Roy was available to come out and advise on what kind of tree shaping and trimming we needed for both new plantings and a mature citrus. He was fair, telling me what I could do on my own with my mature lemon tree. We had him care for two new olive trees to get them shaped nicely for our yard. Very great and easy to work with. I definitely recommend him. read more

(I sure hope that 'permanently closed' is some kind of mistake!) I'm updating my review because, since Roy worked on my Meyer Lemon tree, it has suddenly exploded with twice as many beautiful blossoms than it ever had before! Roy did some kind of magic and we are truly grateful!!!! read more

We have two large Mulberry Trees on a slope in our backyard which we love for their shade during the summer. When we had a block wall/retaining barrier installed around our yard, the installers cut a number of main roots, which almost killed the trees because of water starvation and a resulting fungus infection. Roy came out, diagnosed the problem, and spent most of a day with his assistant injecting the soil around the trees with nutrients and spraying the trees with a fungicide. We also installed an irrigation drip system and several inches of mulch. My wife and I were worried that the trees might not recover, but were delighted to see, several months later in the Spring, an abundance of buds appear on all the branches. We are very relieved and grateful for Roy's experience and guidance! read more

Once again, Roy came to my rescue! he's easy to deal with, knows his stuff, and was prompt, courteous and always tells me what he recommends and helps educate me about what's best for my tree and plants. He's an expert and I really value his service. I highly recommend him! read more

Roy was prompt, knowledgeable and friendly. We will keep him in mind for future projects.

This guy is by far the worst person and company I've ever dealt with in my adult life. Charged my mom for services not done (see pics). He charged her $650 for cutting and mulching a tree stump that HE DIDNT CUT DOWN! HELLO?? Will not return my phone calls of which I've left at least 5 messages. I dont know if that yellow thing is supposed to be sticking out that high. Also, he owes my mother a refund for services not completed. All he did was trim the tree and half assed putting in a root barrier. According to my mom he was in a sour mood when he came back to complete the work. I had an irrigation leak that needed to be handled first. Upon return he was snappy to my mom and wouldn't answer her questions about the tree. Threw the dirt and the stuff back into the planter box and snapped "I'm done" at her. She was so upset and didnt understand what happened?? Oh I forgot to mention. He brought his 7 year old son along to the job... the first time. Who brings their child to a job site? So on top of the commotion I'm watching his son too, for at least 2 hours. Ridiculous! Hey Roy - I'm reporting you to the BBB as well. Dont be surprised if you get a court summons also. Guess you should have just called me back huh? read more

See all

We hired Roy to remove five 40' Italian Cypress trees. He had to deal with our pool on one side and an alley with power lines and our service drop on the other side. He came prepared with a tarp to cover the pool and plywood to protect our concrete. He was very skilled at maneuvering his bucket truck, avoiding the power lines, cutting off sections at a time and lowering them in the bucket to avoid them crashing to the ground. His crew did a great job cleaning up the debris. We were very impressed with the whole process and his respect for our property. He was also very professional, knowledgeable, easy to work with and attentive to our concerns about the process. His price was at the higher end but it was well worth it. We highly recommend him. Thank you Roy. Sue and Steve read more

We hired Roy Schwartz Tree Service a licensed professional tree Aborist. We were extremely pleased with a Carrot Wood Tree removal with the stump ground, a Magnolia tree moved and transplanted to a different part of the yard, Queen Palms, a Ficus Tree trimmed and fruit trees pruned with added root fertilization. Roy and his workers demonstrated much knowledge, care and the best solutions for the health of the trees. They were prompt, professional, respectful to the home outdoor yards and very thorough with cleaning up debris. read more

A Palo Verde tree in my front yard was looking sickly and had a number of issues I didn't know how to fix. Roy was prompt, friendly, knowledge, and quoted a fair price. Most important, he is a certified expert. I was impressed with all the services he did and within hours the proper color was returning to the tree. I will definitely use his services again. read more

Organized, priced well and professional. Roy & Son did an excellent job trimming our euginia hedge. They worked quickly around obstacles and cleaned the site up well. read more

