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

Had a bid from them some time ago. It was for a tree trim, their bid was in the thousands. It was a crazy number. Needless to say, I rejected their bid and went with another company for a fraction of the cost. Be sure you get other bids. They might do great work, but surely super high price from my experience. read more

These guys are the best! Michael from Ponderosa Tree Service was so professional and gave me such a great price for removing the amount of trees I had at the property. Great service and a great guy! I highly recommend them. Thanks Mike!!! read more

We had a great experience. They were easy to reach, scheduled and estimate quickly, at our convenience. We inherited a lot of little trees and two big trees, all growing together. Michael definitely knows what he's doing, walked me through what we should keep and what we should get rid of, and didn't try to talk me in to anything extra. The crew showed up on time, were very friendly and professional, and the trees look great. The owner showed up to make sure everything got off to a good start. We're very happy. The trees look natural and great! read more

Professional, timely, clean and most importantly....careful. I've had them service my trees on two occasions over the last year with zero complaints. They "view sculpted" and clean up a variety of Monterrey Cypress, pine and bays creating a long hidden view of the Oakland Hills. read more

I just had Xavier from Ponderosa come to my house and discuss our tree situation. He was extremely professional, and was able to guide my contractor through the process of cutting roots of our Oak trees to add a French Drain system as well as the pros and cons of removing a large branch to accommodate a future deck. I was ready to sign up to remove a young Pine and trim our two Oak trees, but Xavier noticed that they may have been over trimmed by the previous owner, and suggested that I wait another year to trim them and remove the Pine at the same time. It is very obvious that I am naive about trees, and I am so grateful that I wasn't taken advantage of when I truly could have been. Thank you again Xavier! I will recommend Ponderosa to friends and neighbors, and I look forward to working with you next year. read more

I had them come to deal with my Scots pine. The tree had never seen adult supervision and had lots of branches that were crossed over each other, was clogged with needles that it had shed but could not actually drop off, was in contact with the roof, and just seemed to be having a tough go of it. I wanted the tree thinned out so that when stiff winds hit it, those needles could shed and drop free and not clog the tree up. The crew cleaned out the crossed over stuff, but not overzealously. The foreman was smart enough to make a good executive decision of letting some of the branches stay as-is so that they could continue to provide privacy to my front entrance. They were punctual and quick. What was cute was that one was so happy doing his work, he was singing. The owner of the service was very mindful of seasonality of trimming the trees. They don't trim coastal native trees until winter because of their water uptake and the kind of stress it'd put on the tree. (My own take is never to trim a tree when birds are nesting, btw.) The only thing I'd ding them on is I wish they'd warned me about the sap. They did move everything off my front steps except my little mailbox. That was a bit of a mess. Given that sap takes a while to stop dropping, I'd suggest to the homeowner to drop a tarp, some butcher paper, whatever, under the tree and over things you don't want sticky, and leave it there for a couple of days. I would not expect the tree trimmers to leave a tarp around, but you, the customer may consider it. read more

Ponderosa came out to do an estimate for us here in Berkeley. The sent an arborist named Craig who looked at our job to replant six trees. He spent about 20 minutes here, and fully looked at the scope. after which he quoted me two prices, a per tree estimate of 300 per tree, and a group rate discount of 1700. We agreed to do all six trees for the 1700. I was then to call the office to do scheduling, and when i called the he had written up the job for 500 per tree a total of 3000. This is a classic BAIT and SWITCH. I called the office and spoke to the admin who was very apologetic and nice and asked to speak to the supervisor Kerry. Kerry didn't listen and only took a very defensive position and was unwilling to honor the statements of his employee. This company does not stand behind there estimates, AVOID at ALL COSTS. They will just start a job and end up costing you way more than they promised. Not cool. read more

We engaged Ponderosa based upon the good reviews on YELP and were hopeful they would live up to their erstwhile sterling reputation. Unfortunately,​ the experience we had was a dramatic departure. We found their organization to be woefully unpleasant. Curt and dismissive estimator; blunt demands for payment while the job was being done without pictures or evidence of completion...basically a hostile experience that I would not wish on anyone. read more

We had a very positive experience from beginning to end with Ponderosa Tree Service. The crew trimmed a huge cedar tree, olive, pittorsperum, orange, apricot all while mindful of keeping debris out of our fish pond and potted plants. The crew were pleasant, respectful and appreciative of the filled cooler on a hot day. They cleaned up all the debris and left everything in good order. We are very pleased with Ponderosa's quality of work and would recommend them to anyone in need of tree trimming. Thanks for the terrific job, guys. read more

