We have 20 trees on our site that face 19th Avenue. We asked them to not only thin them but trim the tops and sides. All they did was thin them. I lost valuable and beautiful views. Their representative told me that he would need permits to do this. We just learned that we don't because we manage the trees. So he lied to us. If you want someone to thin your trees, fine, If you want someone to trim the tops or sides, GO AWAY. read more

I met with 12 arborists before finding Urban Arborist, and I'm so glad I did. Mark and his crew are absolute pros. Now that our project is complete, I can confidently say they'll be my go-to for any future tree removal or pruning. Our project was tough--a huge, termite-infested tree overhanging two neighbors' properties with only access through the house. While others suggested risky or pricey options (like a crane over the house) or couldn't guarantee our deck would be undamaged, Mark carefully inspected the tree, explained how his team would safely approach the removal, and gave me confidence they could get it done without incident. He also provided the most detailed--and accurate--quote I received, and even offered thoughtful advice on how to work smoothly with neighbors. What really sets Urban Arborist apart: * Clear, detailed planning and communication (worlds apart from the others!) * Equipment that fits tight spaces without damage * Experience with tricky removals where access is only through the home * Professionalism with insurance and paperwork * A fair, competitive price The crew--Cipriano, Pedro, and Robert--worked hard, protected the deck, cleaned up thoroughly, and even set aside a few wood slabs for us to keep. Neighbors were just as impressed as we were. Mark checked in throughout the day and is not only professional and detail-oriented, but also a genuinely kind person who made the whole process stress-free. Beyond his professionalism, Mark is genuinely a kind and thoughtful person, which made the entire experience that much better. Urban Arborist exceeded my expectations on every front: professionalism, skill, communication, and care. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone looking for tree removal or pruning. read more

I have been working with The Urban Arborist for years now with various properties that I manage in San Francisco. I can't say enough good things about them. This was the first time that I worked with Nick on a project and he was fantastic to work with. Nick needed to coordinate the work with my neighbor as well as myself and he handled the scheduling so well. My neighbor and I had a lot of trees and shrubbery as well as a fence to remove. I am happy to say that both of our yards have never looked better! During the course of the work, we ran into a problem with a utility pole in the backyard and Nick coordinated finding out who owned the pole and had them look at it for safety. (Luckily, it was not a PGE power pole) Nick went above and beyond dealing with this pole. I highly recommend Nick and The Urban Arborist for any of your tree service. read more

The Urban Arborist - Before - Tree Services Near Me - San Francisco, California

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We have condos in the Sunset. Fifteen years ago, the founder explained to me that unless we both thin out the trees and trim them to be smaller, winds from the west will create turbulence and tear them down. UA was supposed to do this but instead just thinned the trees because it was cheaper. They gave us some BS story about the city not allowing them to do their job. So after 15 years we won't use them any more. read more

This is a customer service rating only. The people in person and on the phone were grumpy. They did show up on time, so 3 stars. Didn't end up hiring, so can't say about performance. read more

A great experience with this company. They scheduled an appointment to come out and see what we needed. They showed up on time, listened to what we wanted done, made some good suggestions, gave us a quote verbally and then followed up by the end of the day with a written quote to approve. We had scheduled them for the following week and again, they showed up on time with a friendly crew. They trimmed my enormous fig just how I wanted it and made sure I was happy before they packed up. My yard was neat as a pin when they finished. On time, great service and reasonable pricing. read more

They don't answer the phone but have you leave a message. Then they send an email stating that they received your request for consultation but never get in touch with you. Unable to reach them. read more

Very poor communications. Over priced. No follow through with customer service. Look some where else

Highly recommend!! I received quotes from several arborists. UA was much more thorough and professional during their scoping process and their quote was in line with others. The trees looked fantastic, and the crew was thorough in their clean up. In addition, they removed a tree for us in the past year. It was an urgent matter as we had a major untreatable bug infestation. They took care of it quickly and professionally. read more

The service was efficient and quick. The tree removal and tree trimming were done well. The workmen, Jose and Lambrusco (?) were very good.

Unresponsive despite several phone calls/online questions. This despite the fact I've used them several times in past years.

