Tree Service in Ojai, CA
If you plan to cut a big oak limb in Ojai, you may need a permit first, since the city protects oaks, sycamores and heritage trees. Our tree service in Ojai trims and removes trees and tells you when the city has a say.
Tree care in Ojai
A valley town that guards its oaks
In Ojai, even pruning a big oak limb can need a city permit. The city protects oaks and sycamores 8 inches across or more, measured 4½ feet above the root crown, plus heritage trees named by the City Council. A permit is needed to remove one, cut a live limb over 4 inches, grade or trench in its drip line, or take off more than a quarter of the canopy. Ojai was called Nordhoff until 1917, the year Edward Libbey's arcade went up on the main street. In December 2017 the Thomas Fire brought evacuation orders to the whole Ojai Valley.
In Ojai, 4 inches is the line. Bigger cuts on a protected tree need the city.
The work
Light cuts under Ojai's canopy limit: oak pruning, removals and palms
Supreme Tree Experts prunes oaks lightly, removes trees and trims palms in Ojai, where the city guards 8-inch oaks. Some pruning here needs a city permit, so Ojai owners have the cuts planned by Supreme Tree Experts.
Tree Removal
We measure oaks and sycamores before any removal in Ojai, since those 8 inches across or more are protected. A multi-trunk oak counts when its two largest trunks add up to 11 inches. Taking one out requires a permit from the city.
Tree Trimming & Pruning
An ISA Certified Arborist leads our pruning here. Cutting a live limb over 4 inches across on a protected tree needs a city permit. When an ISA-certified arborist does the pruning, a certification can replace the full report.
Stump Grinding & Stump Removal
Stumps are ground well below the soil so a new oak or other tree can go back in that spot. We clear the grindings and loosen the soil. The spot is left level and ready to plant.
Palm Tree Trimming & Skinning
Palms here get their brittle fronds and seed stalks removed so they don't hang near the house as fuel. Skinning takes the old frond bases off, leaving the trunk clean. Our lift truck does the reaching.
Emergency Tree Service
Fire and wind have hit this valley hard before, and a damaged tree won't wait. When a tree comes down across your drive or roof, call us 24/7. We cut it free and clear the site.
Tree Maintenance
Scorched oaks from past fires deserve a close check before anyone cuts them. The Thomas Fire in December 2017 brought evacuation orders to the whole valley. We look for hidden damage in bark, roots and crown.
Tree Height Reduction
Height work is planned so each tree stays within the rules. Taking off more than 25 percent of a protected canopy needs a city permit. We spread reduction over time to stay under that line.
Estate Tree Care
Bigger lots can hold oaks, sycamores and other mature trees together. Listed mature trees are protected at 12 inches across, and heritage trees are named by the City Council. We care for each one on a single plan.
Tree Shaping & Shrub Shearing
Many gardens here grow in the shade of oaks and sycamores. We shape hedges and shrubs so paths and drives stay clear beneath them. Light, hand-guided cuts keep shrubs healthy and full in part shade.
Landscaping
New planting is laid out to stay outside the drip lines of big trees. Grading, trenching or filling inside a protected tree's drip line needs a city permit. We plan beds and irrigation so no digging reaches that zone.
Hardscape
Paths and patios are planned well before the first load of material arrives. Even storing building materials under the canopy of a tree the city guards needs a permit in Ojai. We stage pavers and base rock away from every drip line.
Reviews to read before you book in Ojai
Every word below was written by a customer on Google, not by us. Long reviews are shortened to fit the card — never reworded. None of them was left in Ojai: they come from customers across Southern California. Read them for how a crew behaves on a job, then decide whether that is who you want in Ojai.
“Great pricing & service. Highly competent with tricky jobs. We have used them for more than 10 years.”
Melanie Butler
Local Guide
“We got bids from five contractors. After I talked to them all and checked out their licenses and work, we decided to go with Supreme. … The job took a day and a half, and when they were done, they left the place immaculate.”
Hank Shaeffer
“Great tree trimmers! I’ve used Supreme Tree Experts twice to trim the palm trees in my yard. … The guys who come out are quick thorough, and clean. And very careful not to damage property.”
Emilie Pacheco
“These guys have worked on my property 3 times now. They are always on time and do a fantastic job. I highly recommend them!”
Ray Thompson
“After soliciting several quotes on some difficult yard work, we chose Supreme because of their licensed Arborist Temis … The crew was extremely hard working and we couldn’t believe their continuous work ethic on one of the hottest days of the year.”
Gary Brown
Local Guide
What Ojai's oak rules ask of a crew, and how Supreme Tree Experts answers
Tree work goes wrong when it is rushed or under-equipped. We run our own 75-foot boom trucks, lift trucks, chippers and stump grinders, and every crew works under an ISA Certified Arborist — so the job gets done right the first time.
We hold California license #1002853 for both landscaping and tree and palm work, we are bonded, we carry general liability and every employee is on workers’ compensation.
ISA Certified Arborist
When ISA-certified arborists do the pruning, Ojai accepts a certification in place of a full report. Ask any crew you hire to show theirs before the saw comes out.
Licensed, Bonded & Insured
Ojai's city-guarded trees call for licensed hands. We work under CSLB #1002853 (C-61/D-49 tree service, C-27 landscaping), bonded and with insurance for every worker.
Southern California Since 1985
Ojai has been a city since 1921. Our family business has been caring for trees since 1985, long enough to know old oaks need a light hand.
Our Own Equipment
Our own boom trucks reach big limbs from the drive, so the crew doesn't have to drive across a tree's drip line.
How tree work in Ojai runs, start to finish
- 01.
Name and measure
An arborist names each tree and measures it. Oaks and sycamores at 8 inches or more fall under city rules.
- Species named
- Trunks measured
- 02.
The right paperwork
For pruning by an ISA-certified arborist, a certification can stand in for a report. For removals, you apply for the city permit.
- Paperwork named
- Owner applies
- 03.
Light cuts, clear site
The crew keeps cuts under the canopy limit, chips the brush and hauls it off.
- Under 25% canopy
- Brush hauled off
Straight answers for Ojai
6 questions about tree work in Ojai, answered without the sales language. If yours is not here, call 877-787-7363 and ask.
Oaks, sycamores, heritage trees and some mature trees. An oak or sycamore counts at 8 inches across, measured 4½ feet above the root crown. A multi-trunk oak counts when its two largest trunks add up to 11 inches; for sycamores it is 10. Listed mature trees count at 12 inches.
Sometimes. On a single-family lot, you need a permit to cut live limbs over 4 inches across on an oak, sycamore or heritage tree, or to remove more than 25 percent of a protected tree's canopy. If an ISA-certified arborist does the pruning, a certification can replace the full report, and the fee is waived.
Not inside the drip line without a permit. Trenching, grading, filling, or even storing building materials under a protected tree's canopy needs city approval. Plan the dig before you plan the project, and ask the city early. City Hall is at 805-646-5581.
The whole valley was told to leave. The fire started December 4, 2017, and reached Black Mountain above Ojai the next day. The entire Ojai Valley got mandatory or voluntary evacuation orders, and the town's water system stopped working for a time. Have scorched oaks checked before anyone cuts them.
Yes — $600 for tree services, wherever the job is. In Ojai, the time spent measuring trees and keeping cuts inside the permit rules shapes most prices.
Yes, 24/7. Fire and wind have hit this valley hard before, and a damaged tree won't wait for business hours. Call 877-787-7363.
Ojai on the map
Ojai sits in the Ojai Valley in Ventura County, with the Los Padres National Forest close by.
- ZIP code
- 93023