Tree service in Emerald Hills
Tree removal, pruning and fire clearance for hillside homes in Emerald Hills and Emerald Lake Hills, from our base on Duane Street in Redwood City. Removals start at $1,000 per tree, and we do not add an emergency or after-hours surcharge.
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Why tree work in Emerald Hills is its own job
Emerald Hills sits above Redwood City, but it is not part of it. The neighborhood is unincorporated San Mateo County, so the county writes the tree rules, and they are stricter than the city's. The lots are steep, the roads are narrow, and a lot of homes sit under oaks, pines, bays and eucalyptus that are taller than the house.
That changes how the work gets done. On a flat lot a tree can often be felled or dropped in big pieces. On a hillside above a roof or a driveway, the crew climbs, cuts in short sections and lowers each piece on a rope, so nothing rolls downhill or lands where it should not. It also changes the paperwork, because a tree that would not need a permit down the hill in Redwood City can need one here.
What we do in Emerald Hills:
- Tree removal, including trees over the house, a slope or a neighbor's yard that have to be rigged down.
- Hazardous tree checks for dead, leaning or split trees, with a straight answer on what can wait.
- Pruning for fire clearance: limbing up, roof and chimney clearance, thinning crowns apart. See our tree pruning page.
- Storm response when a tree or a big limb comes down. See emergency tree removal.
- Stump grinding after a removal, quoted separately.
County tree permits in Emerald Hills
A tree on your own lot still counts. Here is how the county rules work, from the San Mateo County Planning department's tree trimming and removal guide and its tree pruning and removal permit page.
San Mateo County rules that apply in Emerald Hills
- When a tree is protected
- In the Emerald Lake Hills area: a trunk 19 inches or more around, measured 4 and a half feet off the ground (about 6 inches across). Elsewhere in the unincorporated county: 38 inches around. Native oaks, madrones and buckeyes can be protected at smaller sizes.
- What it costs
- $670 to remove one protected tree, $550 for protected tree pruning, $430 for an expedited removal (county fee list).
- How long it takes
- About 1 to 2 months, including notice to owners within 300 feet and a 10-day posting on the property.
- Dead trees
- A dead tree can be removed without a permit. The county strongly recommends telling Planning staff first.
- Trees that cannot wait
- An imminent hazard can qualify for an Emergency Permit. A private arborist documents the danger on the ISA Basic Tree Risk Assessment Form.
- After the removal
- In most cases the county requires a replacement tree.
Fees and timelines are the county's published figures as of November 2026 and can change. Apply through the county's Accela Citizen Access portal.
Two things trip people up. First, the Emerald Lake Hills line is half the size of the one most guides quote, so a tree that looks small can still be protected. Second, some addresses with a Redwood City mailing address are in the county, and some near the bottom of the hill are inside city limits. City rules are different: our Redwood City tree permit guide covers them. If you are not sure which side of the line you are on, the county Planning counter can tell you from your parcel number.
At the estimate we measure the trunk with you, so you know before you apply whether the tree is over the line.
Fire clearance for hillside homes
Fire is not a hypothetical up here. In June 2022 a fire burned about 20 acres in the hills near Edgewood Road and Crestview Drive, and the Sheriff's Office ordered evacuations before crews held it, according to the Palo Alto Daily Post. Fire runs uphill faster than it moves across flat ground, which is why spacing on a slope matters more than spacing on a flat yard.
Start by checking your address on the State Fire Marshal's fire hazard severity zone maps. The state updated the local maps for San Mateo County in 2025, and FIRE SAFE San Mateo County notes the update expanded the zones in many county communities. If your home is in a State Responsibility Area or a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, Public Resources Code Section 4291 requires 100 feet of defensible space around it, or to your property line if that is closer.
The tree work that usually matters most on a hillside lot:
- Remove any part of a tree within 10 feet of a chimney or stovepipe outlet, and keep branches off the roof.
- Prune the lowest limbs up off the ground so grass and brush cannot carry fire into the canopy.
- Thin or remove trees so crowns near the house are not touching, with more space on steeper ground.
- Take out dead trees and dead wood near the house first. Dead trees can come out without a county permit.
Not every tree has to go. Most fire clearance is pruning and spacing, and a healthy oak that is limbed up and clear of the roof is usually worth keeping. Our defensible space guide walks through the zones in detail. FIRE SAFE San Mateo County also runs a chipper program for neighborhoods that organize their clearing together.
What tree work costs in Emerald Hills
Removals start at $1,000 per tree. Large trees, trees over a roof and trees on a steep slope cost more, because they have to come down in small pieces on a rope. What sets the price is the size of the tree, what sits underneath it, and how far the crew has to carry the wood to the chipper. We give you the price in writing before any cutting, and we do not charge extra for emergency or after-hours work. County permit fees are separate and paid to the county.
Want the full breakdown? Our tree removal page covers what goes into a removal price on the Peninsula. Call (650) 454-0373 or request a free estimate and we will come look at the tree.
Our Process
How It Works
Three straightforward steps from first call to finished project.
Free Consultation
A certified arborist visits your property, assesses the trees, and discusses your goals. We identify any risks, health issues, or city permit requirements.
Detailed Estimate
You receive a clear, itemized quote with no hidden fees. We explain the scope of work, timeline, and handle any permit paperwork for you.
Expert Service & Cleanup
Our crew arrives on time, completes the work safely, and leaves your property spotless. We haul everything away - you won't know we were there.
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Often yes, and at a smaller size than most people expect. Emerald Hills is unincorporated San Mateo County, so county rules apply, not Redwood City rules. In the Emerald Lake Hills area the county protects a tree once its trunk is 19 inches or more around at 4 and a half feet off the ground, about 6 inches across. Elsewhere in the unincorporated county the line is 38 inches around. Native oaks, madrones and buckeyes can be protected at smaller sizes. A dead tree can come out without a permit, though the county recommends telling the Planning department first.
The county lists $670 to remove one protected tree, $550 for protected tree pruning and $430 for an expedited removal. It estimates 1 to 2 months to process, which includes a mailed notice to owners within 300 feet and a 10-day posting on the site. Most removals also need a replacement tree. Those figures come from the county Planning department and can change, so check its tree permit page before you apply.
The county has an Emergency Permit for trees that are an imminent hazard. A private arborist has to document the danger, either as an immediate danger to public safety and property or as a High or Extreme risk on the ISA Basic Tree Risk Assessment Form. If a tree is on a wire, call 911 and PG&E at 1-800-743-5000 first, and keep everyone out from under it. Then call us for the tree itself.
Removals start at $1,000 per tree. A slope usually adds to the job, not because the tree is different but because the pieces cannot simply drop. On a steep lot above a house or a driveway, the crew climbs, cuts in short sections and lowers each one on a rope. Access for the chipper and how far the wood has to be carried also count. We do not charge more for emergency or after-hours work, and stump grinding is quoted separately.
Check your exact address on the State Fire Marshal's fire hazard map lookup. The state redrew the local fire hazard maps for San Mateo County in 2025, and the designation can differ from one street to the next in the hills. If your home is in a State Responsibility Area or a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, California law requires 100 feet of defensible space around it.
Both. A lot of fire clearance is pruning, not removal: limbing the lowest branches up off the ground, cutting back anything over the roof and anything within 10 feet of a chimney, and thinning so the crowns are not touching. We walk the lot with you and tell you which trees need work, which can stay as they are, and which ones would need a county permit.
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