Tree Trimming and Removal in Covina, CA

We provide tree service in Covina, CA, including pruning, tree removal, palm trimming and stump grinding in Downtown Covina, Covina Hills, Charter Oak and the neighborhoods around Cypress Park. Covina protects heritage trees: all oaks with a trunk diameter of 10 inches or more at 4.5 feet, or 22 inches combined for multi-trunk oaks, plus trees designated by the City Council. Damaging or removing a heritage tree needs a tree preservation permit. Street trees need a City permit for any trimming, pruning or removal. Call (909) 479-2666 before work on an oak.

Covina's heritage tree rules

The rules are in Covina Municipal Code Chapter 17.83, Tree Preservation. In plain terms:

• Heritage trees are oaks with a single trunk of 10 inches or more in diameter at 4.5 feet, or multiple trunks totaling 22 inches or more, and trees designated by the Council.
• A tree preservation permit is needed to remove, relocate or otherwise damage a heritage tree. Damage includes work in the root zone, such as trenching, paving or grade changes under the dripline.
• Routine maintenance is exempt if it removes no more than 10 percent of the live foliage in a year and does not reduce height by more than 25 percent, and it must follow industry pruning standards.
• Emergencies caused by a dead, diseased or hazardous tree are exempt when confirmed by a qualified professional or the City.
• For a single-family home, the City's chief planning official can approve a permit for one heritage tree. More trees go to the Planning Commission.

The property owner is responsible for keeping heritage trees safe and healthy.

Street trees in Covina

Under Chapter 11.36 of the code, trimming, pruning or removing a street tree requires a permit from the City. City crews do scheduled trimming. Report hazards or request trimming through Covina Public Works.

Trees we see in Covina

• Coast live oaks in older yards and in Covina Hills.
• Sycamores and camphors along older streets.
• Pepper trees and eucalyptus on larger lots.
• Fan palms along back fences.
• Citrus, from Covina's grove history.

Downtown and older neighborhoods

Around Downtown Covina on Citrus Avenue, homes are older and trees bigger. Typical work includes thinning heavy camphors and elms, removing dead pines, trimming palms and grinding old stumps. If an oak is involved, we check the heritage rules first.

Covina Hills and Charter Oak

The hillside neighborhoods of Covina Hills have larger lots with oaks, pines and slopes that need brush work. Defensible space and brush clearing are common there. Charter Oak, as the name suggests, has its share of old oaks.

Caring for heritage oaks

The 10 percent routine-maintenance limit is strict, so we plan oak pruning carefully: remove deadwood, take out a few crossing or rubbing limbs, and lift low branches only as much as needed. Larger work needs a permit. Keep sprinklers away from the trunk and avoid paving or trenching under the dripline. See our guide to protected oaks and walnuts.

Storms and power lines

Call SCE at 1-800-611-1911 for any tree within 10 feet of a line. If a heritage oak is damaged in a storm and is a hazard, the emergency exemption may apply, but document the damage with photos and contact the City. Our storm damage service handles fallen private trees.

Nearby

Covina borders Glendora to the north, San Dimas to the east and Walnut to the south. Pomona is a short drive east on the 10.

Pricing

Covina jobs range from simple palm trims to careful oak pruning and big removals between houses. We give a written estimate with each tree listed separately. Call (909) 479-2666.

Construction near heritage oaks

Covina's ordinance treats work in a heritage oak's root zone as damage, which surprises many homeowners planning a new patio, driveway, pool or ADU. Trenching for utilities, pouring footings or changing the grade under the dripline can all need a tree preservation permit, and the code asks for trenching under the dripline to be done with hand tools and for protective fencing around the dripline during construction. If you are planning a project, map your oak's dripline first and talk to the Planning Division early. Building around a heritage oak is often possible with the right layout, and it costs far less than the penalties for damaging one.

Rentals and HOAs

Many Covina homes are rentals or in HOA communities. The property owner or HOA usually needs to approve tree work, and for a heritage oak, the owner is responsible for keeping the tree safe and healthy under the code. We can send photos and the estimate directly to the owner or manager.

Sycamores and shot hole borers

Sycamores along Covina's older streets have been hit by invasive shot hole borers in recent seasons. Watch for small round holes in the bark, wet staining or sugary crust around them, and branch dieback. Infested limbs should be removed and the wood handled carefully so beetles do not spread. A tree health assessment can tell you how far the damage has gone.

Scheduling

Heritage oak work that needs a permit takes longer to schedule, so start early. Non-oak work can usually be booked within a reasonable window.

Palms, pines and other non-oak trees on private Covina lots are generally outside the heritage rule, but street trees always need a City permit, and HOAs can have their own rules. When in doubt, ask before cutting.

Our service areas page lists the other cities we cover around Covina.