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We are in the process of trying to buy a home, and it seems that more often than not the houses I like are surrounded by trees that provide too much shade. What I'm wondering is, if we buy a house on the assumption that we can brighten it up by cutting down many of the trees, are we going to be in for a rude surprise when we try to do that? I don't mean the cost (I know it's very expensive) -- what I'm wondering is whether either city codes or your neighbors can prevent you from removing trees that are on your own property. Has anyone had any negative experiences with this? (I've checked the archives and see recommendations for tree-removers, but no discussion of this particular concern.) Thanks!
The alternative is pruning or topping, which can let in a lot more light, be less expensive, and much easier to get through city hall and keep you in good graces with your neighbors.
Some neighbors are deeply hostile to your taking down trees, and will hold a grudge against you for years to come. I like to believe the majority of Bay Area residents revere and value living trees, and recognize their right to exist where they've been standing for decades.
If you want more sun, don't buy in the hills. There are plenty of houses in the Bay Area that aren't in the hills. Generally speaking, if people buy in the trees, it's because they like the trees, want the trees, and want to keep the trees.
My wife's sister and brother in law took down a tree on their property in Montclair, and now they're HATED by all their neighbors, and feel isolated and uncomfortable in their own neighborhood. Alienating the neighbors as soon as you move in is not such a good move. Be careful to check with them fist- they'll appreciate your concern.
Finally, my own personal note. I empathize with wanting more light. I understand the temptation to want to clear a view of the bay and SF. I hate mold and mildew as much as anyone. But I also feel like the Bay Area is being overrun with greedy, selfish, and generally arrogant people form other parts of the country who don't fully appreciate the natural beauty here, nor have what I condider a requisite respect for nature. Please, if you want to live in ''Sunny California,'' move to LA. 'Nuff said. Tree Hugger
None of our neighbors objected.
I suggest you call Abel at Diablo Tree Service (408) 227- 0043. He was VERY reasonable charging only $300/tree for removal and $1400 to trim and top 7 trees. Negotiate hard b/c the price will come down. One of our neighbors was quoted over $5,000 to trim her trees - yikes! Needed more sunshine
If you make sure the company that does it is properly insured (we used Brende + Lamb and I highy reccomend them) and inform your neighbors a head of time (because the chain saws will be going ALL day) you have every right to take them down. Paula
I have three enormous trees (pine, maple, and redwood) that need to be removed by a licensed and insured tree removal service. Unfortunately, the archives are a bit dated, so I'm looking for current references. I have just received the tree removal permit, and want someone experienced and reputable, since power lines run through one of the trees, and the other trees are on our fence line. Any leads would be appreciated.
I got estimates from five(!) different tree companies and ultimately settled on Graham Tree Service. They own their own cranes (many companies rent their equipment), they could do the work quickly, and they seemed the most professional of the bunch, with expertise in difficult removals (our project involved their biggest crane, lifting pieces over power lines and our roof.) This was an expensive project ($12k) but our neighbors paid for half. Graham's bid wasn't the lowest (they ranged from $11k-$13,500) but we felt they were the best qualified. Their number is 510/965-9801. Good Luck! Holly H.
We have a palm tree -- don't know the species but it's of the squat variety, about 3-4 ft diameter & 12 ft high -- that is pushing down our neighbor's fence so she is itching for us to get rid of it.
I talked to one palm tree broker who says he needs 3 ft clearance on all sides to remove a palm, so we fear we may have no other option but to kill the poor thing.