See all

Roy Schwartz arrived with his crew to remove a large jacaranda tree from my front yard. One of his crew was beyond rude barking orders for us to close the garage door, as if we have no common sense. Once the tree was cut down and the tree mulched up, the bucket truck was moved to the side road, which is a private road. Upon backing up the road, Roy hit the concrete block retaining wall, cracking it from top to bottom all the way through. I asked him how he planned to address the issue and he boldly told me he did not hit the wall. Funny thing is my spouse was in the side yard just as the truck backed into the wall. No need to play games with this guy. Eyes do not lie. Be a man and a responsible business owner and own the mistake. The good that has come out of this incident is the tree has been removed and Roy will never have my business again. read more

See all

We had several large palm trees that needed to be trimmed , Roy is extremely thorough and efficient cant say enough about his quality

Emailed for a quote, provided a picture and description of the service we were looking for and they were out two days later to complete the job. (They could have come out next day, we just weren't available.) Communication was simple. Price was spot on. Brian arrived on time and completed the job quickly and very professionally. We have future work that we'd like to have done and he was able to provide a quote for that while he was out. Will definitely use Roy and his son Brian for all of our future needs. read more

There comes a time, in every one's life when we realize, come to terms with, accept, or just plain discover we're not kids anymore. For some, it's a slow evolution, a gray hair here, a wrinkle..uhemm...expression line there. Years of small signs lead up to the moment of awareness. For a few though, we remain in denial of our impending death. We Act, dress, and feel like our high school days never ended. Then, one day, it hits us. Like a runaway ore ship into the pier, we are kicked in the groin by our own awareness. That day for me, the day my youth died, came as I attempted to take town a huge pine tree that was upsetting my house's footings. That was the turning point of my life. The day my adolescent spirit and virility flowed out of me like a bad fish burrito. I was a master of my world. Strong, invincible, skilled, and fearless. I took on any challenge, task, or feat. I was voraciously competitive and yielded to no one. I was unable to conceive of paying someone to do any work I was capable of doing myself. I had worked in many trades. I labored in construction, sweat over a hot griddle, tossed newspapers, and busted tires. I have climbed poles, swung a chainsaw, and hauled ropes. This giant tree in my front yard, the sap drooling, cone spitting, three headed monster wasn't going to beat me. It had its talonous roots under the foundation of my house and was tearing my domicile apart, but I would prevail. I had a plan. I had the tools and equipment. I had the know how. I had the strength and endurance. Or so I thought. My arrogance and vanity were all I really had. Those were quickly ripped away, chewed, digested, and regurgitated right back in my face by the devil of reality himself. Within minutes of taking on my arboreal nemesis, I was shown humility. It was too big, too heavy, and too precariously suspended over my home and the neighbors power lines. A near miss to the motorhome windshield, a direct hit later to the driveway (now possessing a ten foot crack), and the searing pain of a torn shoulder muscle brought me around to accept that I, was in over my head. Bruised, sore, and deflated. I swallowed my pride, embraced defeat, and sought help. Good bye young self. I found Roy Schwartz after a long search of tree trimmers. Most had no insurance, were un-licensed, or were just downright creepy. Prices ranged from the ridiculously low to the insanely high. I went through phone book listings, door flyers, and even cold callers. I had somewhat given up when a neighbor had Roy employed to trim some trees. Nothing better than an actual referral. Prompt, courteous, well equipped, and most importantly, licensed and insured, Roy was a perfect fit for the job. His fee was more than reasonable. He was very flexible to my tight schedule. And he honored my unusual request to allow me do some of the ground work. This gesture served to save at least one morsel of my dignity, a last clinging crumb of my juvenescence. Check back for next week's reviews; The HomeStyle Buffet and The WestSide Bingo Hall. Does Costco carry Depends? read more

