Tree Removal in Encinitas, CA

Tree Removal in Encinitas depends a lot on which part of town you live in. The city incorporated on October 1, 1986, by joining five communities: Old Encinitas along Coast Highway 101, New Encinitas east of the coastal ridge, Leucadia with its tree-lined streets, Cardiff-by-the-Sea at the south end, and semi-rural Olivenhain in the east with its equestrian properties. A tight beach-cottage lot in Cardiff and a two-acre parcel in Olivenhain need very different plans.

City trees and city permits

Encinitas has its own Urban Forest Management Program. Trees in the public right-of-way are maintained by the city's Street Maintenance Section to International Society of Arboriculture standards, including pruning, removal of dead or diseased trees and hazard work. If you want a city tree removed or a new one planted, the city asks property owners to complete a City Tree Permit Application. Pruning requests go through the MyEncinitas app, and Public Works can be reached at 760-633-2850.

Heritage trees

Any person or agency can nominate a tree or grove as an Encinitas heritage tree, on city or private land, but only with the written consent of the property owner. If you have bought a property with a remarkable old tree, it is worth asking whether it has been designated before planning any removal. If it has not, the designation is not something that can be placed on your tree without your consent.

Near the bluffs

In northern Encinitas, coastal bluffs rise above a narrow beach and can collapse; a 2019 cliff collapse killed three people. Trees on bluff-top lots are a careful subject. Removing a tree there can take away roots that help hold soil, while a tall, heavy tree at the edge adds weight and wind leverage. In most bluff-top cases we look at reducing weight and leaving the root system in place rather than grinding stumps near the edge, and we recommend talking to the city about any work close to the bluff.

Weather

Encinitas has a mild Mediterranean climate, with average highs around 72 degrees and lows around 54, and roughly 10 to 12 inches of rain a year depending on the source. May Gray and June Gloom keep summers cool. Strong Pacific storms can bring heavy winter rain, and severe thunderstorms hit the area in the winter of 2015-2016. Saturated sandy soil plus wind is the combination that topples tall trees near the coast.

Olivenhain is its own case

Olivenhain is mostly single-family homes on larger, semi-rural lots, with horse facilities and a 4-H club. Trees there include big eucalyptus, pines and oaks near barns, arenas and long driveways. Jobs tend to be bigger and access is easier, so felling a tree whole in an open area is sometimes possible, which can save time compared with climbing and rigging.

A few typical jobs

• Removing a pine or eucalyptus that has outgrown a narrow beach lot
• Taking down a tree whose roots are lifting a driveway in New Encinitas
• Removing dead trees on Olivenhain acreage before fire season
• Grinding stumps for new landscaping or hardscape
• Reducing top-heavy trees on bluff-top lots

Request a visit

Call (760) 546-9994 or use the form. We will check whether the tree is yours or the city's, look at access and give you a written estimate. Get a free estimate