The guys did a good job and I was happy with the work - but damn tree removal is expensive. A sign of the times I guess

Everyone followed COVID guidelines and they were all super helpful and professional. Excellent customer service

DOG - I see someone complained that a gate was left open and a dog got out. I thinks its the dog owners responsibility to inform them in advance or secure your pet for the day. We did. Our dog was happy to let them do their work. They did a great job. Removed a two large fruit trees, major pruning of a very large black oak and fine trimming of another. Planning to use them again this year. We will be ready with payment when they finish. read more

Ponderosa was a pleasure to work with. We called and made an appointment for a consultation and we worked with Craig who came to evaluate the work that we wanted done. He was courteous, knowledgeable and professional. There were about 5 guys that came out to do the work, Craig also came out to go over the work to be done. The guys were quick and precise. They made sure we were happy with their work before they left and to boot? They cleaned up all the debris in our yard and our neighbors yard! We had about 12 trees chopped down ranging from small to large and we have a beautiful gigantic Oak Tree. Berkeley has strict rules about Oak Trees and they made sure to stay compliant. We actually hired them to do work for us twice because after their first job, we decided we wanted more trees cut down to add more sunlight to our yard and Craig made awesome suggestions. We now have tons of blue sky! read more

They were absolutely amazing. There was a cancellation so we were squeezed in within just a few days of our estimate. The crew was a well oiled machine and finished the removal of one tree and the trimming of two others in no time flat. They cleaned up the yard great as well. Finally, it was all done a reasonable price. I would definitely use them again. read more

The estimator, Craig, was efficient. The estimate was clearly itemized and reasonable. The scheduling was easy. Craig and the crew showed up on time on the day of the tree trimming and tree removal. We reviewed the job with the crew before they started. The crew was professional and thorough. They cleaned up the site at the end of the day. Our home is straddled between two streets and we have a steep hillside. The crew had the wood chipper on the larger street and hauled the trimmings and trees to the lower street. Ponderosa performed the job safely and professionally. My parents and I would hire them again. read more

Super prompt communication and thorough work! They did a great job thinning our large oak trees and removing another privet tree we needed to take out. The yard was left cleaner than when they arrived. read more

I called Ponderosa Tree service to remove a large dead tree from out back yard and to trim the Deadara Cedar tree in the front of the house. The crew arrived on time and did a thorough and professional job on both trees. They cleaned up after they finished. I quite happy with the results. read more

A neighboring landlord contracted them. As far as the trees, they did a good job. But the truck they used left a trail of black oil all over the parking lot on our side and the mutual driveway (on the way out only). They had put a tarp and plywood under the truck when it was parked in the neighbor's parking lot, so they knew about the leak. read more

We live in a stable neighborhood. Traditionally, the only way to buy a house here is to wait until it is being sold in an estate sale. People move in as thirty year olds, plant trees, raise families, and pass on to the Great Reward. That's our trajectory in this verdant hillside community. "Plant trees." Which grow, and grow and take up the whole yard. And (sometimes) make the neighbors mad even though you just bought the house two years ago and had nothing to do with planting the tree in the first place. Hence, the abundance of excellent tree services. i could provide you with a list of fine companies. I could tell you to check to see if they are licensed, bonded and insured. Most of them are; you definitely want the one you choose to have all of these features. (Lawsuits, my dearest. Lawsuits when The Whatjamacallit Weeds &Seeds Company sends a branch flying onto what once was your neighbors pergola. Or sauna.) And yes, this house is 65 years old. Only two families have occupied it. We needed some of our trees trimmed. A few cut down, a few just shaped. After reading a lot of reviews, Mister Frugal settled on Ponderosa Tree Service. Liked their reviews, liked the license/bonded/insured part. Liked Michael-The-Estimator both as a conscientious person and because his price quote was reasonable. Mind you, I said "reasonable"...not "cheap." No corners to cut, all on the up-and-up. Ponderosa got the job. And we were more than pleased with the crew's work. Took out a front tree and a side tree that had been leaning on the house. Trimmed an apple tree. Cautioned us that there was a good-sized crack in the large Aleppo located in the back yard. Scheduled an appointment to work on the Aleppo almost immediately, even though they were in the middle of a busy season. Marvelous folks, respectful, efficient, clean. A strong recommendation. We'd hire them again. And will. Soon. read more