Thank you for the great job that you did on our trees! They look great. You arrived and finished the job as planned and your team was friendly and professional. I was pleasantly surprised at how close to the ground you were able to cut the stump considering the nearby obstacles. read more

Ponderosa provided excellent service! Rodnel and crew Elvis, Gabriel and Emmanuel worked together as a team to remove a huge pittosporum, reshaped another plus trimmed overgrown hopseed trees! They were professional, courteous and great to work with. Highly recommend and will utilize their services again. Thanks guys - great job! read more

We had an urgent need for a consultation about damage sustained by one of our magnolia trees and Ponderosa was the only tree service to reply to our email. Not only were they very responsive, but they also sent us an excellent arborist, Kerry Bliss, who provided us with a very thorough and honest assessment of our tree's condition and prospects. I would highly recommend Ponderosa and will be calling them for all our tree work! read more

Craig and Lidia set us up very quickly and with clear communication to removal a giant redwood that was hovering over our home (beautiful tree in the wrong place). The crew was extremely efficient and professional. read more

We can't say enough good stuff about this service. We had a moving truck coming and low hanging branches were blocking the drive way. Ponderosa did an estimate in the morning and understanding our circumstances, had an arborist out that very afternoon. The arborist was incredibly professional. Plus, they did not leave a trace of green behind! When we called the next day after the truck accidentally pulled down a couple of additional branches, they came right out, cut the branches properly, and did not charge us a dime. read more

Ponderosa is top notch. I had a 4-story tall Monterey Pine that I wanted them to remove, and I could not be happier with the entire experience. It was quick, efficient, and professional from start to finish. Craig came out to bid the job, I scheduled the work via Lidia in the office, and a crew arrived as scheduled two weeks later, right on time. It was amazing to watch how efficiently Rafael and his crew safely & systematically felled the tree, mulched it, and when it was done, left my yard cleaner than it was when they started. I appreciated how respectful and personable the tree crew was. Their bid was reasonable and slightly lower than a competitor I also bid. I highly recommend Ponderosa Tree Service!! read more

Incredibly impressed with Micheal's generosity. During this recent storm (March 2016), a small(ish) tree in my front yard fell down and was blocking the sidewalk. Michael arrived on the scene and told me he didn't feel right about charging me to remove it. 5 minutes later he had cut the tree up into pieces using his hand saw and helped me move the pieces onto the side of my house. I'll definitely be using them for any other tree services I need. Thanks Micheal! read more

Everything I said in my previous review still holds but let me add this: they stand by their work. We had them over about six months ago to trim a tree so it didn't block the view from our neighbor's window. They didn't cut as far as I thought they should because they wanted to keep the tree healthy and looking decent. But within five months, the tree was blocking the neighbor's view again. I emailed Ponderosa asking if a trimming shouldn't last longer than that. Michael came by and looked at the tree. He said some trees are very fast growing, but offered to send a crew by at no extra charge to trim it again. He said this time the crew would work with us to pick a length which would strike a balance between growing back too fast and looking too butchered. All he asked was that he be allowed to send the crew on a day when they'd be in our neighborhood anyway, which I thought was totally reasonable. So, not only great work, you guys, but kudos for standing by your service! read more

I'll probably give them five stars next time. I have one of those brutally topped Liquidambars on the street, under phone and power lines, that hadn't been trimmed in several years. The growth hadn't reached the high tension lines - so PG&E wouldn't come out - but the limbs were getting heavy, and ready to break. Davy Tree estimated a full day's work for $2500. They refused to go near the lower set of power lines, so the job wouldn't have been complete. Ponderosa did it in four hours for $1300, and did a great job. Reasonable, efficient, friendly. read more

after years of do-it-ourself-ing, we finally decided to get someone who knows what they're doing to come and take care of pruning all of our trees. after calling to speak with a Live Human Being, I scheduled an appointment for an estimate, for which the guy professionally shows up on time. after accepting the timely (and very competitive) bid, I scheduled the job within a week or so. the crew showed up on the day of the job on time, finished on time, and made sure that I was happy before they left. this is one of the rare companies where everything is done efficiently and well. I'll definitely do business with them again. read more

