Tree Work in San Dimas, CA Around Oaks and Canyons

We provide tree service in San Dimas, CA, including tree trimming, removal, stump grinding, palm work and fire-safe clearance from Via Verde and Downtown San Dimas up to the canyon neighborhoods. San Dimas protects mature significant trees on private property: oaks 8 inches or more in diameter, other trees 10 inches or more, and multi-trunk trees with 38 inches or more of total circumference, all measured 36 inches above grade. Removing or relocating one needs a Planning Division tree removal permit. Call (909) 479-2666 before scheduling any removal.

San Dimas tree permits

The City's tree preservation page explains the rules, which come from San Dimas Municipal Code Chapter 18.162. In short:

• Mature significant trees need a permit to remove or relocate, and the City lists the allowed reasons: disease, development of the property, or health and safety concerns.
• Major topping or cutting of a mature tree also needs a permit.
• Applications for developed lots include a site plan, a replacement plan, photos and, when the City asks, a technical report from a certified arborist. HOA approval may be needed too.
• Removing a tree without a permit can lead to fines or criminal charges.

Community trees, the City-owned trees along streets and in parks, are a separate system. The City's Parks and Recreation Department maintains them, and pruning, root pruning or removing one needs a City permit. See the City's tree permit page.

Trees we see in San Dimas

• Coast live oaks on foothill lots and in older yards.
• Sycamores near washes and canyons.
• Eucalyptus in old windbreaks and larger lots.
• Pines and deodars on hillside properties.
• Fan palms and queen palms in newer neighborhoods.

Fire clearance near the canyons

North San Dimas and San Dimas Canyon border open brushland. Defensible space work here often means clearing dry brush on slopes, lifting limbs off roofs and removing dead palm fronds. Since mature oaks are protected, clearance work around them needs to be done carefully, and larger cuts may need a permit.

Bonelli Park and the south side

South San Dimas sits near Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park and the Via Verde hills. Those neighborhoods have big lots with large oaks, eucalyptus and pines, plus slopes that need regular brush work. Access can be steep, so we plan equipment around the grade.

What San Dimas homeowners call about

• Thinning big oaks and eucalyptus over the house.
• Removing dead pines after drought and beetles.
• Clearing slopes and back corners before fire season.
• Trimming palms and grinding old stumps.
• Getting a tree's condition documented for a permit.

For those last two, see stump grinding and tree health assessments.

Power lines and storms

Call SCE at 1-800-611-1911 for any tree within 10 feet of an overhead line. After wind, if a community tree is down, call the City. For your own trees, call us. Our storm damage service covers fallen limbs and trees on private property.

Nearby

San Dimas borders La Verne to the east, Glendora to the north and Covina to the west. Pomona is just southeast past Bonelli Park.

Measuring your tree

To see whether your tree is likely covered, measure around the trunk 36 inches above the ground and divide by about 3.14 to get the diameter. An oak at 8 inches or more, or another species at 10 inches or more, is likely a mature significant tree. For multi-trunk trees, add up the circumference of the trunks. If you are close to the line, ask the Planning Division before cutting.

Call (909) 479-2666 to set up an estimate.

Older neighborhoods and downtown

Around Downtown San Dimas and Bonita Avenue, many homes date back several generations and carry trees to match: big camphors, elms, pepper trees and the occasional magnolia or deodar. These trees often have a history of poor pruning, with old topping cuts that have grown back as clusters of upright sprouts. We usually work them back over two or three visits, choosing the strongest leaders, removing weak sprouts and reducing weight on long limbs, so the tree regains a safer structure without being shocked by one heavy cut. Because many of these trees are well over 10 inches in diameter, any plan that involves major cutting or removal should start with the Planning Division.

Pricing and scheduling

Hillside jobs in the canyon areas usually take longer than flat-lot work because the crew has to carry or rope material up and down slopes. Flat downtown lots are quicker but often have tight access along a driveway. We price each tree and the haul-off separately, and if a permit is required, we hold the date until it is approved. Spring and summer fill up with fire clearance, so book early if you want brush work done before the dry season.

Replacement trees

When San Dimas approves a removal, the replacement plan matters. Pick a species suited to the spot, plant it away from the old stump and water it deeply through its first summers. Native oaks, Western redbud and other drought-tolerant choices do well here when they are given room to grow.

Ask the Planning Division which replacement sizes it expects, since that affects the cost of the project as a whole.

Keep the permit paperwork on hand during the work, since the crew may be asked to show it.

See the full list of nearby cities on our service areas page.