So I'm a General Contractor, and needed some trees removed, six in total, one close to the house and two that were growing through the PG&E lines from a job site that I was building a retaining wall at. I'd used Sequoia Tree Service in the past, but didn't want to entertain that idea again for many reasons. Did a search here on Yelp, and decided to call both Garcia's Tree Service and Ponderosa. The guy I talked with from Garcia's was very nice on the phone, and agreed to meet me a couple days later which was great. The Ponderosa rep on the phone was also professional, but they couldn't get out there to take a look and give me a bid for more than a week, which was a bummer. The day I was to meet Garcia's on site (a noon appointment), he was a no-show. Finally called him on his cell at 12:20 or so and his response was "Oh, sh*t! I totally forgot!" and we agreed to meet again later that same day. It was pretty inconvenient for me as I coach soccer in the afternoons, but agreed only because he promised to give me a great price to make up for flaking earlier. He came out at the end of the day, took less than two minutes looking at the trees, and said "Nine grand. Three days." Ok. So I just wasted an hour in the middle of my day, and also missed a soccer practice for you to look at the trees for two minutes?! I asked him to write it up in a formal proposal, as well as forwarding me his Worker's Comp and Liability insurance info and he said he'd have it to me the next day. Well, that didn't happen, and a couple days later I followed up over the phone. He made some excuse about being busy, his internet not working, and there being a problem getting proof of insurance documents because he switched carriers. As a contractor who deals with worker's comp and liability insurance companies all the time, I knew that was bull. I checked with the Contractor's State License Board, and the only company named "Garcia's Tree Service" is an outfit out of Pasadena which has a suspended license. So here is the good part! - I wasn't able to meet the Ponderosa rep on site (who I was told is a licensed arborist), because of a scheduling conflict, but he called me while he was on site with a couple of questions while he was there. We easily talked through the project on the phone in a couple of minutes, and the next day I received their proposal via email. Cost? $5,800.00 for the same work. HIRED! Unfortunately, yet again they were booked for another two weeks (another bummer), but the day before they were to start, one of their guys showed up with some barricades and signs. Next day, first thing in the morning (I got there at 7:30 and about 8 guys were already set up and ready to roll), I met the Foreman on site, Jhonny, we confirmed the scope of work, and BOOM, by the end of the day they were done. Trees gone, great clean-up, no missing pieces. Doesn't need saying, but these guys are my go-to from now on. I understand that they are busy (rightfully so), so if you call them, you need to have the expectation that they aren't going to show up the next day, but I would say they are definitely worth the wait, from both a professional and financial standpoint. Tyson Schroeder, President Redux Construction + Development redux-construction.com read more

Update to review: Though the canopies could not be lowered (and the trees could not be completely shaped) due to staying away from power lines, the pruning that was done was done well and it does look better. read more

I have lots of trees around the house. In fact, some tower over 30 feet. Well the Oakland Fire dept issued an inspection notice requiring vegetation removal/ trim. I checked my Yelp app for tree cutters and Ponderosa popped up with all 5 star reviews. I had to investigate. One phone call later, Craig met me promptly and provided a reasonable quotation. Only days later, the work was performed to my satisfaction. I asked if I could pay ion cash, and Michael dropped by my house (how convenient) and accepted my payment. I asked the office to provide a receipt, which was emailed promptly. All in all, a great experience. Call them for your tree needs. I'm satisfied. read more

Worth every dollar - total pros! I tried contacting a number of arborists for quotes to prune four trees and never heard back. Ponderosa's crew showed up when scheduled, they came prepared with clear instructions and a solid understanding of what we needed done, they did a beautiful job pruning and shaping all four trees, and they did a thorough job cleaning up afterward. Ponderosa's customer service was top notch from beginning to end: they responded to our request for a bid within 24 hours, their email communications were clear and prompt, and their foreman walked through with us before starting and after finishing the work, and made some final touches based on our input. read more