Trees overgrew and cut out the power to my house. PG&E wouldn't touch my wires until the trees were trimmed back. These guys were there by late afternoon after I called them in the morning. Power was back on by dinner time. Awesome. Highly recommended. read more

The folks at Ponderosa are prompt, pleasant and courteous, knowledgable and fairly priced - what else can you ask for? I am a landscape designer and have opinions on good and bad tree care, and these guys really know what they're doing. You and your tree would be in good hands. Maxi L. read more

Needed to remove an 80 ft Monterrey pine leaning perilously over my modest house. They came in at 11 and it was gone by 2. Managed a worried neighbor with diplomatic finesse and kept traffic running on my street. All for a reasonable cost. These guys really are the best. read more

Michael of Ponderosa Tree Service came to my home today to look at the Japanese Maple in front of my house. Its somewhat withered look was due to my insufficient watering of it -- Michael spent a relaxed, no rush 15 minutes with me, an apartment city dweller for most of my life, how to care for the Japanese maple. All this at no charge. I recommend Ponderosa Tree Service. read more

10 stars. These guys have been to our place twice. We are an elderly couple. They treat us with respect and do a superb job. I can't give enough accolades. They are expensive in my opinion but we certainly get what we pay for and then some. Kerry Bliss is an arborist of the first degree and I have come to respect his suggestions completely. As a crotchety old woman I am leery of most young folks but he is number one in my book. His crew is top notch too. Recommend highly- from the tree tops. read more

Great company, probably the best contractor we have used in Marin county. Did not like quotes we got locally near our home, so reached out to Ponderosa in Berkley even though there would be more travel time. You should see the difference our newly purchased home looks like from when we bought it. They were on time, reasonable and cleaned up everything after. Every one of the 10 or so crew was knowledgable, polite and good. Could not recommend anyone more. read more

I ought to have written this long ago. Michael and his crew did a fantastic job removing this tree. It was destroying the fence and the building next to it. It was a tight area that they had to work in and part of the fence was taken down and they did a great job of putting it back up. The stump was ground down too. Both my neighbors yard and mine were left better than when they found it. Neat and tidy. I have since referred Michael to two neighbors who were equally pleased. I am now having them prune my lemon tree. Well done guys! read more

I picked Ponderosa for tree work because the owner gave me some free consulting about a hazardous tree on a neighbor's property a few years ago. He's a good guy and I appreciate that. For this job, the estimator (who is a certified arborist) showed up right on time. We reviewed all my trees and identified two that needed work; there was no attempt to upsell me in any way. Another good guy. I scheduled the job through the Ponderosa office and the crew showed up on time, accompanied by the estimator who confirmed the work scope with the foreman. The crew got right to work, removing a medium-size tree and doing major pruning of a large tree. They worked efficiently, reviewed the results with me, and cleaned up thoroughly. Everyone I've interacted with--owner, estimator, crew, office staff--has been professional, competent, reliable, and friendly. I recommend Ponderosa without hesitation. read more

Our recent experience with Ponderosa Tree Service was very good. Michael, the owner, is extremely knowledgeable and experienced, and provided a great service (to do with a redwood in our back yard). Benjamin was always very responsive to our calls and very helpful, and the crew did a great job; they used a very advanced method to arrange cables and support the tree. We deeply appreciate their work and feel much safer as a result. read more

This company was easy to deal with and professional. I used them because of their reputation and they gave me the best bid. I needed to have some dead branches on a neighbor's tree removed that were hanging over my yard and deck. My expectation was that they would remove all the dead wood but they only removed the part that hung over my yard so now there's still a lot of dried dead fire-hazard that's next to my house. If you're trying to remove a fire hazard, stop at the lot line doesn't make any sense. I think the other quotes I got included all the dead branches so Ponderosa's quote was actually more expensive. I would recommend them with the caveat that you need to question them carefully about the scope of the work and not assume that what makes common sense is necessarily the way they see it. read more

Here is another great review for Michael and the 10 man crew at Ponderosa Tree Service. Advance negotiations were quick and easy. 5 trees were down in 30 minutes, the last huge dead elm trees were down by lunchtime and two men stayed on to grind the stumps and clean up. I've never seen such harmonious efficiency. Thank you all! read more

