Ontario, CA Tree Company for Removal, Pruning & Palms

Need a tree service in Ontario, CA? We remove dead and hazardous trees, prune and thin overgrown canopies, trim palm fronds and seed pods, grind stumps, clear brush from lots and help clean up after Santa Ana wind damage across Ontario and the nearby Inland Empire cities. Street trees in the parkway belong to the City of Ontario and need Public Works approval before anyone removes them, so we check that first. Call (909) 479-2614 or send the estimate form, and we will talk through the tree, the access and the options before anything is scheduled.

Tree work we handle in Ontario

Most calls start with one problem tree and turn into a short list: a dead limb over the driveway, a fan palm full of brown fronds, a stump left from an old removal. We quote those together so the crew and the chipper only come out once. Here is what we do:

• Tree removal: dead, leaning, split and overgrown trees taken down in sections, with the wood and brush hauled away.
• Tree trimming and pruning: crown thinning, crown reduction, deadwood removal and clearance pruning over roofs, driveways and walls.
• Stump grinding: stumps and surface roots ground below grade so you can plant, lay sod or pour a slab.
• Emergency tree service: trees and limbs down on roofs, fences and cars after wind or storm. Call for storm damage and we will tell you how soon a crew can get there.
• Palm tree trimming: dead fronds, seed pods and trunk skinning on Mexican fan palms and date palms, plus palm removal.
• Land and lot clearing: trees, brush and stumps cleared from vacant lots, back corners and overgrown yards.
• Defensible space tree work: fire-safe pruning, ladder-fuel removal and spacing cuts around homes, using the CAL FIRE zone approach.
• Tree health assessment: an on-site look at decay, pests, lean and drought stress before you decide to keep or remove a tree.

Trees that grow in Ontario, and what goes wrong with them

Ontario's older neighborhoods carry the city's history in their trees. The median of Euclid Avenue, part of the Euclid Avenue Historic District, is lined with California pepper trees and other mature plantings that set the look of downtown. Around the Grove Avenue and College Park areas you still find big eucalyptus, Aleppo and Canary Island pines, ficus and old citrus or olive trees left from the city's farming days. Newer Ontario Ranch tracts are planted with younger street trees, crape myrtles, jacarandas and palms that grow fast in the heat.

Santa Ana winds, heat and drought

The biggest tree risk in Ontario is wind. Santa Ana wind events usually come between fall and early spring, when dry northeast winds pour down through the Cajon Pass and across the valley floor. The National Weather Service in San Diego issues wind advisories and high-wind warnings for the Inland Empire when gusts are expected, and those are the nights trees come down.

Wind exposes the weak points in a tree: dead limbs, co-dominant stems with a crack between them, a canopy so dense it acts like a sail, or roots damaged by trenching. Thinning the crown before the season lets wind pass through. Removing deadwood takes away the pieces most likely to fall. Long summers of heat add drought stress, which invites borers and bark beetles. The UC Integrated Pest Management program is a good source if you want to read about the pests and diseases we see on local trees.

Street trees and city rules in Ontario

Who owns a tree decides who can cut it. Trees in the parkway, the strip between the sidewalk and the curb, are City trees. Ontario's municipal code says no person may remove or relocate a parkway tree without prior authorization from the Public Works Agency, and removal is limited to reasons such as a safety hazard, a sight-distance hazard at an intersection, or a tree that is dead or diseased beyond correction. Homeowners are expected to keep parkway trees trimmed to about eight feet of clearance over the sidewalk, while the City handles major pruning. In HOA communities, the association usually maintains the parkway.

If a parkway tree is the problem, contact Ontario Parks and Streets Maintenance at (909) 395-2600 first. For trees on private property, rules can depend on your lot, any HOA covenants and any conditions on a recent project, so check with the City of Ontario before removing a large tree. We will point you to the right office and never cut a tree that needs approval until it is in hand.

Power lines are SCE's job first

Any tree within 10 feet of an overhead power line is work for a line-clearance crew, not a homeowner or a general tree crew. Southern California Edison asks property owners to notify it before anyone prunes or removes a tree near its lines, and it runs a make-safe program at no cost to the owner that clears the tree back from the wire so other crews can finish the job. Call SCE at 1-800-611-1911 before we schedule work near lines. Our guide to trees near power lines walks through the steps, and the tree care blog covers tree removal costs and Santa Ana wind prep.

How a job works with us

Here is how a job runs:

• Call or send the form. Tell us the tree and the problem.
• Site visit. We check the species, condition, access and nearby lines.
• Written estimate. The quote lists the trees, the work on each, how the wood and brush are handled, stump grinding if you want it, and any approvals you need from the City or your HOA.
• Work day. We protect what is underneath, rig limbs down and clean up.

Areas we serve around Ontario

We work across Ontario, including Downtown Ontario, the Euclid Avenue corridor, Park Center, Creekside and Ontario Ranch, and in the nearby cities of the west Inland Empire and Pomona Valley. Each city has its own street-tree and tree-preservation rules, and our city pages cover them. In Ontario you will see our crews near landmarks like Cucamonga-Guasti Regional Park, Toyota Arena and Ontario Mills.

• Tree service in Rancho Cucamonga, where heritage trees on private lots need a city permit to remove.
• Tree service in Upland, where only the City and its contractor work on street trees.
• Tree service in Chino, Chino Hills and Pomona, plus Montclair, Fontana, Claremont, Eastvale, Jurupa Valley, Rialto and La Verne on our service areas page.

Get an estimate

Tell us what is going on with your trees, and we will tell you honestly whether it needs pruning, a closer look or removal. Call (909) 479-2614 or use our contact page. Read about us and the FAQs.