Tree Service in Summerland, CA
Small hillside lots, eucalyptus groves and monarch roosts shape tree service in Summerland. We trim and remove trees here with the county's habitat rules in view, so the groves and roosts shape every job.
Tree care in Summerland
A spiritualist camp, the first offshore oil well and monarch groves
In Summerland, trimming near the mapped monarch groves needs County review, and most of the town lies in the Coastal Zone. Spiritualist H.L. Williams founded the town in 1883, and in 1888 it was cut into 25-by-50-foot lots for tents on a steep slope. The world's first offshore oil well was developed off Summerland in July 1898. The community plan, adopted in 2014, protects eucalyptus groves where monarch butterflies spend the winter, along with oaks and creek banks. It also names hillsides near Whitney and Greenwell Avenues as high fire hazard areas.
In Summerland, a eucalyptus can be home to monarchs, so ask before you cut.
Who governs tree work in Summerland
County of Santa Barbara (unincorporated)
Summerland is unincorporated, so tree work follows County of Santa Barbara rules. In the Coastal Zone, removing a tree that is 6 inches or more in diameter (measured 4 feet above the ground) and 6 feet or taller needs a Coastal Development Permit if it is an oak, stands in a County street right-of-way, is within 50 feet of a stream (unless removed for agriculture), or is used by Monarch butterflies (Coastal Zoning Ordinance §35-140). The permit is only issued if the tree is dead, blocks an approved project that can't be redesigned, is diseased and threatens nearby healthy trees, or is an imminent danger to people or property. Rules change. Confirm current requirements with the jurisdiction before work begins — filing a permit is the property owner's responsibility, not ours.
Source: Section 35-140, Tree Removal | Santa Barbara County Coastal Zoning Ordinance
What we do here
Summerland rope-down removals, bluff-top palms and fire-zone care
Supreme Tree Experts takes down trees in pieces and skins bluff-top palms on Summerland's steep, close-set lots. Owners with a eucalyptus close to a monarch roost begin with a check from Supreme Tree Experts.
Tree Removal
Tree removal here happens on small, steep lots where houses sit close together. Many lots here trace back to 1888, when the slope was cut into 25-by-50-foot parcels. Limbs come down on ropes, so nothing lands on a neighbor's roof.
Tree Trimming & Pruning
Our crews thin and shape trees across town, with extra care near the monarch groves. Trimming within 50 feet of the Via Real and Lambert Road habitat needs County review. A biologist oversees the approved plan, and away from the groves we work on your schedule.
Stump Grinding & Stump Removal
After a removal, the stump gets ground below the soil so a new tree can go in. The community plan asks that specimen trees be kept where feasible and new trees planted. A clean grind makes that replanting simple.
Palm Tree Trimming & Skinning
Palms on sloped lots get their old fronds, stalks and trunk husk taken off from our lift truck. The town rises from the beach up a steep slope, so many palms stand above a drop. We lower the debris with care and chip it at the street.
Emergency Tree Service
Call us 24/7 when a limb falls on a steep Summerland lot. Homes sit close here, so one falling limb can reach a neighbor's roof too. We secure both sides and clear the slope from the street.
Tree Maintenance
We keep hillside trees healthy with yearly visits that clear deadwood and keep crowns spaced. Slopes around Whitney and Greenwell Avenues are named high fire hazard areas. Lots there get dead wood out and crowns thinned first.
Tree Height Reduction
Reduction cuts lower tall trees on the bluffs and keep the natural form. Most of Summerland lies in the Coastal Zone, where removing an oak can need a Coastal Development Permit. Reducing the crown often keeps the tree and the view.
Estate Tree Care
Properties with mixed stands of tall trees get a care schedule from our crew. East of Ortega Ridge Road stands a woodland of eucalyptus, oak, cypress and pine. Each species gets its own timing each year.
Tree Shaping & Shrub Shearing
Our crews shape shrubs and keep hedges cut back from the road edge and drive. Narrow streets, steep slopes and close-set wooden homes make firefighting hard. Hedges kept trim help keep a way open for fire trucks.
Landscaping
We design yards with drought-tolerant and native plants, as the community plan asks for new designs. It bars invasive species near sensitive habitat such as the monarch groves and creek banks. We choose plants that fit the steep, dry slopes.
Hardscape
We build patios, walls and steps for steep lots, timed around the monarchs. Building work within 200 feet of a known roost is barred from November 1 to April 1. We book any nearby job for the open months.
What Summerland owners near roosts and steep streets get from 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 checks whether your trees sit near a mapped butterfly roost or a creek before anything is priced.
Licensed, Bonded & Insured
Work near monarch groves and creeks gets County attention. We work under CSLB license #1002853, covering C-61/D-49 tree service and C-27 landscaping; we are bonded and every worker is insured.
Southern California Since 1985
Summerland began in 1883 as a spiritualist town. Our family business began about a century later, in 1985, and the family still runs it.
Our Own Equipment
Steep, narrow streets limit where big trucks can park. Our own 75-foot boom trucks reach far from the curb, and our chippers keep brush off the road.
From your first call in Summerland to the final clean-up
- 01.
Roost and creek check
Our arborist notes any eucalyptus or cypress near a known roost, and any creek bank on the lot.
- Habitat flagged
- Free quote given
- 02.
Timed around monarchs
The plan bars building work within 200 feet of a roost from November 1 to April 1, and trimming near the Via Real and Lambert Road groves needs County approval. The owner gets any approval, and we time the job around both.
- Roost season noted
- Owner gets County OK
- 03.
Down the slope
On steep lots, limbs come down on ropes and the brush is chipped at the street.
- Roped lowering
- Street kept clear
Reviews to read before you book in Summerland
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 Summerland: 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 Summerland.
“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
Questions worth asking before you book in Summerland
The 6 worth settling before tree work starts in Summerland. If yours is not here, call 877-787-7363 and ask.
Only with County approval. Summerland's plan says trimming or clearing within 50 feet of the monarch habitat by Via Real and Lambert Road, or along creek habitat, needs County review. The approved trimming plan must be supervised by a qualified biologist.
Building work within 200 feet is barred from November 1 to April 1. The rule covers construction, grading and development near known or historic roosts. Known roosts include eucalyptus on Lambert Road, eucalyptus near Via Real and Padaro Lane, and a small cypress grove in the 300 block of Ortega Ridge Road.
Possibly, if it is rare, historic, scenic or a key roost. The plan asks that specimen trees be kept where feasible and that new trees be planted. It notes that non-native trees under 25 inches across at chest height usually do not qualify. The County's coastal rules protect oaks too.
The hillsides around Whitney and Greenwell Avenues. The plan names brush and grass near the 2500 block of Whitney Avenue, the north slope of Whitney and the south slope of Greenwell as fire hazard areas. It also warns that narrow streets, steep slopes and close-set wooden homes make firefighting hard.
Yes — $600 for tree services, wherever the job is. Here, price turns on slope, how close the truck can park on a narrow street, and whether habitat rules shape the job.
Yes, 24/7. Homes sit close on steep lots here, so one falling limb can reach a neighbor's roof too. Call 877-787-7363.
Where Summerland sits
Summerland rises from the beach up a steep slope, with the freeway running through the middle of town.
- ZIP code
- 93067