I was very pleased with experience I had dealing with Ponderosa Tree Service. Based on Yelp reviews, I called for an estimate, they showed up the next morning and did the estimate, then did the work that week.They trimmed back one huge Weeping willow, removed a large Redwood tree, and "stumped it", and trimmed another huge Redwood tree, also they trimmed some overgrown Ivy..all for a VERY reasonable price. They showed up on schedule with a full crew, and were in and out fast, leaving the whole place clean as a whistle..didn't even ask for a check..when I asked to pay they just said " we know where you live". I received an invoice in the mail a few days later which was actually for a little less than we had agreed on. An excellent company to do buisiness with...I highly recommend. read more

Huge disappointment with disastrous results costing us thousands of dollars. Ponderosa advertises "specializes in removal of large trees in delicate surroundings." Not the case with our Pine tree removal. Ponderosa destroyed our ground cover, plants, butchered our Oak tree, broke branches and left them hanging. We are still cleaning up Ponderosa's mess. When Perry finally showed up at the end of the tree removal he whined he was unable to sleep, worrying about the difficulty (which he said was a 10 out of 10 difficulty) so why didn't he show up to supervise? Never again. read more

Mike Veneziano came by for a *free* assessment of the trees in our yard. He even stopped by some of our neighbors' homes who also had some tree concerns. Some reasons he did a great job: 1) Punctual. Showed up exactly at the appointment time. 2) He spent a lot of time with us and was very thorough and honest in his assessments. 3) He is not "alarmist", which is what I was initially expecting. He told us that all the trees in our yard were definitely fine for now, and required no immediate action. 4) He spotted a few dangerous trees in our neighbors' yards (which could affect us) and advised us on the proper course of action to handle it. I absolutely recommend Mike to anyone due to his deep knowledge, honesty, lack of "alarmist" nature, and punctuality. read more

There are 4 cherry blossoms trees in our yard, 2 in the front and 2 in the back. The 2 in the back look in a very bad shape comparing to the front. Some people said that maybe pruning can give them a lift, that's when I made an appointment with Ponderosa. Michael, the owner, showed up on time, and he quickly diagnosed it's irrigating problem and gave out some suggestions and names that he thinks can help us with the situation. He is full of knowledge and so professional. To the end, he didn't really think that the company can offer the help we need, and by kindly thought about our problem and financial benefit, he provided all the resources he has to fulfill my need. I just can't thank him enough for all the help he provided. It's a big relief to know there is a solution to save our beloved trees. Thanks! Michael! read more

We can't speak highly enough of Ponderosa Tree Service. Every aspect of their business is top notch. The arborists will come out at no charge to inspect the trees on your property for safety, disease and/or beatification, and provide a detailed proposal of recommendations and cost. Scheduling the work through the office is simple and easy. On the day work is performed, the arborist shows up with the crew to make sure all expectations are clear and answer any questions. The crews are fantastic. They are skilled and work hard, careful not to cause any damage to surrounding property or plants and go out of their way to clean up every last bit of debris, including any that fell into our neighbors yard. I've also used Ponderosa to remove trees and find that their prices are competitive and the service excellent, read more

Top notch work. Trimmed and shaped 3 trees. 1 Giant Japanese Maple 2. Japanese Black Pine 3. Tulip Tree It's important that the arborist listens to what you want. A detailed, descriptive on-site discussion really helps build an understanding. I felt like I achieved that with Michael. Unfortunately, he wasn't the foreman for the job and I had to explain it all over again. minus 1/2 point for that. The results were great. Better than the previous arborist and 100x better than my own efforts. I learned a lot in the process. Thankfully I didn't do anything wrong. They work fast and clean and you might think that you paid too much, but really for this level of work, I think it was worth it. read more

We recently used Ponderosa to trim our neighbor's trees in the El Cerrito hills to improve our view. While this wasn't a large-scale project, it required a lot of careful attention as the trees we located on one neighbor's property and the branches and leaves would fall on a different neighbor. Ponderosa did an excellent job! It was easy to make an appointment and they cut the trees to just the right height were my view was maximized but the neighbor's trees weren't killed. Everybody's yard was cleaned and all of my neighbor's were happy. While Ponderosa may not be the least expensive tree service, they really earned their pay with me. They were flexible, accommodating, punctual, clean and friendly. I highly recommend. read more