I'll preface this review by giving a little background. I live in rural East County, on a narrow, rutted private road, and have more than a dozen big (100 ft +) eucalyptus and silk oak trees in my backyard. These trees hadn't been trimmed in close to ten years, and after some of the big winter storms we've had in the past two years, I decided that I had to get these shaggy monsters trimmed or reap the consequences. I heard about Roy Swartz from a neighbor who had used Roy's crew to trim a huge, stately red-gum euc tree in his backyard. The trimmed tree was beautiful and reminded me of the majestic old eucalyptus that once grew in front of the Old Globe Theatre before the City of San Diego cut it down. A euc tree that's seen the services of a real arborist is a beautiful sight, and Roy Swartz had brought out the best in my neighbor's trees. I was a little leery the morning that the Swartz truck showed up on my road. Instead of the old man, Roy had sent his son, and all those doubts about sending a boy to do a man's job were churning through my head. But the kid showed his stuff right away by maneuvering the huge boom truck he was driving--and towing an enormous diesel chipper--down the narrow road in front of my house and into my driveway. (I'd had other tree services demure on trimming my trees because of the cramped access, and also because of the height of the trees). I was waiting for the rest of the crew to show up, and after a few minutes asked when the rest of the climbers were going to come. The kid told me that everyone--meaning him and Remy, the ground guy whose main job was to load the chipper--was already here. I was pretty much stunned: two guys to trim 12 trees? But I had the good sense for once to keep my mouth shut and reserve judgment until the kid had a chance to prove himself. He started in the bottom of my yard, where a small grove of silk oaks were growing. For those who are unfamiliar with these trees, they really have nothing, other than their name, in common with oak trees. They're brittle, discharging branches like shrapnel whenever a good wind comes along. If this weren't enough to endear them to humankind, their foliage--which I'm told is related to the poison oak family--imparts an itchy, oozing rash to just about anyone who comes in contact with them. Brian (the kid) went after the trees from the telescoping bucket of the boom truck. By noon he'd polished off two of the trees and they looked--I'm trying not to gush here--beautiful! They'd been overgrown and so poorly trimmed over the past 15 years that I'd come to regard them as nothing but a nuisance, and even considered having them removed altogether a couple of years ago after a several huge branches crushed my neighbor's fence. But after Brian had trimmed the first two, I felt like I was seeing my trees again for the first time. The next two days were pretty much the same: Brian and Remy showed up at about eight o'clock and went right to work, but this time on the euc trees, which were closer to the house. The boom didn't extend far enough to get the tops of these trees, so they had to be climbed. That can really slow down the trimming process, but the kid was agile and was able to climb and trim all eight of the eucs by the end of the following day. When I asked him how often he inspected his climbing gear, the young man had all the right answers: "Every day," he said. And that inspection included the ropes, harnesses, and all the carabiners and other gear. He have me a quick education and mentioned that he'd recently been through two certification courses. If you're concerned with the safety of these guys, who are performing some very dangerous moves 100 feet above your head and home, you want to hear the S word (safety) as much as you can bear. They were careful, too. Two large limbs jutted out over my garage and after dodging the bullet for nearly ten years, I decided that those limbs had to go, especially since I'd just spent nearly two years restoring that building. In fact, my greatest fear in having the tree trimming done was that some catastrophe was going to befall my beloved garage, and in particular, the new roof and siding I'd recently installed. And let's be honest: one of the biggest concerns in shopping for a tree crew is whether or not they can get the job done without damage to your property. But the Swartz crew was as careful as I'd have been. I didn't hesitate at all in giving these guys a five-star rating. I've employed four other tree companies in the past 25 years and the Swartz crew is, hands-down, the best I've worked with--professional, careful, reasonably priced, and guaranteed to leave your trees the best they've ever looked. read more

I requested a quote from several tree services and Roy was the first one to come out to my home in Chula Vista for an estimate to remove a 60' Eucalyptus tree. I liked him from the start, he was knowledgeable and quoted a price that was lower than i thought it would be. He scheduled me for a week later and a crew of three friendly and professional tree cutters arrived right on time as promised. my tree was in the back yard and the bucket would not reach so a guy actually climbed the tree - he had some awesome tree climbing equipment and monkey skills. I was especially appreciative of the care they took not to damage my neighbors shed or my fence that was 6 inches from the tree. 4 hours later my tree was gone and barely a stump left. I requested the stump left to save money. My yard was clean, not a leaf or twig left. I Highly recommend these guys. read more

Today I had Brian come out and trim 7 trees. He was prompt, punctual, clean and professional. I couldn't be happier with the work and advice. Our trees had been "topped" and "butchered" by a previous contractor, who advertises to be licensed and insured, but didn't have the knowledge. The damage was done, but our trees look great and are doing better now, thanks to Brian. He is the expert who could point out and correct some of the problems. Do yourself a favor and go "certified"! read more

They called and said they were on the way and they never even showed up to the estimate! I had them come out before and trim a fallen limb so I called them back for an estimate on some eucalyptus trees. They told me they would be there that afternoon and would call on the way. The guy called me at 330 and said he was on his way and never showed up. I waited for a couple hours until it got dark. This was a month or so ago, I waited for them to call me and at least explain what happened or if they had some kind of emergency and they never did. What the hell? read more