So, can we do this ourselves? Is there anything we should know about chopping down palms as opposed to other kinds of trees? Do they grow back if the stump is not removed? How hard is it to remove the stump? Are we better off letting a professional do it? Anyone you'd recommend (price is definitely a consideration)? Is there any possible way of saving the tree? Any advice/knowledge you can share is appreciated. Signed, not a tree killer
''I am not an attorney and this is not legal advice. That caveat aside, a good source of information for the layman is Neighbor Law, published by Nolo Press. The book addresses various tree issues (including the limited right to cut vegetation of a tree overhanging your property), and also covers the topic of how the tree owner's liability may change if they are given written notice of a hazard on their property. Another avenue is to research the tree ordinance (not the view ordinance)in your city. If I recall, Berkeley had a section that addressed hazardous trees on private property, and other cities may as well.'' Stefanie
We have a substantial palm tree growing in our small backyard. It is very poorly placed - right in the way of the walkway and its much too big for the space. I've been told that there may be tree removal services that might remove it for free in exchange for the tree, or even pay us to take away the tree. Does anyone know of anything like this? Thanks in advance! Kate
Our house has a 30 - 40 foot palm tree in the back yard. We are not palm tree fans but would hate just to chop it down. Does anyone know a company that might purchase it from us? Would the city (in this case, Oalkand) want to be involved at all? Thanks. Celia
Perhaps some one has recently asked about this and I missed it, but I need someone to remove two LARGE trees from my backyard. Of course, I wish to do this economically, but I also need some one who can do it WELL because the trees are on the property line and I don't want my neighbors to have anything damaged. Thanks for your help. Elizabeth
If a tree represents a potential liability, your home owners policy may cover its removal. I recommend contacting them, they will usually come out to give an opinion. Ellen
Yes, you can probably sell small and medium-sized trees and shrubs from your yard, but it is VERY labor intensive to remove a large plant. As an example, $100. Japanese maple fr/nursery (small at 6' tall) is READY TO PLANT, and EASY TO TRANSPORT because the root ball is so small. It could, however, take (minimally) 3-4 hours to dig it out and prepare the roots for somebody to buy. If you plan on having the purchaser remove the plants themselves, the price could drop considerably, given the 3-4+ hours of labor involved.
There is also the factor of re/moving a plant at a time that could prove fatal, or at least extremely taxing to the plant. Most plants do need to be pruned heavily at transplanting--and a lovely Japanese maples may not look so lovely after considerable shock--so it's a bit of a gamble for the purchaser.
I moved a 15' Meyer lemon from 1 part of my yard to another: it took 2 DAYS OF DIGGING because the soil was so hard and the root system was entangled in all sorts of other plants, including a spectacular magnolia. The magnolia survived beautifully but the Meyer took a real beating. A lilac that I moved from our (old) North Oakland house to our (new) Berkeley house is in flower for the first time (!), so large-scale transplanting is possible, but has real risks.
Best of luck with your project, Claire
We will soon be doing an addition on our home and need to remove a Meyer Lemon Tree that has been there for probably 20+ years. I love this tree and I get tons of lemons year round. I want to re-plant it somewhere else in our yard. The tree is very large and I assume the roots are just as big. First, can this be done? If so, can anyone recommend someone who has experience doing this. What are the odds the tree will live through this. Finally, how much will this cost. Meyer Lemon Lover
I would like to recommend Maxwell Tree Service for all your tree trimming/removal needs. I found him in the BPN archives and want to provide some updated information. We had the owner (sorry can't remember his name) do quite a bit of work for us. He is a certified arborist and completely removed two large trees and 2 huge overgrown shrubs. He cut back a fir, pittosporum and some other huge tree on our property and they look fantastic. One was in our front yard so we were concerned that it would look chopped up and ugly. I don't know how he did it, but it is thinned out, cut back and perfectly shaped. He was kind, professional, hard working and reasonably priced. He checked in with me regularly to confirm how much I wanted off each tree and was able to make suggestions on what would be good for the tree and look good/balanced. I followed his advice and our front and back yards look great. We were amazed he was able to do all the work by himself in 8 hours. He was conscientious about cleaning up. kelly
This is a recommendation for M&M tree service, who just finished taking 4
trees out of our yard. This was technically difficult in that our house was built
around one of the trees (an 80 foot redwood) and was endangering both
foundation & roof. Mark and his crew was efficient,safe, fast & neat (all traces
of trees and work gone in 3 days), and their bid was better than competitive
with the 4 other services we contacted. They even took their shoes off when
they came in to use the bathroom!!!
M&M tree service, 510- 235-1736
Lisa
Last updated: Oct 29, 2006
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