Tree Services in Boulder Creek

The short version

• Four tree services are based right here in Boulder Creek: Christianson Tree Experts, Stellar Tree Care, Sunderland Tree Service, and Travis Tree Professionals.
• Some removals need county sign-off. Check the rules before you assume a tree can come down at all.
• In California, tree work over $1,000 is licensed contracting under the C-49 Tree and Palm classification, and tree contractors must carry workers' comp insurance even as one-person crews.
• Verify license and insurance before you sign, and ask the insurer to send liability and workers' comp certificates directly.
• For a 24-hour emergency, Travis Tree Professionals advertises round-the-clock response. Even then, slow down on the paperwork before you commit.

A redwood that starts leaning the wrong way after a winter storm isn't a problem you want to solve by grabbing the first name off a search page. Tree work is the most consequential home service up here, and the wrong crew, or the wrong call on a redwood, is an expensive mistake. The good news is that four tree services are based right here in town, which is a real advantage. Here's who works locally and what they say they do, grouped so you can start calling for bids.

Before you sign anything, read our companion guide on the questions to ask before anyone touches a redwood. It covers permits, licensing, and insurance in detail, and all of it applies to every company on this page.

One thing drives most tree work in these mountains, and that's fire. Clearing trees isn't the same as creating defensible space, and some removals need a permit. Our Residents page points to the Santa Cruz County tree protection and removal rules, which can require county sign-off depending on your parcel's overlays, creeks, and habitat. Start there before you assume a tree can come down at all.

Christianson Tree Experts (Boulder Creek)

Address: 13041 Pine Street, Boulder Creek. Phone: 831-338-6984. Website: christiansontreeexperts.com.

Christianson is a Boulder Creek tree-care company, and one of the few on this list with a listed street address in town rather than a service-only operation. Its own description covers pruning, removal, hazard assessment, cabling, and emergency services, a full range for storm-country work. The hazard assessment and cabling are worth a second look, because they point to keeping trees standing safely, not only felling them.

Stellar Tree Care (Boulder Creek)

Phone: 831-227-5414. Website: stellartreecare.com. Service area: Boulder Creek and the Santa Cruz Mountains. No public storefront address.

Stellar Tree Care is a Boulder Creek-based service that offers trimming, removal, firebreaks, and property-safety work. The firebreak focus speaks directly to defensible-space planning around a mountain home. Like several local tree outfits, it works from the field rather than a storefront, so contact runs through its site or by phone.

Sunderland Tree Service (Boulder Creek)

Phone: 831-338-2197. Website: sunderlandtree.com. Service area: Boulder Creek and the Santa Cruz Mountains. No public storefront address.

Sunderland Tree Service handles removal, pruning, firebreak, and defensible-space work for Boulder Creek and the surrounding mountains. Its description names defensible space directly, so it's a reasonable call when your goal is meeting fire-safety spacing rather than clearing a lot. Ask for a zone-by-zone plan rather than a blanket "take them all down" bid.

Travis Tree Professionals (Boulder Creek)

Phone: 831-338-6361. Website: travistreeprofessionals.com. Hours: daily, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with 24-hour emergency response advertised. Service area: Boulder Creek and the San Lorenzo Valley.

Travis Tree Professionals offers pruning, removal, fire mitigation, land clearing, and emergency response, and it's the one company here that advertises a daily schedule plus round-the-clock emergency service. That kind of availability matters at 2 a.m., when a winter storm has dropped a limb across your driveway. Storm season or not, slow down on the paperwork even when the situation feels urgent, and verify before you commit.

Before You Hire Any of Them

Every company here is Boulder Creek based, which is a real plus for local knowledge of our slopes, soils, and creeks. It doesn't replace the checks, though.

In California, tree work over $1,000 is licensed contracting under the C-49 Tree and Palm classification, and tree contractors are required to carry workers' compensation insurance whether or not they have employees. Verify any company's license and workers' comp status in the state licensing lookup, and ask their insurer to send liability and workers' comp certificates directly.

Our tree-work questions guide walks through exactly how, and the Residents page links the county permit rules you may need to clear first. Being listed in our directory is a starting point, not an endorsement, so run the checks regardless of who you call.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Boulder Creek?

Sometimes, and it's parcel-specific. Santa Cruz County can require a permit depending on the Coastal Zone, riparian corridors along creeks, sensitive habitat, and tree size. Check your parcel and the county rules before cutting. Our Residents page links the county's tree protection and removal information, and our tree-work questions guide explains the thresholds. Don't rely on a contractor's verbal "no permit needed."

Will these companies handle defensible-space and fire clearing?

Several name firebreak or defensible-space work directly, including Stellar Tree Care and Sunderland Tree Service, with Travis Tree Professionals listing fire mitigation. Keep in mind that defensible space is about spacing, limbing, and fuel reduction across zones, not blanket removal, so ask any bidder for a zone-by-zone plan rather than a clear-cut quote.

How do I check that a tree company is licensed and insured?

Look up the C-49 license and workers' comp status in the state contractor license system, and ask for insurance certificates sent directly from the company's insurer. Tree contractors must carry workers' comp even as one-person operations, so verify it rather than taking a business card's word. The full step-by-step is in our tree-work questions guide.

Who do I call for an emergency, like a tree on a structure or across the road?

For a true emergency, safety comes first. If the tree is on power lines, stay clear and call PG&E; if it's blocking a public road, that's a county road matter. Among local companies, Travis Tree Professionals advertises 24-hour emergency response. Document the situation with photos before any work, and note that genuine emergencies are treated differently under the county code.

Inclusion here isn't an endorsement, only a verified place to start. See the full directory for local tree services and other trades, and send corrections or additions through the submit page so the next neighbor gets accurate information.