Home / Service areas / Pollock Pines
Tree Removal in Pollock Pines
Yes, we cover Pollock Pines. Call us now at (530) 423-3128. We'll find a local tree pro who works in tall timber and set up a visit.
Up here it's heavy timber. Tell us how tall and how close to the house when you call.
Pollock Pines lives with fire risk
Pollock Pines is a heavily wooded ridgetop town, with the American River's South Fork off to the north. It's called a very high fire hazard severity zone.
It's had close calls. The King Fire in 2014 burned 97,717 acres and destroyed 80 buildings, homes among them, near Pollock Pines. Then on August 17, 2021, the Caldor Fire brought evacuation orders here too. Pollock Pines came through that one with no building damage.
The ridge south of Highway 50 has gotten state grant money to trim back vegetation. Your own lot is still on you though.
The basics for a Pollock Pines lot
- Keep 100 feet of defensible space around the house. The county's Chapter 8.09 asks for it, and it can ask for up to 300.
- Thin out crowded pines, since crowded stands draw beetles.
- Get dead and dying pines near the house down first.
- Limb up the pines left standing, so a ground fire can't climb.
- Clear the driveway 10 feet past the edge and 15 feet up.
- Get the needles off the roof and clean the gutters.
On trimming, timing matters. Skip pruning pines between February and mid-October, the county Fire Safe Council says. That's beetle season.
Snow and elevation
Up in the Sierra Nevada, Pollock Pines sits at 3,980 feet. Snow runs anywhere from 6 inches to 6 feet a year. The weather service puts it in its 3,000 to 5,000 foot Sierra zone along Highway 50.
Six feet of snow on a dead pine is a lot of weight. Dead tops and split trunks can give way under it. That makes fall the season to take them down.
A little history
Pollock Pines was mostly a lumber town. One of the original Pony Express stations, Twelve Mile House, was here too. Today about 7,112 people live in town, going by the 2020 census. Placerville is roughly 13 miles west, down Highway 50.
For fire service, Pollock Pines is covered by the El Dorado County Fire Protection District.
What tree removal costs in Pollock Pines
Heavy timber often means tall trees and bigger jobs. HomeGuide puts trees over 80 feet at $1,200 to $2,500 and up. Angi says a crane, when one's needed, adds about $500 a day.
Got a handful of beetle pines? Do them together. HomeGuide says several trees in one visit can save 10% to 25% per tree.
Chipping the branches runs $50 to $100 in HomeGuide's guide. Or book the Fire Safe Council's free chipping, if it's your main home.
Pollock Pines questions
Is Pollock Pines in your area?
Yes. Call (530) 423-3128 and tell us your street. We'll find someone who works up here.
When can I prune my pines without drawing beetles?
Wait until after mid-October and finish before February. The Fire Safe Council calls that the safer window.
Did the Caldor Fire reach Pollock Pines?
Evacuations were ordered here on August 17, 2021. But Pollock Pines had no structural damage from that fire.
How much snow should I plan for?
Anywhere from 6 inches to 6 feet a year. That's a big range, so get dead tops down before winter. Snow can also block a driveway for days, so book fall jobs early.
Nearby towns
See Camino, Grizzly Flats and Diamond Springs. For big pines, read pine tree removal. Or see every town on our list.