These guys are great. They have been trimming multiple trees for us for years. Always a quality job. Our tree in front was damaged by a moving truck and I called UA to come out and take a look. Mark came by this AM and rather quoting a tree trim, which he thought we didn't need this season, he just pulled out his saw and removed the broken branches and helped me cut them up to discard in our compost bin. No Charge. Just a great experience. Thanks! read more

First time hiring The Urban Arborist to get some trees in my backyard under control and looking nice again. Mark was very responsive and communicative, he also gave me a heads up about a neighbors tree that was going to be a big problem in the future. The quote was very reasonable for the work which included trimming, thinning, and shaping 6 trees in my backyard. Scheduling was a breeze and my backyard is looking transformed, courtesy of Cesar. Cannot recommend this company enough! read more

This is the 3rd time I've used Uran Arborist and once again, they did not disappoint. They were able to do a more significant pruning & thinning of our large monterey cypress because of the pruning we did last time. It looked like a big bush last year & now the tree has such a beautiful shape & I can see light & blue sky through it which was the intent. I had to leave for a few hours and when I came home they were done but went back into the tree for a few more branches that I thought should go. with no complaints from Cesar & his crew. Everything was cleaned up well & they brought enough crew to finish in a day. They were amazing & I'll continue to use them for all of my tree trimming. read more

I scheduled an appointment with this company to consult on a tree on a neighboring lot. A developer had bought the property and done extensive excavation in order to extend a new ground level ADU and support a new third level for the main unit. The tree is several stories tall and, while visiting my property, upon seeing the exposed roots my structural engineer expressed concerns about the safety of those in its immediate vicinity, including me, and suggested I consult with an arborist. There is tension between the developer and the block so I wanted to consult with the arborist by myself before approaching him about it and/or discussing the situation with the neighbors. When the estimator rang my doorbell, I asked him to meet me at the side garage door so I could let him into the breezeway that goes to my backyard. In the one minute it took me to get there, I found him talking to the developer who was visibly getting angry that he was here to talk to me about the tree. I tried to stop the conversation by leading the estimator through the breezeway but the developer followed us on his property and was making very loud comments along the way. The estimator realized that he had created a situation and tried to appease the developer by telling him over the fence that he would talk to him afterward but the developer wouldn't stop. I finally had to step in and end the conversation. At that point, the developer directed some angry remarks at me before stomping off. I was annoyed with the estimator but put it aside for the consultation. After he confirmed that the tree would not survive the construction and should be removed sooner than later, he left my property and went to the construction site. Today, I see this company's truck so it looks like they got the job. On the one hand, I'm glad to see that a certified arborist is taking down the tree. I was concerned that the developer would try to find a cheaper option. On the other hand, I would have preferred more discretion in an already tense situation. Because of this interaction, I would be hesitant to use this company for my own property or refer anyone to them. I would not use them for any issues that cross property lines. read more

We've used Urban Arborist twice and both times they gave us a reasonable rate (in the low to middle range of other quotes we were given), were always on time, left our yard and house clean, and were careful and did the job exactly as specified. Thank you! A couple years ago we worked with Stuart, recently we worked with Scott. We actually had the same workers come over (including Carlos) and they even remembered our house. Two years ago we did some pretty straightforward pruning of several trees in our yard. I wasn't home at the time, but when I came back later I couldn't even tell they'd been there (except for our trees looking better). Recently they helped us trim a ~30-40 ft redwood on our neighbor's property which we had permission to trim. This was a little more complicated of a job - I didn't want the unnatural look of a straight buzz down the property line, and our neighbors gave us permission to trim some dead branches on their side of the property line. When Scott came over for the quote, he had a laser pointer which made it really easy to discuss very specifically what we wanted cut and how far; we recapped this information when they came over for the actual job, and the workers followed these instructions very well. There were two workers climbing the tree to cut branches and one on the ground catching the branches with a pitchfork. I did see some branches fall and hit some of our plants, and I asked them to be careful specifically with a baby apple tree and I saw them take extra care after that. But when I looked at our plants afterwards, I didn't see any damage. They bundled up all the branches and leaves, they went over the yard with a leaf blower, and they must have even swept up or picked up after themselves in our house. In the end, our yard needed one more go-over with a leaf blower to be fully spotless (that's just me being picky - I didn't mind doing this at all). We had moved all my potted plants from our deck railing so they wouldn't be knocked over; one of the workers placed all of them back and moved back some furniture which was very sweet of them. Also, after Carlos had finished climbing the tree and finished his trimming, I noticed a couple smaller dead branches that were still on our side of the property line. I'm admittedly a little picky with these things and asked Carlos if he could still cut them - he jumped right back on our fence and reached way up with his longest saw and cut them for me, no hesitation! Thank you for doing that Carlos and for being so nice about it. I also texted back and forth with Scott a bit getting advice on the health of a different tree in our yard. He's extremely friendly and helpful, even though this wasn't a tree that their company did work on! If you pay cash, you get a 10% discount as well. Thank you Stuart, Scott, and Carlos. You have a return customer! read more

We worked with Urban Arborist to help with a large New Zealand Christmas tree in front of our house. The team was communicative, careful, and thoughtful about their approach to the tree. Mark was great about coordination prior to, during, and after the work. Would highly recommend UA - good price and great work = excellent value. read more

