Tree Removal in Placerville
Yes, we serve Placerville. Call us now and we'll go find a nearby tree pro and get a visit booked. In town or out past the city line, one call does it.
Call us now: (530) 316-5144
Or send the short form and we will call you back.
Calling costs you nothing. You tell us about the tree. We do the legwork of finding someone and picking a day.
Today's weather and trees in Placerville
As of: time of the latest update
Forecast: forecast with highs and lows
Wind: winds and gusts, in mph
Red Flag or Fire Weather Watch: a red flag day or watch, if there is one
Other NWS alerts: any other alerts
From the National Weather Service forecast for Placerville, refreshed each morning.
Here's what to have ready before the pro shows up
A visit goes faster when you've done a little homework. Run down this list first.
- Know if your lot is inside Placerville city limits or out in the county. The permit rules aren't the same.
- Count the trees. Take a rough guess at how tall each one is, and how big around the trunk is.
- Write down what each tree could hit. Roof, power line, fence, the neighbor's shed.
- Check if any of them is an oak. Oaks carry extra rules out in the county.
- Look for dead tops, brown needles or fire scars, and snap a photo from far back.
- Find your property line. Trees right on the line need the neighbor in the loop.
- Decide what happens to the wood. Hauled off, chipped, or cut into rounds for you.
- Ask yourself about the stump. Ground down, or left alone?
- Open the gate, move the cars and put the dog inside on the day.
What tree removal costs around Placerville
Here's the honest answer: it depends on the tree. Height, how close it is to the house, and how hard it is to reach all move the price. The numbers below come from national cost guides, not local bids. They give you a ballpark so the quote doesn't shock you.
| Job | National range |
|---|---|
| Typical single removal | $385-$1,070 |
| Short one, under 30 ft | $150-$400 |
| Mid-height, 30-60 ft | $450-$700 |
| Tall one, 60-100 ft | $900-$1,200 |
| Giant, 100+ ft | $1,300-$2,000 |
| Sick tree, weak wood | $400-$900 |
| Already on the ground | $85-$300 |
| Needs a crane | $1,500-$2,500 |
| Grind one stump | $131-$438 |
| Emergency removal | up to $5,000 |
Pulled from: LawnStarter (tree and stump pages, updated Oct 5, 2026), Fixr's removal guide for the size and crane lines, This Old House for the emergency line.
A few things push the number up out here. Steep driveways. Big pines leaning over a roof. Trees tangled in the service drop. Ask your pro to point out what's driving the price.
Chipping on site runs about $65 to $125, LawnStarter says. Hauling the wood off adds about $50 to $90. Know which one you want before the quote.
Insist on a written price. It should spell out stump, cleanup and hauling, one way or the other.
What we help set up
Dead tree removal in Placerville
Beetle-killed pines, oaks worn out by dry years, anything that quit leafing. Brittle dead wood is a ticking clock.
Burned tree removal in Placerville
Trees scorched by a wildfire or a burn pile that got away. Some live, some don't. That page tells you what to look at before you decide.
Defensible space tree removal in Placerville
Thin, limb up and clear out to 100 feet from the house. City and county rules both want it.
Tree removal permits in Placerville
City rules, county rules and the county oak chapter, laid out side by side. Read it before anyone starts a saw.
Stump grinding in Placerville
Tree gone, stump left behind? A grinder takes it under the soil line, and the spot's usable again.
Photo spot: simple sketch: a foothill house, mowed grass around it, oaks limbed up high
City or county? It changes the rules
Placerville is a real city, and it's also the county seat. About 10,747 people lived here at the 2020 census. Homes outside the line can still carry a Placerville mailing address. Even the county fire stations out on Gold Hill Road and Pleasant Valley Road use one.
That line matters for tree work. Inside the city, the city's own fire clearing rule and its Woodland and Forest Conservation Ordinance apply. That ordinance is City Code Title 8, Chapter 13.
Outside the line, the county's rules take over. County Chapter 8.09 covers fire clearing. County Chapter 130.39 covers oaks on private land below 4,000 feet.
Not sure which side you're on? Call City Hall at (530) 642-5200 and give them your address. It's a short call.
Fire season checklist for a Placerville lot
Placerville summers are hot and dry. Wikipedia lists an average of 65.7 days a year that hit 90 degrees or more. Grass and needles dry out fast after that.
Here's what the city's own guidelines ask for, in plain words:
- A 100-foot defensible space around buildings, or less if your lot line is nearer. Defensible space means the cleared, thinned ring a fire struggles to cross.
- Clear the first 30 feet the hardest.
- Take out dead and dying trees and brush between 30 and 100 feet.
- Keep grass mowed to 6 inches or less.
- Keep 10 feet clear along the road and your driveway.
- Leave more room between trees on steep ground. On slopes over 40%, the city guide says 30 feet between tree crowns.
Healthy trees don't all have to go. The city guide says it doesn't mean cutting down all your trees or making a bare ring of dirt.
Dead, beetle-hit and burned trees
Dry years hit pines hard. Bark beetles go after thirsty trees, according to UC IPM, a pest program run by the University of California. When the crown fades top to bottom, they consider it gone, spray or no spray.
Wildfire leaves scars too. In 2014, the King Fire took off near Pollock Pines and covered 97,717 acres. Then 2021 brought Caldor, at 221,835 acres. Trees at the edges of those burns are a mixed bag.
Dead tree within falling distance of your house or driveway? Call us first. There's also a Fire Safe Council cost-share for hazard trees, open whenever grant funds are.
How a call to us works
- You call (530) 316-5144 or send the estimate form.
- We ask where you are, what the trees are, and how soon you need it.
- We look for a tree pro close to your place.
- We nail down a day and time.
- The pro walks the job and writes up a price.
- You decide. No pressure from us either way.
Towns around Placerville we cover
Home base is Placerville, ZIP 95667. Nearby towns get the same help. The full town list explains what's different about each. Or pick your town below:
- Tree removal in Diamond Springs, just south of town
- Tree removal in El Dorado, the old Mud Springs camp
- Tree removal in Smith Flat, east on the old wagon road
- Tree removal in Camino, Apple Hill country
- Tree removal in Pollock Pines, up on the ridge
- Tree removal in Somerset, acreage and dirt drives
- Tree removal in Gold Hill, former farm district
- Tree removal in Coloma, down by the river
- Tree removal in Lotus, Coloma's next-door neighbor
- Tree removal in Garden Valley, past Chili Bar
- Tree removal in Georgetown, out on the Divide
- Tree removal in Shingle Springs, along Highway 50
- Tree removal in Rescue, vineyards and Pine Hill
- Tree removal in Cameron Park, its own CSD rules
Don't see your road? Call anyway. If it's too far out, we'll tell you straight.
Short answers
Every part of Placerville?
Every part. Main Street, the hills, the county roads beyond the line. Ring (530) 316-5144 with your street name.
So who does the cutting?
No. Phones and scheduling are our end. Quoting and the tree work are up to the tree removal company you hire.
Do I need a permit to take a tree down?
Maybe. It depends on if you're inside the city or out in the county, and on what kind of tree it is. Our permit page walks through both.
Does fire clearing mean cutting every tree?
No. Both the city and the county care most about dead stuff, brush, low limbs and spacing. Healthy, well-spaced trees can stay.
How soon can someone come out?
That swings with the time of year and how booked up the pros are. Tell us if it's urgent. If we can't find anyone soon, we'll say so.
Rather type it out?
Fill it out, and we'll ring you back. It comes to us, and we take it from there.