When you need a report
Sonoma-Marin Tree Service connects homeowners in Sonoma and Marin counties with local arborists and tree contractors who prepare arborist reports for permits, hazard questions, and projects near trees. You are most likely to need a report when the tree is protected under a local ordinance, when you want to remove it because it is hazardous, when construction will happen within its root zone, or when an insurer or buyer asks about its condition.
What local ordinances protect
Thresholds and species lists differ a lot. A few that we have confirmed:
- Santa Rosa (City Code 17-24) protects heritage and protected trees. Valley and blue oaks qualify at 19 inches in circumference, coast live, black, and other oaks at 57 inches, and madrone at 38 inches. Permit applications may include a certified arborist's recommendations.
- Unincorporated Sonoma County (Ordinance 6478, adopted 2024) requires a zoning permit for about 30 native species at 6 inches in diameter or more. Defensible-space work, dead or hazard trees within the defensible-space zone, and insurer-required removals within 100 feet of a dwelling are exempt.
- Petaluma protects listed native species and heritage trees, with heritage or landmark tree removal requiring a director's permit, and an emergency exemption.
- Mill Valley (Chapter 20.67) sets heritage thresholds by circumference: tanbark oak 65 inches, oak or madrone 75 inches, coast redwood 95 inches. Removing four or more trees over 19 inches in circumference within 12 months on a developed parcel also needs a permit.
- San Anselmo (Chapter 4-13) treats trees 22 inches in diameter or more as heritage trees, covers any tree 7 inches or more on undeveloped parcels, and notifies neighbors within 300 feet.
- Larkspur (Chapter 12.16) requires a permit to remove a heritage tree and a qualified arborist's report unless it is waived.
- Unincorporated Marin requires a tree removal permit for any heritage tree, for more than two protected trees on a developed lot in 12 months, or for any protected tree on a vacant lot.
Ordinances change, and each one has its own measuring method and exemptions, so confirm with the planning department before you file.
What a good report covers
- Species, trunk size measured the way your ordinance specifies, height, and location on a site plan
- Condition: health, structure, decay, lean, root problems, and signs of disease such as Sudden Oak Death
- Risk to people and property, with the targets the tree could hit
- Options considered, such as pruning or cabling, and why removal is or is not recommended
- For construction projects, tree protection measures for trees that stay
- Photos, and the arborist's credentials
If the question is whether a tree is about to fail, a report that uses the ISA's standardized risk assessment method, written by an arborist with the Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ), carries more weight. See tree risk assessment for more.
Arborist vs. contractor
ISA Certified Arborist is a voluntary credential, not a license. It requires roughly three years of full-time experience in arboriculture or education equivalents, a passing exam, and recertification every three years. The tree work itself is licensed by the Contractors State License Board: new licenses are issued in the C-49 Tree and Palm classification, and existing D-49 holders can still work. Some firms write reports and do the work; some municipalities prefer a report from an arborist who is not doing the removal. Before you hire anyone, look the contractor up at cslb.ca.gov and ask for a certificate of liability insurance.
Dead, hazardous, and emergency trees
Many ordinances treat dead or imminently dangerous trees differently, and some, including Mill Valley and Petaluma, have emergency provisions. Documentation still matters: photos and an arborist letter can save trouble afterward. See dead and hazardous tree removal.
Need a report for a permit? Call (707) 634-8593 or request an estimate and we'll connect you with a local arborist or tree contractor.
Tree services in Sonoma County & Marin County
- Tree Removal → Removal of dead, leaning, diseased, and unwanted trees, including large oaks, redwoods, and eucalyptus on tight or sloped lots.
- Storm-Damaged & Fallen Tree Removal → Fallen trees, split trunks, hanging limbs, and trees on roofs, fences, or driveways after North Bay winter storms.
- Tree Trimming & Pruning → Crown thinning, deadwood removal, structural pruning, and clearance pruning for oaks, redwoods, and ornamentals.
- Stump Grinding & Removal → Grinding stumps and surface roots below grade so you can replant, lay lawn, or build, plus full stump removal where needed.
- Arborist Reports & Tree Permits → Arborist reports for city and county tree removal permits, protected and heritage trees, and construction near trees.
- Defensible Space & Fire Clearance → Limbing up, juniper and brush removal, dead tree removal, and chipping for Marin evaluations and Sonoma inspections.
- Oak Tree Removal & Sudden Oak Death → Dead and dying coast live oaks, tanoaks, and valley oaks, including Sudden Oak Death losses and protected-oak permits.
- Eucalyptus Tree Removal → Taking down tall, brittle blue gum eucalyptus near homes, roads, and fire zones, and dealing with regrowth.
- Redwood Tree Removal & Trimming → Redwoods crowding foundations, driveways, and sewer lines, thinning redwood groves, and removals where a permit allows.
- Crane Tree Removal → Crane-assisted removals for big trees over houses, on steep hillside lots, and anywhere there is no room to drop or rig.
- Dead & Hazardous Tree Removal → Dead, dying, cracked, and leaning trees that threaten the house, the street, or the neighbors, with the paperwork hazard removals need.
- Roof Clearance & Limb Removal → Lifting limbs off roofs, gutters, chimneys, and decks for fire clearance, insurance letters, and plain peace of mind.
- Tree Risk Assessment → A qualified look at a leaning, cracked, or hollow tree before a storm decides for you, with a written recommendation.
- Lot Clearing & Brush Chipping → Clearing overgrown lots, thinning small trees and brush, and chipping or hauling the debris for building, fire safety, or sale.
- Fruit Tree & Olive Pruning → Dormant and summer pruning for backyard orchards, old olives, and heritage fruit trees on wine country properties.
- Palm Tree Trimming & Removal → Skinning and trimming tall palms, removing dead fronds and seed pods, and taking out palms that have outgrown the lot.
- Tree Cabling & Bracing → Support systems for split trunks and heavy limbs on trees worth keeping, installed and inspected to industry standards.
- Insurance-Required Tree Removal → Clearing trees and limbs an insurer has flagged before a policy renewal or non-renewal deadline, with documentation.
- View Pruning → Opening up bay, hill, and valley views with selective thinning and reduction that keeps the tree healthy and the neighbors on side.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an arborist report to remove a tree?
Only for some trees in some places. If the tree is protected or heritage-sized under your city or county ordinance, the permit application may ask for an arborist report, and some jurisdictions, such as Larkspur, require one for heritage trees unless it is waived. For an unprotected tree, you usually do not need one, though a report can still help with a neighbor, an insurer, or a home sale.
Will an arborist report get my permit approved?
No one can promise that. The city or county decides. A clear, honest report that documents the tree's condition, the reasons for removal, and any replacement planting gives the reviewer what they need to make a decision, but approval is never guaranteed.
What is the difference between an ISA Certified Arborist and a licensed tree contractor?
ISA Certified Arborist is a voluntary professional credential from the International Society of Arboriculture, earned through experience, an exam, and continuing education. A CSLB license is the state contractor license needed to do tree work for pay. Many reports are written by certified arborists; the removal itself is done by a licensed contractor. Some firms have both.
What is TRAQ?
TRAQ is the ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification, a separate ISA credential for arborists trained in a standardized method of assessing tree risk. If your report is about whether a tree is hazardous, ask whether the assessor holds it.
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