Nick, Cesar and their team did a beautiful job trimming our trees. Nick also provided some good advice on how to care and maintain our trees. read more

I had two massive and unruly liquidambar trees in my front yard that needed to come down. Mark came and his crew came out and made quick work of the trees. They were very professional and courteous, taking great care not to disturb the nearby fencing and landscaping. When they were done, they cleaned up the area, and it was like they were never there! I highly recommend this company to anyone needing professional tree work done!! read more

They did an amazing job removing trees from our very very very steep hillside. We wanted to have the dead/leaning trees removed before the rains hit, and they were able to come out very quickly for both the initial quote and the work. They were friendly, highly professional, respectful, and did a fantastic job (safely!). I would highly recommend them! read more

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Jose, Lazzaro & Mark were amazing to work with. They communicated consistently and were extremely flexible as my project changed scope. They did an amazing job of transplanting two Sago palms ive had for years to my new house and did a great job of treating my former property and my new property with great care. Really excited about how this all turned out and will go back to Urban Arborist for all of my landscaping & arborist needs. read more

As a garden designer I've worked with a lot of arborists and The Urban Arborist is the best I've ever worked with. Totally professional every step of the way, from picking up the phone when I first called to booking a consultation the next day. The estimate was more than fair and the work was above and beyond! The whole team worked together to execute incredible results. Honestly, I can't imagine working with anyone one else now! read more

Sometimes life really jacks things up for businesses. My experience with Urban Arborist was frustrating, but Josef reached out in early June to talk through events from my perspective. My project lead was new and he had personal stuff going on. I get that. I have no doubt it will all be made right. We caught them in a bad time and it's being made better for everyone. I'll get new trees, and I'll recommend Josef's services. read more

We have been customers of Urban Arborist for several years. Every time their crew does a great job of making our trees look their their best. They have always been careful and courteous, cleaning up all the debris before they leave. Of the tree companies we have used they have provided the best service and results. read more

Urban Arborist did a great job for us. They had to carry out all the debris through our home and they carefully bundled everything up to carry it out. They were very helpful with answering our questions. Nick the Arborist took a video of our yard and explained what we wanted done for their tree climbers/pruners so the crew knew exactly what they needed to do. That was very helpful. We think all arborists should make videos for the crew! read more

I am very pleased with the work The Urban Arborist did in my front and back yards. Mark's consultation was thorough and educational - it was clear that he really understands trees. The crew that came out today, led by Cesar, was thorough and did a wonderful job with the huge pine tree in my backyard and the 3 junipers in front. read more

Thanks so much for all the help with my fruit tree! The advice was super useful, and I appreciated the great communication ahead of time and the overall professionalism of this company! read more

Urban Arborist was fabulous and we highly recommend them for all your tree needs! We've used them once in the past, and this time had them prune two large trees and miscellaneous shrubs. Our experience with Urban Arborist began with Mark, the estimator and lead guy, who initially came by and looked at our job. He couldn't have been more attentive to our needs, and thoughtful about the way the company could address them. Then, the pruning crew led by Cesar, arrived some days later and was super. They shaped the trees just as we had wanted, cutting them down by about 5 feet each, trimming them around their circumference, and pruning them on the insides to let more light through. As they did this, Cesar kept checking in with us to make sure they were doing the work as we anticipated. When all the pruning was complete, they cleaned up beautifully, leaving nary a trace of them behind. Throughout all, they were very professional and polite, arriving punctually, laying down tarps inside the house to minimize mess as they carted the trimmings from the trees from back to front, and completing the work well within the estimated time frame. They were very respectful both of us and of our home. We so appreciated their demeanor and skills, and would recommend the company and - in particular - this team to anyone. Thank you Mark, Cesar, and Urban Arborist! read more

I'm surprised that I haven't reviewed Scott and his crew before. They have maintained my pine trees for years. Recently a small tree that provides privacy and a resting place for the birds blew over during a storm. We temporarily propped it up with a ladder. Scott and his foreman Cipri, showed up a couple days later and secured it with stakes, and gave it a nice trim. It looks great after 20 days and I have confidence it will survive after being uprooted for more than an hour. It's been crazy weather and I know they're incredibly busy. So happy they were able to fit me in with my small tree. They even tied back a branch in another tree to keep it from rubbing against the fence. read more