Due to its attack on our roof and foundation, we had to remove a large ash tree that hung over both our house and intertwined with some power lines. The Ponderosa crew moved all of our potted plants to safety without asking, disemboweling the tree, chipping it, and cleaning up the yard in a matter of hours. They double-checked to make sure everything was acceptable both with me and my neighbor. There was always somehow who spoke impeccable English on site. Every step of the way they were careful, respectful, tidy, and didn't assume anything. Plus the price was extremely competitive, and they trimmed a tree in the back and didn't charge for that. A big name company quoted us almost double the price. read more

With the recent high winds, we had a near-emergency situation where a 50-foot Eugenia was about to be uprooted - right onto our fence and neighbor's garage. Ponderosa took our predicament seriously - they scheduled an appointment right away - assessed the situation and got the crew working on the problem asap. Thankfully, the tree was removed without incident. I was thoroughly impressed with their service, friendliness, timeliness, and professionalism. I will definitely use their services again and would highly recommend them. Terry K. North Berkeley read more

We have used Ponderosa for a couple of years now. Each time we have been more than happy and always recommend them to our friends and neighbors. Each time they have been on time, efficient and effective. Micheal takes the time to really listen to your needs and offers advice as needed. Their last visit took them into two of our neighbors yards and they did an awesome job of treating their property well. Highly recommend this business. They will bill you and you can also pay by credit card over the phone. read more

We had them out a few times (and choose them due to the favorable reviews) and the result each time is excellent. And since all the work ended up being on the side of the house that is next to our neighbors drive, it was important to us that they clean up well etc. They passed the neighbor review perfectly! Besides trimming our trees we had them help us with a sick tree...all the info we received was helpful and informative. And, their staff is very friendly....when speaking or emailing with Amani, although it was the first time we'd used them, it felt like we were dealing with longtime friends. Highly recommend. read more

Ponderosa cut down a huge Monterrey Cyprus in our front yard. It was a delicate job, because the tree was adjacent to the house and pushed against the foundation. The work crew was fast, professional and courteous. Craig and Benjamin at the office were always prompt with their communication. They also took care of the permit at a fair price. We had a great experience and highly recommend Ponderosa Tree Service. read more

I highly recommend the knowledgeable and friendly staff at Ponderosa. I asked to hire an arborist to teach my wife and I how to identify trees in our neighborhood. Collin and Tara volunteered and answered the call. They went above and beyond by first teaching us about native trees and shrubs at the Tilden Botanic Garden. Walking around the streets in Berkeley, Collin was an expert picking out trees, listing their identifying characteristics, and helping us get to know the foliage in our neighborhood. They knew it all: common names, scientific names, and biology. All of this with hugely friendly personalities, no pretension, and great passion for nature. We haven't had a more informative and educational afternoon in a long time. Thank you! read more

They quoted a great price and did the work incredibly fast. I love when companies under-promise and over-deliver! They were fantastic and I would absolutely work with them again. read more

Wow, what a great company. They show up on time, work efficiently, are very polite, and leave the place neater than when they arrived. Our Coastal Live Oak and Liquidambar trees have never looked better and the front of our property has more light than ever before. If you need tree service, call these guys. Licensed, careful, reasonable and friendly. . Highly recommended. read more

We had the best experience with Ponderosa. They had a very reasonable quote, their tree trimmers were skilled, efficient, friendly, and preformed exactly as promised. The clean up was beyond our expectations and they didn't damage any of our flowerbed items even though they had to remove large branches just above it. We were very impressed and would recommend them to anyone. Our neighbor was so impressed that he wanted them to do a job for him too. Kelly's folks read more

I have to give these guys 5 stars, no kidding! They did work on a site I am building on, and they worked fast, did an extra job, and the crew is good. I had them climb trees, and remove 2 large branches on the site, nothing was a problem for them, regardless of the construction materials all around them, they worked carefully so nothing was damaged. Highly recommend. read more

Recently had the bad luck of having a large pine tree fall only house. I called up Ponderosa Tree and they came the very same day. By 11am, I had a whole crew of guys going at it hard! They were all super professional, courteous and hard working. They were very careful to get the tree off my house without causing any additional damage to my house or property. They used their heads, various ropes and pulleys, it was an amazing thing to watch. They helped me work with my insurance company to get everything covered and my house safe. They have my highest recommendation! Good people here. read more

