Marin Arborist's Tree Services

Marin County Arborists offer a full range of tree care services from pruning and removals to consultations and long-term maintenance plans. There is no job we won't consider and some of our past ventures have included high-risk helicopter removals, crane transplants, statuary relocation, and kitten rescue.

Consultations, Appraisals, and
Hazard Assessments

Consultations are often necessary in planning for the health and safety of your trees. They are also useful in planning for development or landscaping. We are happy to generate an official arborist report after a consultation if necessary. An arborist report by a certified arborist may be required in order to secure a permit from a city, proceed on a real estate transaction, or in determining property value. You may want an arborist report before purchasing or selling a property to protect yourself against future surprises. Arborists can detect whether a tree is going to require removal, pruning, or fertilization in the future. We can recommend guidelines and growth forecasting during construction to insure the health and well-being of new and established trees.

In some cases, and in some jurisdictions, removals or large scale pruning may require arborist reports to secure the necessary permits. If a permit is necessary, Marin County Arborists will lead you through the process to make sure that the job is completed safely and completely within the boundaries of the law. We will help you identify protected species, heritage trees, and junk trees as well as the specific guidelines for pruning and removal for each. For more information on tree permits, please see the links below:

Tree appraisals are also helpful for real estate and insurance purposes. A beautiful, healthy tree can add immense value to your property. Trees alone can account for up to 25% or your property value. Looking out for the survival, protection, and health of your mature trees will guarantee that they continue to add beauty and value to your property. Marin County Arborists can determine the health and value of your established trees. We can also determine the value of a tree that has been lost through natural disaster or a deliberate act.

Hazard assessments can help protect your trees and the surrounding properties from damage. There a thousand different factors that can determine whether a tree adds value or poses a threat to your property, many of which are not obvious to the untrained eye. While healthy trees can be an asset, unhealthy trees are almost always a liability.

Trees can become very sick, catching pathogens and viruses and requiring inoculations and special treatments to survive and thrive. Dead or dying trees have dramatically weakened support systems, increasing the likelihood that limbs may break off or that the entire tree may fall over. Some, such as Sudden Oak Death, are serious and require a professional to diagnose and treat.

If you notice any of the following potential dangers signs, call an arborist immediately:

• Is the tree leaning?
• Have roots, trunks, or branches been injured?
• Are there cracks or old wounds?
• Insect damaged areas?
• Narrow branch angles?
• Does the tree have broken or dying branches?
• Decayed areas with fungus or center rot?
• Do branches end abruptly in multiple stems?
• Are weak branches heavy with fruit or leaves?

The natural weight of a tree or improper pruning can cause a tree to split down the trunk or weaken load-bearing limbs. Cable support systems, often invisible to the eye, will help balance the weight of the tree and stabilize any split trunks or over-burdened limbs. This can be especially helpful in maintaining the health and stability of very old trees.

Regular pruning is a simple way to insure that your tree does not become a hazard to you and your neighbors. In some cases, a tree may prove such an extreme liability to the safety of your property that removal may prove the only safe solution.

In addition to the services listed above, an arborist can anticipate and prevent problems before they become a reality. People are often tempted to plant new trees close together for privacy or screening. As those trees grow, they are forced to compete for resources and space. As a result, the root systems are never allowed to fully develop and the trees never reach their full potential. Closely planted trees are also a greater risk to homes and property. Marin County Arborists can help to ensure that new trees are not planted too closely together. We can selectively remove trees to guarantee that the remaining trees have the resources and space they need to live for generations to come.