Tree Service in Studio City, CA
Sycamores from the 1920s shade the flats, and steep lots climb toward Mulholland Drive. Up and down that slope, tree service in Studio City means trimming and removing trees on very different ground.
Tree care in Studio City
A studio town with 1920s sycamores
Studio City's best-known trees are the sycamores on Cantura Street, planted when the area was first built in the 1920s. By 2014 they stood about 100 feet tall. At least five had been cut to fit wider driveways, and 105 of the originals were left. That October, the City Council voted to start making them a Historic-Cultural Monument. The name itself comes from 1927, when Mack Sennett began a studio on 20 acres here. South of the flats, Wilacre and Fryman Canyon parks hold about 250 acres of wild hillside.
A wider driveway is poured in a day. A 100-foot sycamore takes a lifetime.
Who governs tree work in Studio City
City of Los Angeles
Studio City has no tree ordinance of its own — it is governed by the City of Los Angeles, and that jurisdiction's rules apply here. No pruning permits shall be issued for Historic-Cultural Monument street trees without written approval of Urban Forestry Division management. All tree planting requires a no-fee plant permit that is issued by the Bureau’s UFD. Additionally, UFD upholds protection of Oak trees and other native tree and shrub species protected by the City of Los Angeles’ Protected Tree and Shrub Ordinance. Rules change. Confirm current requirements with the jurisdiction before work begins — filing a permit is the property owner's responsibility, not ours.
The list
Care for Studio City's old sycamores: pruning, lowering, stumps
Supreme Tree Experts prunes old sycamores, lowers trees below Mulholland Drive and grinds stumps in Studio City. Before a big tree goes for a wider driveway, Studio City owners get a second opinion from Supreme Tree Experts.
Tree Removal
We remove trees on the flats and on steep hillside lots, where trucks work from narrow roads. On those roads, limbs come down in small pieces. An estimate visit shows the reach and rigging each tree needs.
Tree Trimming & Pruning
Our crews prune big old sycamores lightly and on a regular cycle, rather than with heavy cuts. Sycamores planted here in the 1920s stood about 100 feet tall by 2014. Old giants like that handle small cuts best.
Stump Grinding & Stump Removal
We grind away stumps and surface roots so new drives, beds or lawns go in flat. On hillside lots, we check the slope before grinding near a retaining wall. The grindings can fill the hole or leave with us.
Palm Tree Trimming & Skinning
We trim dead fronds and skin old frond bases so palms carry less dry fuel near the house. On January 8, 2025, a house fire here spread to nearby homes and brush. Dry fronds can carry flame from yard to yard.
Emergency Tree Service
We answer 24/7 when a tree slides or snaps on the steep streets above the flats. Homes there sit over slopes, so a fallen tree can block a narrow road. We free the house and the road, then haul the wood out.
Tree Maintenance
We keep yard trees on a steady care plan, with checks for dead limbs, pests and weak forks. The local beautification group spends over $45,000 a year to trim and water its medians. Your own trees benefit from the same steady attention.
Tree Height Reduction
We lower tall trees on the slopes below Mulholland Drive that crowd views or hang over roofs. Each cut goes back to a strong side limb, so the tree keeps its form. Topping is not something we do.
Estate Tree Care
We map each tree on hillside estates, from oaks and sycamores to pines, and care for them on one plan. Many sit on steep streets near Wilacre and Fryman Canyon parks. Our 75-ft boom trucks reach from the street.
Tree Shaping & Shrub Shearing
We shear hedges and shrubs back from drives and curves so tight hillside streets keep clear sight lines. Shaping on a regular round keeps growth dense rather than tall and leggy. All clippings leave with our crew.
Landscaping
We plan yards with dry-tolerant planting, careful watering and drip lines set back from tree roots. The local beautification group plants California natives on its medians. Natives like those suit yards here and need little summer water.
Hardscape
We plan drives, walks and walls that leave room for the roots of trees you want to keep. Some of Studio City's 1920s sycamores on Cantura Street were cut to make room for wider driveways. A small change in layout can save a tree.
How we work in Studio City, before anything is cut
- 01.
Look up, then down
An arborist checks the canopy for dead limbs, then the base for rot or root damage from past paving.
- Canopy checked
- Base and roots checked
- 02.
Keep it or plan it
If the tree can stay, you get a pruning plan. If the work needs city approval, we tell you who to call.
- Keep-or-remove advice
- City contact named
- 03.
Street-side work
The crew cones off the work area, lowers limbs with ropes and hauls the wood out the same day.
- Work zone coned off
- Wood gone same day
Trusted with 100-foot sycamores: the Studio City case for our crew
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
An arborist can tell you how much life is left in an old sycamore, and what it needs to keep going.
Licensed, Bonded & Insured
Tall street and yard trees here call for a real tree license. Ours is California #1002853, with C-61/D-49 tree service and C-27 landscaping, plus a bond and insurance for each worker.
Southern California Since 1985
Studio City's oldest sycamores went in during the 1920s. Our family has been in tree care since 1985, long enough to see how trees like that age.
Our Own Equipment
Our 75-foot boom trucks reach the tops of tall sycamores and pines from the street, without climbing into weak wood.
Reviews to read before you book in Studio City
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 Studio City: 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 Studio City.
“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
Before you book in Studio City
6 questions worth having answered before you book tree work in Studio City. If yours is not here, call 877-787-7363 and ask.
The city started that process in 2014. On October 7, 2014, the City Council voted to begin naming them a Historic-Cultural Monument, after at least five were lost to wider driveway rules. If a tree you care about is on a listed street, check its status with the city before any pruning or driveway work.
It keeps up medians and small green spaces around town. The all-volunteer group runs ten projects, including road medians and the Radford Art Walk. It pays for weeding, tree trimming and irrigation repair, over $45,000 a year, and uses California native plants. Those plants are a good guide for your own yard.
A house fire on January 8, 2025 spread to nearby homes and brush. It broke out during the wildfires that hit the region that week. Hillside lots here back onto brush, so clear dead wood, dry fronds and low limbs near the house before the dry season.
Often, yes. Many homes sit on steep streets near Wilacre Park, 128 acres, and Fryman Canyon Park, 122 acres. Trucks must work from narrow roads, and limbs have to come down in small pieces. An arborist visit shows what reach and rigging your trees need.
Yes — $600 for tree services, wherever the job is. Tall sycamores on the flats and steep lots in the hills both need careful rigging, and that shapes most prices here.
Yes, 24/7. One storm can drop a limb from a 100-foot sycamore onto a roof, car or street. Call 877-787-7363.
Studio City and its surroundings
Studio City sits in the southeast corner of the San Fernando Valley, where the LA River meets a second flood channel and the hills climb to Mulholland Drive.
- ZIP code
- 91604