Sonoma-Marin Tree Service connects San Rafael homeowners with local tree service contractors for removals, pruning, and the fire-clearance work the city now requires. San Rafael is unusual in Marin because its vegetation rules apply citywide, so a flat lot in Gerstle Park can get the same notice about a juniper hedge as a ridge-top home above Sun Valley.
The common jobs here are defensible space and fire clearance, tree removal for oaks and pines that have grown too close to the house, roof clearance and limb removal, and cleanup after winter storms.
Chapter 4.12: San Rafael's citywide plant rules
San Rafael's wildfire ordinance, Chapter 4.12 of the municipal code, took vegetation standards that once applied only to wildland-urban interface parcels and made them mandatory across the city starting in April 2022. The rules call for removing four plant groups that burn hot and carry embers to the house: juniper, bamboo, acacia, and Italian cypress. Within the first 0 to 5 feet of the home, only low grass (about 3 inches) or succulents are allowed. San Rafael Fire has been issuing citations for violations.
Most of this is tree and shrub work. Mature Italian cypress columns along driveways, old juniper foundation plantings from the 1950s and 1960s, and bamboo screens along property lines often need to be cut out to the root crown, chipped, and hauled. Stumps of large cypress or acacia may need stump grinding so nothing resprouts. The city has also run a no-cost juniper and bamboo removal program with San Rafael Fire and the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority, requested with a waiver form; check the city's wildfire pages for whether it is open before you pay for small jobs.
Marin Wildfire evaluations in San Rafael
San Rafael is part of the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority, the agency created by Measure C in 2020. Local fire agencies evaluate about a third of Marin's roughly 87,000 residential parcels each year, so most homes are seen about once every three years, and each gets a Wildfire Risk Report. San Rafael Fire runs its own seasonal inspection program; in 2025 it ran from June through November.
Items that show up on reports and need a tree contractor rather than a weekend with loppers:
- Limbs over or touching the roof, and dead branches anywhere near the house
- Low branches that let a grass fire climb into the canopy, usually fixed by limbing up
- Dead trees, often oaks or pines, within striking distance of the home
- The Chapter 4.12 plants listed above, especially near walls, decks, and fences
Neighborhoods, terrain, and the trees that come with them
San Rafael's older neighborhoods, Gerstle Park, Glenwood's mid-century streets, the Dominican area with its big old oaks, bays, and redwoods, and the hills above downtown, sit under large trees planted or left standing generations ago. Terra Linda and the Lucas Valley Road corridor are 1950s and 1960s tract streets backed by open-space ridges of grass, oak, and bay. Peacock Gap and the San Pedro peninsula face the bay with eucalyptus and Monterey pine on the slopes, and Santa Venetia climbs from the marsh edge into oak woodland.
That mix means three recurring problems. Coast live oaks lose limbs or decline from Sudden Oak Death, which UC Cooperative Extension says should lead to removal when a dead oak poses fire or fall risk. Tall eucalyptus and pines fail in saturated winter soil and wind. And mature trees on steep, narrow lots often need rigging or crane tree removal because there is nowhere to drop a trunk.
Permits and paperwork
Street trees in San Rafael fall under the city's tree chapter, Chapter 11.12, which puts them under the Department of Public Works, so work on a tree in the planting strip needs city sign-off. For private trees, ask the Community Development Department before removing a large tree, especially on a lot with a recent development approval, because conditions of approval can protect specific trees. Fire-clearance work required by Chapter 4.12 is a separate question from tree permits; your contractor can tell you if an arborist letter would help.
Tree removal and trimming for pay requires a CSLB license. New licenses are issued in the C-49 Tree and Palm classification; contractors who already hold D-49 can keep working under it. Look any contractor up at cslb.ca.gov before work starts.
Have a tree on your San Rafael property you are worried about? Call (707) 634-8593, or request an estimate from a local tree service contractor.
Tree services in San Rafael
- 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 have to remove my junipers in San Rafael?
Under Chapter 4.12, juniper, bamboo, acacia, and Italian cypress are required to be removed, and the rule has applied citywide since April 2022. San Rafael Fire has issued citations for violations. If you are unsure whether a plant counts, ask San Rafael Fire or have a contractor identify it before you remove it.
My house is in Gerstle Park, not the hills. Do the wildfire rules apply to me?
Yes. The point of the 2022 change was to extend the vegetation standards that used to apply only to wildland-urban interface parcels to every property in the city, including the flatter neighborhoods.
What happens after a Marin Wildfire evaluation?
You get a Wildfire Risk Report listing what the evaluator found. Some items are recommendations and some are legally required. Tree items are usually limbs over the roof, dead branches, low limbs, and dead trees near the house. Correct required items within the timeline on your notice and keep photos or an invoice as a record.
Can a tree service remove an Italian cypress hedge in one visit?
Often, depending on how many trees there are and the access. Tall cypress columns are usually cut in sections, chipped on site, and the stumps ground so they do not leave a woody base near the house. The contractor will price removal, chipping, haul-off, and stump grinding separately or as one scope.
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