I just hired them for some extensive tree work based on all the good Yelp reviews. I saw the owner, Michael first and he struck me as very knowledgeable. As others have said, he works with what is there and respects the trees, he doesn't just want to hack away at everything. He even emailed the city about a diseased looking street tree in front. They came on time and completed the job in just over half a day. The crew was friendly and did good work, and the price was very reasonable. Highly recommended. read more

Just had Ponderosa Tree Service do a major pruning of shrubs and trees all around our house. We will definitely hire them again. The estimate was competitive, and we are very happy with the result. Crew came on time, as had estimator. A miscommunication did lead to one shrub being pruned more than we had wanted; oh well, it will grow back, and the crew were very apologetic. What really sets Ponderosa Tree Service apart from other tree/shrub companies we've used is the highly professional, administrative backup. Ponderosa has full time office staff. They usually respond to phone calls and email the same day, and they confirm appointment times (by both phone and email) a few days before the job is scheduled. read more

I've used Ponderosa Tree Service several times. They do very personable and do excellent work. I would not hesitate to use them again or recommend them to others. read more

Very pleased with Ponderosa Tree Service. Very responsive - from the first call with Benjamin, scheduling with Lydia, my interaction with Craig (the arborist) at my house, and finally a fantastic job by Francisco and his crew! The maple looks much better and isn't touching my roof and the driveway is clear of stumps and brush. Nice clean up, too. I will call you again! read more

In summary: work quality - 5 stars; logistics: 2 stars Needed a magnolia to be removed from my property. After making an appointment Michael came by within a couple of days, assessed the situation, and a day later I had a proposal in my e-mail. The price was reasonable, so I signed the proposal and sent it back to Ponderosa. So far, so good. After 1 week I still had not heard back from the company to come up with a date, and so I called and left a message. Still no reply. Left another message, still no reply. After another week I called again and this time I was able to get a hold of somebody and a date was found for the removal of the tree (another 2 weeks later). It was agreed that 1 day would be needed for the removal of the tree, but since I also wanted the stomp to be removed there was a possibility that that might not work on the first day, but if not, then it would be done the following day. The date of the tree removal arrived. The crew showed up on time and removed the tree within 2h, very safe and professionally, no scratches on the fence etc. However, even though they were already done at 11 am, stomp grinding was apparently not possible anymore (because they had other jobs to do that day). However, even though the stomp was not removed I did receive 10 min later an invoice per e-mail for the full amount, where "stomp grinding" was deleted from the invoice, but the full amount was still due at receipt of this invoice. I called the office and complained and they assured me that I did not have to pay until the entire job was done (as was already written in the proposal anyway). Four days later another person came to remove the stomp, which was carried out very professionally in 2 1/2 hours. read more

I had an excellent experience with this company. I thought several of our trees had contracted a disease. Concerned that they would die, I called Ponderosa and asked for someone to come out and take a look. The owner--an arborist--came to my house. After inspecting the trees, he assured me that they were okay--what looked to me to be "rust" on the leaves instead was a precursor to the fruit this species produces. Feeling foolish and relieved, I expected to--and would have been willing to--pay for the consult. But he didn't charge me a dime! I'm very impressed. (And he also showed up at exactly the agreed time, to the minute.) read more

Am I a Druid? I love trees in a (possibly) unwholesome manner. That said, we hired Ponderosa to give our trees (Liquid Amber, Walnut, and beloved Fig) a serious haircut after the previous owner's years of neglect. Ponderosa's owner, Michael, came out for the initial assessment, and also showed up with his crew when it was cuttin' time. They did a GREAT job. The trees are flourishing, not threatening our neighbors with overhanging boughs, and the fig is putting out fruit like crazy. These guys are reasonably priced, polite, oh AND ON TIME. Does it seem weird to add that they are respectful of the trees? read more

Michael's crew trimmed my locust and birch trees. I have one word to describe what they did for me...FANTASTIC! Michael and his team are super knowledgeable, professional and friendly. They even worked around our mess of a construction site without a 2nd thought. My trees look amazing...even better than expected! Five stars for these guys!! read more

Sure, call others to see what they would say and then just have Michael come out and talk to you. He seemed pretty conserative on the trimming of the pine in the front of our house (unlike others) and he did not seem to think I was out of my gourd when I said I wanted two ugly Dracena palms taken out. They were not taken down as far as I wanted but I just called the office and John arranged for the crew to come out and shave some more off. Plus, I can just give them my credit card number over the phone to pay. read more