Sonoma-Marin Tree Service connects property owners with CSLB-licensed local tree service contractors who clear brush, thin small trees, and chip or haul the debris. Most lot clearing here is part fire safety, part getting a property ready for a sale or a project, and part sorting out which trees are protected.
Why people clear lots
- Fire safety. Reducing brush and ladder fuels around homes and access roads is the core of defensible space. Sonoma County enforces a hazardous vegetation ordinance on unincorporated parcels, and Marin fire agencies evaluate homes on a regular cycle.
- Before a sale. Buyers and their inspectors notice overgrown slopes, dead trees, and brush against the house.
- Before a build. Surveyors, geotechnical engineers, and builders need access, and the trees to be kept need protecting from the start.
- Reclaiming land. Old orchards, pasture going to brush, and hillsides taken over by broom or blackberry.
Tree permits on vacant and rural lots
Brush is usually not protected, but trees often are, and vacant lots can face stricter rules than developed ones:
- Unincorporated Marin requires a tree removal permit for any protected tree on a vacant lot.
- San Anselmo requires a permit for any tree 7 inches in diameter or more on an undeveloped parcel.
- Unincorporated Sonoma County (including Penngrove, Glen Ellen, and Guerneville) requires a zoning permit to remove about 30 native species, including oaks, redwood, and madrone, at 6 inches in diameter or more. Permit Sonoma says defensible-space work under PRC 4291 or County Code Chapter 13A is not subject to the ordinance, but removal should be no more than needed to comply.
For a build, flag the trees to keep before equipment arrives and ask about an arborist report if any protected trees are in the way. No one can promise a permit will be approved.
Free chipper programs
Both counties offer free chipping for fire-safety work, and it is worth using if you are doing the cutting yourself.
- Sonoma County: Permit Sonoma's Fire Prevention Division runs a free curbside chipper program for properties in unincorporated areas, aimed at defensible space around homes and access routes. You reserve a visit by county zone, and piles must meet the program rules: limbs 1 to 4 inches in diameter, cut ends facing the road, piles no more than 3 feet tall, 10 feet deep, and 50 feet long, within 10 feet of the road or driveway. No poison oak, coyote brush, leaves, or needles. Chips are blown back onto the property, not hauled away.
- Marin County: Marin Wildfire sponsors the Chipper Day program run through Fire Safe Marin, with curbside pickup, chipping, and disposal of residential vegetation. Pre-registration is required, and the program offered six chipping opportunities in 2025. Some agencies run their own: Tiburon Fire holds monthly chipper days in summer, and Southern Marin Fire takes requests year-round with at least seven days' notice.
Program rules change each season, so check the current guidelines before you stack. These programs only chip piles that meet their rules. Anything bigger, cutting the brush in the first place, and removing trees is contractor work.
Handling oak and tanoak wood
Sudden Oak Death is active in parts of both counties, and UC Cooperative Extension advises removing dead oaks and tanoaks when they pose a fire or fall risk. Before moving oak, tanoak, or bay wood and brush off a property in an infested area, check current UCCE guidance on handling material from Sudden Oak Death sites, and keep firewood local. See oak tree removal for more.
Who should do the work
Brush and weed clearing with no tree work may fall under a C-27 Landscaping license, or under California's minor-work exemption for small jobs. Once trees are cut or limbed, the contractor should hold the C-49 Tree and Palm classification from the Contractors State License Board, or an older D-49 license. Before you hire anyone, look the contractor up at cslb.ca.gov and ask for a certificate of liability insurance. Look up any license at cslb.ca.gov.
Overgrown lot or a pile of brush to deal with? Call (707) 634-8593 or request an estimate and we'll connect you with a local tree service 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
Is there a free chipper program?
Yes, in both counties, with limits. Permit Sonoma runs a free curbside chipper program for defensible-space work on properties in unincorporated Sonoma County, with reservations and strict pile rules. In Marin, Marin Wildfire sponsors Chipper Day pickups through Fire Safe Marin with pre-registration, and some fire agencies, including Tiburon Fire and Southern Marin Fire, run their own chipping. These programs chip what you pile; they do not cut trees or clear lots for you.
Do I need a permit to clear a vacant lot?
Possibly, and often more than on a developed lot. Unincorporated Marin requires a tree removal permit for any protected tree on a vacant lot, and San Anselmo requires one for any tree 7 inches in diameter or more on an undeveloped parcel. Unincorporated Sonoma County protects about 30 native species at 6 inches in diameter or more. Brush and grass are generally not covered, but check before removing trees.
How much does lot clearing cost?
It varies widely with acreage, slope, density, and how much is trees versus brush. One general cost guide quotes roughly $100 to $500 an hour for light brush and $1,500 to $6,000 or more per acre for heavier clearing. Steep North Bay lots and jobs with tree removal cost more. Get a written quote after a site visit.
What happens to the chips?
Ask before work starts. Contractors may haul everything away, leave chips on site, or spread them where you want them. Keep chips and other mulch away from the house. Wildfire guidance, including the state Safer from Wildfires framework, calls for an ember-resistant zone within 5 feet of the home with no wood chips.
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