Top-rated arborists.

Get matched with top arborists in Santa Barbara, CA

Enter your zip and get matched with up to 5 pros

Need a pro for your arboricultural service project in Santa Barbara, CA?

Select your specific project to find the pro for you.

TRUSTED BY SANTA BARBARA, CA HOMEOWNERS

  • Average homeowner rating star icon4.8
    Average homeowner rating
  • Verified reviews icon295
    Verified arboricultural services reviews

Find Arborists in Santa Barbara

Aldo's Tree Service, LLC
4.7(
60
)
Tree TrimmingTree Stump - RemoveTree Removal+3 more

Serving Santa Barbara, CA and surrounding areas

Approved

In business since 1995

Free estimates

Customers say: Quick response

"Manuel is so focused on what the client wants and has an expert eye for aesthetic tree trimming. I had four unruly, giant Juniper trees that had never been trimmed, and now they are beautiful. The crew came right on time and cleaned up the yard well before they left. Fairly priced, responsible and professional!"
Response time1 day
13 neighbors recently requested a quote
Recommended by96%of homeowners
Avatar for Shofar Landscape Contracting
Shofar Landscape Contracting
5.0(
13
)
Tree TrimmingTree RemovalTree Removal - For Business+3 more

Serving Santa Barbara, CA and surrounding areas

Approved

In business since 2018

Free estimates

Small jobs welcome

"Shofar was wonderful to work with; they repaired our patio slab. Removed /tore up damaged concrete, tore out the tree roots which had caused the problem. and then laid a new slab. They were so professional, timely, efficient, and communicative! I highly recommend this company!!!!"
Response time1 day
Response rate87%
10 neighbors recently requested a quote
...
Showing 1-10 of 66
Arborists questions, answered by experts

Although the terms tree trimming and tree pruning are used interchangeably, they are very different types of tree maintenance. Tree trimming involves enhancing the appearance of your tree by removing unruly branches, providing your tree with ample sunlight and nutrients and prevents unsightly overgrowth. 

Tree pruning helps keep your trees disease-free. This process removes unhealthy growths, dead branches, and other unhealthy parts of the tree. It’s more common for deciduous and ornamental trees but not so common for evergreen trees. To determine which method you need, discuss it with a tree trimming specialist.

You can never truly stop a maple tree from growing taller, but you can rein in its growth by pruning. Proper pruning helps maintain a safe size for your tree without causing permanent damage. It’s important to start pruning a tree while it’s young, long before it becomes a problem. Otherwise, you may be left with too many hazardous branches to remove at once.

Homeowners are usually not responsible for trees that fall on power lines. Power companies usually have utility easements around power lines, which give them the responsibility to maintain any trees within about 15 to 20 feet of the lines.

Generally, you’ll want to prune back the trunk by 1 to 2 feet each year to promote bushy growth. Doing so concentrates vegetative buds closer to the bottom of the tree, where you can easily harvest fruit. For side shoots that are a year old, leave at least six leaves. 

Never remove more than 30% of a tree’s foliage during pruning—even if your tree is really overgrown. Removing this much foliage at a time could kill your tree.

You can use a chainsaw, but it won’t remove the entire stump or root ball and is not a recommended method. It takes quite a bit of physical work to achieve and will likely dull or ruin your chainsaw. Instead, consider using salt, herbicide, light deprivation, boiling water, stump grinding, or burning to kill a tree stump. These methods allow you to kill a stump using minimal machinery and physical exertion.

The Santa Barbara, CA homeowners’ guide to arboricultural services

From average costs to expert advice, get all the answers you need to get your job done.