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Pine tree with lower limbs pruned up, cut log rounds stacked at its base
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Tree Service in California: What It Includes, Laws & Costs (2026)

866 contractors 58 counties

Do you need a licensed contractor for this?

Yes, always

Tree removal, pruning, stump grinding and cabling are contracting by law.

Look for a C‑49 Tree and Palm license (older: C‑61/D‑49); C‑27 Landscaping may also do this.

Details and sources

Exception: a gardener's incidental pruning of trees under 15 ft.

We list tree service only for contractors with a clear CSLB license.

B&P Code §7026.1 · CSLB license classifications

Pick your county

  1. Los Angeles213
  2. Sonoma58
  3. Placer55
  4. Nevada44
  5. El Dorado37
  6. San Diego37
  7. Orange32
  8. Sacramento30
  9. Santa Clara30
San Bernardino County · 29 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 93% of US countiesInyo County · 3 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 74% of US countiesKern County · 12 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 95% of US countiesRiverside County · 20 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 99% of US countiesSiskiyou County · 5 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 98% of US countiesFresno County · 14 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 91% of US countiesTulare County · 15 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 95% of US countiesLassen County · 3 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 97% of US countiesImperial County · 2 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 37% of US countiesSan Diego County · 37 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 99% of US countiesModoc County · 1 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 91% of US countiesLos Angeles County · 213 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 99% of US countiesShasta County · 15 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 99% of US countiesHumboldt County · 8 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 84% of US countiesMendocino County · 20 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 95% of US countiesSan Luis Obispo County · 13 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 98% of US countiesMonterey County · 17 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 99% of US countiesTrinity County · 3 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 99% of US countiesMono County · 3 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 92% of US countiesTehama County · 6 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 99% of US countiesSanta Barbara County · 21 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 97% of US countiesPlumas County · 5 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 98% of US countiesTuolumne County · 8 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 99% of US countiesMadera County · 8 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 94% of US countiesMerced County · 6 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 88% of US countiesVentura County · 18 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 96% of US countiesEl Dorado County · 37 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 99% of US countiesButte County · 20 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 95% of US countiesSonoma County · 58 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 89% of US countiesStanislaus County · 14 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 92% of US countiesPlacer County · 55 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 98% of US countiesMariposa County · 1 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 98% of US countiesSan Joaquin County · 15 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 84% of US countiesKings County · 3 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 77% of US countiesSan Benito County · 2 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 99% of US countiesLake County · 12 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 99% of US countiesGlenn County · 1 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 96% of US countiesSanta Clara County · 30 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 97% of US countiesColusa County · 1 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 98% of US countiesCalaveras County · 17 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 99% of US countiesDel Norte County · 1 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 95% of US countiesYolo County · 8 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 92% of US countiesSacramento County · 30 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 77% of US countiesNevada County · 44 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 99% of US countiesSierra County · 2 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 99% of US countiesSolano County · 11 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 87% of US countiesOrange County · 32 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 99% of US countiesNapa County · 17 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 95% of US countiesContra Costa County · 27 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 92% of US countiesAlameda County · 27 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 97% of US countiesAlpine County · 2 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 95% of US countiesYuba County · 5 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 99% of US countiesSutter County · 3 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 79% of US countiesAmador County · 7 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 98% of US countiesMarin County · 26 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 87% of US countiesSan Mateo County · 24 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 72% of US countiesSanta Cruz County · 13 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 79% of US countiesSan Francisco County · 5 tree services · wildfire risk to homes higher than 54% of US counties
Wildfire risk to homesvs. other CA counties · USDA Forest Service
  1. Lower
  3. Moderate
  5. Highest
Number on a county — tree services listed there
All 58 counties

What the work includes

Side view of a house yard after tree work: a broadleaf tree pruned back from the chimney, a pine limbed up with cut branches at its base, a second pine spaced apart with a gap between the crowns, a dead leafless hazard tree, and a fresh stump, stacked logs and a wood chipper with a pile of chips
  1. Hazard and dead tree removal
  2. Limbing up lower branches to remove ladder fuels
  3. Crown thinning and spacing between trees
  4. Clearing any portion of a tree within 10 feet of a chimney or stovepipe outlet
  5. Chipping, log removal and stump grinding

Illustration, not to scale

What it costs

Priced
  • per tree

What moves the price

  • Height
  • Condition
  • Proximity to structures
  • Simple drop in open groundBaseline
  • Hazard removal rigged over a houseSeveral times the cost
  • Some county Fire Safe Councils run free chipper programs for the slash

What the law requires

  • PRC 4291 10 ft Tree portions within 10 feet of a chimney or stovepipe outlet must be removed Defensible space inspections
  • PRC 4291 No dead wood Trees next to structures kept free of dead or dying wood; roof clear of leaves and needles
  • AB-38 At sale Dead tree removal is a common pre-sale compliance item AB-38 at home sale
Tree service: laws and costs

Wildfire-focused tree work removes the fuels that carry fire into the canopy and onto the roof: dead and dying trees, low limbs, and branches overhanging the home. PRC 4291 specifically requires keeping trees near structures free of dead wood and keeping branches clear of the chimney.

California laws that require it

PRC 4291 addresses trees directly: portions of trees within 10 feet of a chimney or stovepipe outlet must be removed, trees adjacent to structures must be kept free of dead or dying wood, and the roof must be kept clear of leaves and needles. Dead tree removal is also a common line item in AB-38 pre-sale compliance.

Related guides: AB-38 at home sale · Defensible space inspections · Zone 0 · Wildfire Prepared Home · 2026 wildfire laws

What it costs

Tree work prices per tree, driven by height, condition and proximity to structures — a hazard removal that requires rigging over a house costs several times a simple drop in open ground. Some county Fire Safe Councils run free chipper programs that take the cleared slash, which trims disposal cost.