Rock's Tree & Hillside Service

Every thing was done.

unknown

Well.

We had a tall pine tree (40feet?) that was leaning over the neighbor's house and needed to be removed. We got an estimate from another tree service first but were dissatisfied so I called Rock's - they are on the list of Pasadena certified arborists and we didn't know if the tree would be under the protection ordinance. Mary Beth one of the owners and arborist came out within two days of my call and was very helpful. She helped me determine that my tree was under the size for protection so we didn't need a permit although she recommended taking pictures in case the city questioned. She recommended removal of two other smaller sick looking eucylaptus trees and pruning of dead branches in two other pine trees. She was thorough explaining what to look for in sick trees, pointed out some areas of oak root fungus that she said we should scrape away to protect our large oak tree, and recommendations for pruning of oaks that should be done next summer. She estimated the removals and pruning separately so that we could just do the main removal and not the others items, or leave them till a later date. 7.5 hours later in the big windstorm we heard a thud and low and behold the pine tree had cracked and fallen on the neighbor's house! Fortunately, it rested on the roof without going through. I knew that the storm would mean that they would be busy so I immediately called and left a message for Mary Beth about coming to remove the tree so we would be high on the list. The following morning she called and said they were trying to get the people stuck in their houses that day and since it hadn't gone through the roof would come the following day. The next day Carlos shows up with a crew of 8-10 guys. It was only 1.5 hours till dark so I worried they wouldn't finish in time. Carlos figured out how to stabilize the tree with ropes so that it wouldn't shift and damage the roof while they were working. They striped the side branches off and then took the trunk down pieces at a time. Soon Rock the other owner showed up with another crew to make sure they finished before dark. In the end we had about 15 guys working at a feverish pace and they finished blowing and chipping just as the dusk settled into darkness:) Although it would have been great if we had time to remove the tree before the storm- I am just thankful I had made contact with such a good company that could help us out- not having to rely on just whoever we could get in an emergency. We will be relying on them for all our future pruning work. I'm sure they aren't the cheapest, but I bet lots of those cheaper tree services would have ended up damaging the roof during removal.

Overall it was a very efficient process. I called and made an appointment for an estimate. Mary Beth came out and looked at our property. We had some work that we definitely needed done, however there were a few trees that we weren't sure about and she provided excellent recommendations. She provided a quote without any sales pressure, however I was happy to go ahead and book the appointment right away. We needed to wait until our tenant moved out, hence the actual work date was booked a few weeks in advance. The crew and Carlos showed up at 9am. Rock came by a few minutes later. Everything was completed within a few hours, including a few additional items that I added during the day of the work.

They came and gave us the estimate, providing us with lots of information not only on the tree to be cut but other trees we had that were newly planted. The workers were scheduled but had not shown up by 5pm so I thought there had been a mix-up. All of a sudden, 2 trucks and 10 guys showed up and took care of the job in under 15 minutes. I couldn't believe how fast they worked and how many branches had to come down to clear up the problems. They worked fast and cleaned up after themselves.

Rock and his crew arrived around 8AM. Done before 11AM. Four trees were trimmed as I had wanted them and one was cut down. All the ivy and morning glory were removed. Looks like they were never there to begin with. Everything was cleaned up to the point that it looked like no one was ever there. Excellent job.

We have been using Rock's Tree Service every year for at least twelve years. They are certainly not the cheapest tree service in town... just the best! Both Rock and his wife, Mary Beth McKenzie are certified arborists and they know everything about trees. Their crew has been with them for many years and every one of them knows the proper way to prune a tree... any tree... and they do a great job cleaning up, as well. The extra expense, compared to others, is more than worth it... especially when you see how beautiful your trees look each and every season. No, they didn't pay us to say that! We gladly pay them!

Rock's was thoroughly professional from start to finish. Mary Beth came by to give the initial estimate- she was very patient and sweet and listened to all of my questions and concerns about the health of my trees in the backyard and gave her opinion on what needed to be done, as well as some pruning tips for the new trees i had planted, along with idea about what i could plant to replace what was being removed. i felt very comfortable with how knowledgeable she was, as well as the price i was quoted so i went ahead and set up an appointment for them to come by in a couple days to do the work. Carlos, their supervisor, and crew showed up 30 minutes early and worked like a small army of ants, quickly taking care of everything and finishing up by leaving my yard cleaner than it started. Carlos was very nice and helpful as well, giving me more ideas too on what i could do with my yard. They all worked very hard, and Mary Beth stopped by multiple times to be sure everything was going well. I was very pleased, and will definitely be using them again in the future.

I like them a lot. They're very personable. I think they are expert arborists which it important to me. Expect a bit more in cost due to their expertise but it's worth it.

So impressed, Rock is brilliant about the trees, the office is super pro, quick turn around on the estimate etc. Love this company.

I will continue to call Rocks to do my trees. They are reliable and do a good job. They want the tree to look attractive, and they want it to be healthy after they trim. When I suggested that a tree be trimmed a certain way they explained why that was not good for the tree. I think they know trees, and they have the best interests of my trees at heart.

THEY'RE PROFESSIONAL BECAUSE THEY KNOW HOW TO SHAPE TREES INSTEAD OF JUST HACKING AT THEM. THEY THIN THEM OUT. THEY SHAPE THEM SO THEY LOOK GOOD. THEY'RE THE MOST EXPENSIVE WE'VE HAD, BUT THEY'RE WORTH IT. ONE TIME I NEEDED THEM OUT AT A PARTICULAR TIME, AND THEY WERE A LITTLE SLOW ABOUT GETTING US THE ESTIMATE. WHEN I MADE A STINK, THEY JUGGLED IT AROUND AND GOT TO IT ABOUT 3 DAYS LATER.