Ponderosa Tree Service - Using pulleys to lift tree trunk up and then over to the side of the house - Tree Services Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I used Ponderosa for the removal of a large Italian stone pine. This was a really big tree that was overhanging my neighbours house and leaning towards mine. Its was also on a steep slope, so not the easiest job I imagine. Michael (the owner) turned up on time on the agreed day with his crew. They got the job done in one day, took away all the wood and cleaned up afterwards. Michael and his crew were hard working, polite and respectful and they even did some pruning on a neighbouring tree for no extra charge. Overall the price seemed reasonable and I could not have asked for more as far as service and quality of work. I would have no hesitation in recommending Ponderosa. read more

I needed to have 3 large trees removed and 2 stumps ground up. I cautiously scanned the Yelp reviews and couldn't find one local to Marin I was really excited about - or provided a reasonable estimate. I read the reviews about Ponderosa and decided to give them a try. From the time I met them onsite to review the work and obtain an estimate, to the last sweep of my driveway I was incredibly impressed. Not only did they perform the work I needed at a reasonable price, they were on time, courteous, SAFE, clean, friendly and professional. And I don't just mean the owner. Everyone - the support staff, the estimator and the crew. I would not hesitate to recommend these guys to anyone. Marin, you have a great tree service company - give them a try! read more

I love Ponderosa! Everyone is responsive, on time, polite and really does great work. Craig came and gave me an estimate (very reasonable) and even suggested some work that my husband and I could do ourselves to save money. The team showed up and removed all 7 tree stumps in an hour! I would definitely recommend them to anyone that need tree work. Great people! read more

Ponderosa Tree Service - Machine removing the tree stump. - Tree Services Near Me - Berkeley, California

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We have a tree that is home to nesting hummingbirds, overgrown Norwegian pines, plus neighbor's podocarpus was blocking sunlight. Then there's the 60' tall pine tree that broke the fence. I sought bids, and Ponderosa Tree's was the lowest. Well, the guys put everything to rights in 1.5 days, and hauled away the mulch to a preschool and a plant nursery. They were pleasant, professional, and left our yard in better shape than it was. Even the hummingbirds were happy. read more

I have used Ponderosa Tree Service four times. The quality of customer relations and tree work has ranged from poor to excellent.

I am extremely pleased with the service I received from Ponderosa. They removed four ornamental olive trees which were the bane of my backyard existence. From the initial quote stages to job completion, everyone at Ponderosa was friendly, timely, and efficient. The quote I received was the final price paid. Their tree removal team did a great job, and I was especially impressed with the clean up after. I would highly recommend Ponderosa Tree Service. read more

These guys really have the chops and technical expertise. They did maintenance on five trees - 2 redwoods, 1 cedar, a juniper, and a podocarpus. They did an absolutely outstanding job on cleaning up the cedar, which had a lot of storm damage and they did an excellent job with the other trees. With all that, I have to say that the main reason I called a tree service was to trim away all the branches close to my roofline and my neighbor's roofline and to trim as much as possible from a redwood over my neighbors driveway. I wanted to address the safety issues. They REALLY gave me a hard time about these things. They explained that it wouldn't be healthy to trim the redwood overhanging the driveway more, so they left that and I accept that but they really argued with me about how close the branches of the podocarpus was to my roofline and my neighbor's roofline. The arborist insisted that the trees were a fine distance from the roofs (Like 3 feet). It was ridiculous and then he ended up trimming more anyway. At that point, I felt like they just wanted to end their workday and didn't care about my concern regarding the safety issues. I wanted to give them 5 stars because this team definitely has the expertise and the chops and they know how to keep trees healthy but I feel like they kind of missed the boat about why anyone would even get tree maintenance done. read more

Great company! The crew from Ponderosa did an excellent job pruning two eucalyptus trees for us. They gave us reasonable and accurate quotes with a full explanation of the work, and came by for a second survey when we needed the scope of work changed . The crew arrived right on time, had parking planned out, were very friendly, appropriately wore masks, and verified what needed to be done. The crew then performed the pruning in a safe and effective manner, being very careful to avoid damage to the rest of the garden, and cleaned up the place perfectly after they were done. Everything was executed perfectly as planned out and agreed to. We are extremely happy with the result and would certainly use Ponderosa again! read more