Roy and his crew (specifically Justin and Denzel) were absolutely wonderful and professional. We recently purchased a home and needed to clean up and identify some fruit trees and do maintenance pruning on a number of oaks on the property. These guys worked quickly and gave my fruit trees just the right amount of care; they are now fruiting abundantly. The work on the oaks was more than we anticipated but they got the job done and our property looks amazing. Roy worked with us a little on the unanticipated costs which was very nice of him. We will absolutely call this crew out again for all our arbor needs. read more

I've used Roy's tree service twice now. This time I had to have a 25 year old, enormous Italian Stone Pine tree removed, due to it starting to tear up the pavement. Wrong choice of tree to begin with in a suburban front yard. I called on Tuesday, and on Wednesday at 8 am, they came over to remove it. They were all cleaned up, street swept, my driveway swept, etc. by 1045. Roy's son, Brian, and another worker, Mark, both worked non stop, chain sawing, pulling down branches, and putting it all into the chipper. They were both very nice young guys, very helpful in cutting a stump and giving one to me and my neighbor, carrying it over to her house (too heavy for us to lift). When the truck filled up, they took the chippings and gave it to a nearby church for their property. That's when I asked if they could put the rest of the chippings on my front yard as mulch. The ground up tree was a nice tan color and has a wonderful fragrance of pine. It looks great. These guys were reliable, price was fair, they were nice, on time, excellent cleanup, bonded, insured, Roy's a certified arborist. What more could you want? read more

Roy was great, came by at the agreed on time to do a quote. I called the next day and set up an appointment for the following week. His son Brian called me on the agreed upon day and showed up at the agreed upon time. Got all of the work done well and very fast. Removed a pear tree and a dead palm tree that had been topped/killed as well as various brush that I had cut down the day before their arrival. They left the mulch as agreed in the yard to be spread out around the yard as ground cover. Very happy with their service and I will use them again. Wally read more

Everything about the service of Roy and his team was top-notch. We needed a tree removed and stump ground to open up the backyard and make it more suitable for our son to play. Roy came out and gave us an estimate that was more than fair, and scheduled the removal while we were at work. When we returned, everything was in its place and the yard was clean and tidy. Thank you to Roy & Son for your great service. read more

They came out to check on the health of my two towering pine trees and a crabapple tree. Mr. Schwartz suggested trimming and deep root feeding both pine trees and ended up feeding all my fruit trees beside trimming acacia bushes away from my almond tree. They work quickly and neatly leaving no debris and not damaging anything on the way from the back yard to the front. And when he was finished he noticed that I had water stains on the wall beside the front door and the entire concrete entry way so pressure washed all that including the mold spots on the front of the house and the entire large driveway. I am very highly pleased with his work and his customer service and plan on retaining him for twice a year work on my trees. read more

I would highly recommend Roy L Schwartz & Son Tree Service!!! His estimate to cut and trim down my huge eucalyptus trees was about 1/3rd of some of the other companies!! Roy is a professional Arborist and has years of experience!! As my neighbors Clark on one side and Janet and Lori on the other side of me loved the work performed on my trees, they also got their trees cut and trimmed at a great price!! The crew is the best too, friendly and professional!! Roy has two big trucks too!! As a property manager I would use Roy L Schwartz & Son again and again!! read more

Just had these guys out to trim a very tall palm and remove a stump. Excellent, professional and thorough service today! They did a great job on both items, cleaned up perfectly and even took extra steps to make it look pretty before they left. Great experience! read more

There's a difference between someone who knows and cares about what they are doing and someone who doesn't. Roy cares & knows. Recently we had two immediate needs - Roy went out of his way to accommodate our schedule to review what was needed and give us his bid. It just felt right so we agreed on the spot. The first job was to trim a badly overgrown Yucca that had needed work for years. We even considered having it taken out because it was so ugly. Roy carefully trimmed and thinned it so that now it's actually attractive. It has a balanced and airy look. He spent the time necessary to do it right. The second job was the removal of a twisted juniper that had originally been planted too close to the house, was leaning and appeared ready to damage the foundation. A pretty simple removal job for a pro like Roy. I'll add that in addition to doing excellent work, Roy paid attention to what we needed and were looking for. We have some additional work to be done later in the year - when that time comes, we won't use anyone else. read more

