow to document compliance if it wasn't met at sale (shorter than the state's real-estate-transaction rule).
- Chipping
- Source
The El Dorado County Fire Safe Council runs a free chipping program for Western Slope homeowners (Tahoe Basin excluded) — up to two visits per address per year, 6 hours per visit, funded by PG&E and CAL FIRE grants. A separate grant-funded Defensible Space Program does free clearing for qualifying veteran, senior, low-income, or disabled homeowners.
- Fire Safe Council
- El Dorado County Fire Safe Council (EDCFSC)
More
El Dorado County's own Chapter 8.09 ordinance goes beyond state rules: it can require up to 300 feet of clearance case-by-case, extends the "Good Neighbor" buffer onto neighboring lots, and gives home buyers only 180 days post-sale to prove compliance. CAL FIRE and the County's Office of Wildfire Preparedness and Resilience (OWPR) inspect. Contractors below are ranked by public Google rating.
More in El Dorado County 65
Serving all of California 8
Also on record 88
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Adam F. Snider
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Adam R Rohrbough
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Adkins Ranch & Land Care LLC
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Alpine Earthmoving
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Arbor Green
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Arbor King LLC
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Atiles & Sons, LLC
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Benuto Tree Service
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Blackmun Enterprises
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Blue Lake Landscaping and Snow Removal
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Bordges Timber Inc
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Brad Kingsley
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Brian Oneto
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Brother Boys Landscaping
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BurnBot Inc.
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Bushwhackers Tree Service
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California Professional Tree Service
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California Tree Experts
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Care Tree Care
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Ceres Forestry
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Diversified Resources, Inc.
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Drone Earthworks
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Dudek
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Durkin Tree Service INC
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Dyer All Terrain Excavation
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Dykstra Enterprises, Inc.
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El Dorado Hills Tree Specialist
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Elderd Land Management Inc
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Foothill Arborist Tree Care Expert
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Foothill Forest Care LLC
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Foss Evan
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Frank's General Contracting
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Garrett Forest Management
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George Staddan
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Golden State Forestry
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Good View Tree Service
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Grand Designs Landscaping INC
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Green Hills Landscaping
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H&H Tractor Service
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Hagerty Forestry Management LLC
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Hargo’s Land Management
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High Sierra Timber
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Highground Excavating & Tree Service Inc
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Holland Jeffrey Richard
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Hv Tree Care
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Jefferson Resource Company
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Knights Wildland Forestry Management LLC
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L and M Tractor Service
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Lake Tahoe Property Services
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Loera Tree Service INC
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Los Rios Tree Service
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M S Landscaping & Tree Services
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MAG Landscaping Inc
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Mike Barr
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Murray Excavating Inc.
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NorthTree Enterprises
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Nottnagel Industries Inc
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Nunez Concrete INC
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On Site Equipment Inc
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Reliant Construction INC
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Rivers Edge Land Management LLC
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RJW Enterprises, Inc.
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Rural Focus, Inc
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Samuel and Harrison Taylor
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Sierra Land Clearing
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Sierra Land Improvement Inc.
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Sierra Nevada Timber
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Sierra Pacific Tree Care INC
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Sierra Weed Services
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South Lake Landscaping
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Spartan Tree Service
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Sullivan Logging Company, Inc.
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T C Landscape Construction and Maintenance INC
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Terra, Inc.
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Timmerman Tree Service
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Torres Martin Tree Service
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Tour De Force Concrete
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Trailscape Inc.
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Tree J Arbor INC
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Tree Pro Tree Service, Inc
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Tsu/tree Service Unlimited INC
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Van Bebber Dale
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Watkins Forestry Services
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Western Sierra Tree Service INC
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Wildfire Services Group
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Wildland Tree Specialist
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Yiannis Landscaping
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Z Lawn & Landscape
Defensible space rules in El Dorado County
Fire hazard zones in El Dorado County
El Dorado County spans the Sacramento Valley foothills up through the Sierra crest into the Tahoe Basin, and a large share of that unincorporated land sits in CAL FIRE’s State Responsibility Area High or Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones. The county’s current hazard maps were updated in 2022, replacing a 2007 baseline. You can look up your exact parcel’s zone on CAL FIRE’s interactive map. The 2021 Caldor Fire, which burned through the county and forced the evacuation of South Lake Tahoe, is the backdrop for much of the county’s current push on defensible space enforcement and rebuilding rules — see the county’s Caldor Fire Recovery resources if you’re rebuilding.
Local rules and deadlines
El Dorado County’s Chapter 8.09 ordinance, adopted July 2024 and effective August 16, 2024, layers county-specific requirements on top of state law (PRC 4291). The headline differences: clearance can be pushed to 300 feet where terrain or access is a problem, a “Good Neighbor” rule can extend your defensible space onto a neighbor’s land if your house sits close to the line, and driveway/roadway clearance (10 feet wide, 15 feet high) is required year-round for emergency vehicle access. If you’re selling a home in a High or Very High zone, budget time for a compliance inspection — the county gives buyers only 180 days post-close to finish the work if it isn’t done at sale. In the Tahoe Basin, defensible-space tree removal is coordinated through TRPA and local fire districts rather than county code enforcement.
Free programs
The El Dorado County Fire Safe Council runs the county’s main assistance programs: a free chipping service for Western Slope residents (two visits a year, six hours each) and a grant-funded Defensible Space Program that does free clearing work for qualifying veterans, seniors, low-income, and disabled homeowners. Tahoe Basin residents aren’t covered by the chipping program but can reach out to Tahoe RCD or the Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team for local equivalents.
County resources
Start with the county’s Defensible Space Ordinance page for the full ordinance text and FAQ, and the Office of Wildfire Preparedness and Resilience for home hardening guidance and the county’s wildfire strategy. Tahoe Basin homeowners should also check TRPA’s tree removal and defensible space page before cutting anything near the lakeshore.
Frequently asked questions 5
Does El Dorado County require more defensible space than state law?
Yes. Beyond the state's 100-foot standard, County inspectors can require up to 300 feet of clearance on a case-by-case basis when steep terrain, limited roadways, or water supply make a property harder to defend. The County's Good Neighbor Policy can also require an adjacent landowner to clear vegetation on their own parcel if your structure sits within 100 feet of the property line.
Who inspects for defensible space compliance in El Dorado County?
The County's Office of Wildfire Preparedness and Resilience (OWPR) runs the program in partnership with CAL FIRE and local fire districts, inspecting both in response to complaints and proactively in designated Emphasis Areas. In the Tahoe Basin, the City of South Lake Tahoe does not issue defensible-space tree permits — that goes through TRPA and local fire agencies instead.
What happens if I don't comply, and are there fines?
The County's stated goal is voluntary compliance through education, but persistent non-compliance can lead to code enforcement fines mirroring Chapter 9.02 ($100 first violation, $250 second, $500 third) or, for imminent hazards, a County abatement with a lien placed on the property for the cost.
I'm selling my home in a High or Very High zone — what's the deadline?
State law already requires a defensible space inspection report before close of escrow for homes in High or Very High fire hazard zones. El Dorado County's ordinance adds a local deadline: if compliance isn't reached before closing and buyer and seller sign a written agreement transferring responsibility, the buyer must document compliance within 180 days of close of escrow.
Do I need a permit to remove trees for defensible space near Lake Tahoe?
In the Tahoe Basin, TRPA generally allows removal of live trees under 14 inches in diameter at breast height without a permit for defensible space (smaller thresholds apply near the lakeshore). Dead trees that could fall on a house also don't need a permit. Removal of larger live trees, or any vegetation work in a Stream Environment Zone, requires a TRPA tree removal permit.