Tree Service in Alamo, CA

Tree removal is a large share of the tree service work in Alamo, because the trees here are old and the lots give them room to get huge. Alamo is an unincorporated community in Contra Costa County at the north end of the San Ramon Valley, and more than 93 percent of its homes are single-family detached houses. With a median build year of 1978 and about 20 percent of homes dating to before 1960, many yards hold trees that are many decades old.

Walnut history in the yard

Alamo has a long link to walnuts. In 1873, Myron Hall grafted Persian walnut cuttings onto native trees here, helping start the walnut industry in Contra Costa County, and the resulting mother tree was tended for over a century. Old walnuts, both native black walnut rootstock and grafted English walnut, can still turn up in older Alamo yards. At this age many have heart rot, large dead limbs or a weak graft union. They can be pruned and kept when the structure is sound, but a walnut with a hollow trunk next to a house is usually a removal.

How a big removal works

On a large lot it is tempting to fell the whole tree in one piece. That only works when there is a clear drop zone and nothing to hit. More often there is a pool, a fence, a barn or a neighbor's roof in the way. Then we climb or use a lift, take the canopy down in pieces, lower heavy wood with ropes and a friction device, and cut the trunk in rounds. Equipment stays on driveways or mats where possible so lawns and irrigation are not torn up.

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Ridges on both sides

Alamo lies between Las Trampas Ridge to the west and the Diablo Range to the east, with Mount Diablo a few miles away. Homes toward the hills often have coast live oak and bay along with planted pines and redwoods. Summer highs sometimes reach 100 degrees, rain averages about 25 inches a year, and frost occurs on some clear winter mornings. That mix of heat, drought and winter weight is hard on old trees.

Rules to check first

Because Alamo is unincorporated, tree rules come from Contra Costa County rather than a city. We could not open the county's tree permit page for this write-up, so before removing a large oak or any tree near a creek, check with the county's planning staff. We can provide species, trunk measurements and photos for that conversation, and we can coordinate an arborist report if one is requested.

After the removal

We grind the stump, rake the area and haul the wood, or cut it to firewood length and stack it if you want to keep it. Call (925) 966-3413 to set up a site visit.