Schwartz Tree Service is everything you'd hope for when calling someone out to help you. They were on time and called ahead and everyone was real pleasant. They magically made a 30 year old magnolia disappear and then totally cleaned up the yard and street. I would recommend their services without reservations to anyone thinking about tree work. read more

I consulted with Roy about large Meleluka and Date Palm trees at my house. He spent a lot of time with me and learned a lot from him. He knows what he's doing and will not try to sell you a service that you don't need and is not good for the trees. Bob M. read more

These guys were prompt, clean, polite, and above all did a great job. We had three large cottonwood trees in our yard that apparently had never been trimmed in 30 years (we recently purchased this home). While the time needed to complete the work went far over the estimated time, the amount we were billed did not exceed the written estimate. We could probably have saved some money by hiring someone who was not licensed or insured, but in my opinion, the risk is not worth the money. Our trees look goregous now - they actually have a shape and no longer look like monsters coming to eat our house! We will definitely call Roy again when we need tree service, and I've already referred him to friends and colleagues. read more

I was very disappointed in the way that this companies lead on the job made a sarcastic comment about my dogs. I just wanted to make sure that the debris on top of my House was cleaned off. But this young man was very unprofessional on how he represented his company. I know that he's the owners son. And maybe he thinks it's alright to speak to people in that manner. I would never recommend this company to anyone. I spent my whole day cleaning the debris and sawdust from my yard. read more

Really knowledgeable, and personable. He diagnosed the problem with our tree, treated it, and treated everything else around the property too. I can recommend him 100% read more

I'm very impressed with how patient, prompt and fast they work. The quote was extremely fair and the tree work was awesome. The crew cleaned up after themselves and it's as if they were never here. Roy is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to trees. I had problems with some citrus and he told me how to correct the issue. This is a very well run family business. Brian (Roy's Sun) is courteous and keeps the crew on track all day. I would highly recommend them to anyone. Be patient with their call back, it is a small company that is worth the wait. read more

We had 2 trees removed and the whole experience was top notch from beginning to end! They were friendly, efficient, prompt, knowledgeable, affordable, and took great care of us! Couldn't believe how smoothly everything went. We should have removed the trees years ago. Loved how much enthusiasm this whole team had. Thanks! read more

Roy came right out to give me an emergency estimate after a giant tree fell during a storm.

I had the best experience I could have hoped for. I had the good fortune to meet Brian who handled a removal for my parents property. The price was fair and the work was something to see. Brian and his partner worked like people used to. These guys aren't afraid to sweat and get in there and get it done. And done right. They cleaned up the area better than it ever was. Brian is extremely knowledgable, polite, courteous and honest. Very rare qualities in businesses these days. And even more rare in a young guy like him. I asked Brian to provide some guidance regarding the removal/planting of an area of my property. He really helped me understand what to do and what not to do. He was honest and not after the immediate dollar return, but the right thing to do which results in good reputation return. I won't make a move regarding planting, removal or trimming without these guys. I got so lucky finding them. Thank you so much Brian! read more

Roy's crew is professional and do a lovely job. They know their stuff, shape and laced our tree beautifully and leave everything clean. Competitive pricing and excellent, friendly service. read more

Roy and his team were awesome! They took great care with my mom's trees which were completely taking over the front and back yard. Efficient, on time and within budget. I'd call Roy again and recommend him highly! read more

They did a wonderful job on trimming and shaping my trees which had grown and were out of control! And the bougainvillea plant was taking over the back yard. Now everything is nicely cut back and shaped. Very hard workers!! read more

Roy and his crew are the ones to call if you want a professional, knowledgeable, skilled, hard working group. We have used them several times and, always know we can count on them for a quality job! Roy always returns calls, and always arrives on time, whether he is coming out for a bid or to do the actual job. They do outstanding work on the trees, and then always clean up after, for a job well done! read more

Highly recommend! I have a large Melaleuca tree. My neighbor hates it- it's a situation. I was concerned, because I needed to replace the arborist that maintained it for more than a decade. When I met Roy I knew it would be fine. Roy is really easy to work with. His workers are friendly and professional. It's a big messy project, and they did a great job. Will definitely have him back to maintain the tree. read more