Personalized service! Jake and his A-team of tree climbing, stump grinding, tree planting arborists who showed up this morning were great. It was a pretty big job involving six different trees, each needing different treatments. In the back yard we had two dead Hopseed trees needing to be cut down, one large Hopseed tree I wanted totally removed (stump too) and replaced with a new 15 gallon Merlot Redbud, and one very large tree needing three low hanging but massive branches cut down. In the front yard, we had a large Weeping Willow tree that needed pruning to avoid power and phone lines and three large dead limbs needing to be removed. Also in the front--a small plum tree needing strategic pruning so as to discourage growth into the neighbor's yard. Jake's estimate for the whole job conveyed the nuances of what I wanted to be done and came in at a reasonable price. With a series of text messages, Jake helped me to identify what species of replacement tree I wanted in terms of size and looks. Today he showed up before the A-team arrived and we did a walk-through talking about the details for each tree. There was a small task that we had talked about during the first visit which some how didn't make it into the appraisal. No problem, it would be done. And to add icing to the cake, Jake told me the company paid the workers well. I said that's good to hear! There was a larger company I got an estimate from, but I'm glad I went with Urban Arborist. I trust Jake and appreciate the personalized service he provides. read more

If you need trees trimmed or removed, don't hesitate to call The Urban Arborist. Mark came out to give me an estimate for multiple trees and a monster Cecile Brunner rose, all of which were hanging over or climbing on my roof, which is scheduled to be replaced. He really listened to what I wanted, and to what my neighbors, one the owner of a tree and rose, the other owner of the big trees, wanted. The day of the work, Mark came out and checked in to make sure the crew knew exactly what was expected - telling me he wanted to make sure I was 100% satisfied with the work. I was, as were the neighbors involved with the project. Cesar, the foreman of the tree/rose cutting crew, was a really good listener as well and took suggestions as he cut. Communication with Mark was excellent. Set up and clean-up were excellent and conscientious. The take-away, if you want to work with friendly, respectful, professionals who know how to listen, communicate well, and do a great job, call The Urban Arborist. read more

Very professional - excellent communication. They actually came on time. I'm happy with the service I received, highly recommend.

5 Stars! The crew was fast, efficient and neat. Though it was big tree that spread over 1/2 the street and spanned across both my neighbors, they cut by handsaws and trimmers, avoiding the noise of a chainsaw. They were done in less than 2 hours, swept up completely and had a great attitude. I've asked them to price my backyard trees read more

We had such a great experience working with Jake and his team over at The Urban Arborist. As recent new homeowners, we adopted quite a few trees on our property. Among them, two beautiful and mature redwoods. We were nervous and unsure as to what our responsibilities should be to the trees on our property. Were they getting enough water? Were they healthy? We looked around and eventually found The Urban Arborist. We called and set up a free consultation. When the consultation date arrived, Jake dove right in. Identifying every tree on the property and he provided us his expert perspective on the state of each tree. When we might need to act on them and how long we could possibly wait before taking action. We were able to separate all the work we envisioned done into chunks and Jake was happy to go through the plan with us. We prioritised the redwoods as the first bit of work and needless to say, we are very pleased with the results! They estimated 6 hours of work but the team was able to get the work done in record time! Everyone was so friendly and yet focused on the job. We're so happy with the results and our neighbours are too. :) read more

DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY! Short version: the police had to come and explain to the owner they would have to arrest him if he broke in to our house. Longer version: they came out to get a fallen tree off our roof, which was causing leaks in our house. After a full day of work, not only had they not gotten the branches off our roof, they had also broken a trap door and another door in my house. Their "project manager", Killian, had no idea what his crew was up to, and their owner, Josef, did nothing to rectify the situation, and instead stopped picking up when I called him after telling me I was "being difficult" when telling him about the damage his crew had caused. I held their tools as collateral until they paid for the damage they caused, which is when they called the police, who quickly established (thank you for your service, SFPD!) that I had the right to hold their tools and their owner couldn't break into my home (yes, that had to be clarified to him..). Josef is an unprofessional owner who doesn't address serious issues when they occur. Killian is an incompetent project manager, who disrespects his workers (I observed him shouting at them multiple times) and customers. They ended up paying for the damage they had caused. However, this cost me a half day away from work dealing with these idiots and the police, and two more days of water damage in my house as the commotion they caused scared away the backup crew I had hired to do the job. These folks might be the cheapest, but engage with them at your peril! read more

I've written a review before, but sending one in again because UA is just amazing. UA came (on time) to check out the crack in the trunk of my tree and explained what was happening and then wrapped it together with bungy cords as that's all that could be done. He was very nice in general and told me all about the other trees in the yard. We have to wait and see what happens to this tree, but this was the best fix for now. I really love UA!! read more

We've used Scott and his crew several times in the last 6 years and have been completely satisfied with their work. Great communication before the job, they show up on time, do what they say they'll do and do an incredible job cleaning up. Highly recommended! read more

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Hands down an outstanding Arborist; no need to call others, you found one of the best here. The Urban Arborist went above and beyond to work with us and the neighbors to ensure everyone knew what was going on. Stuart, the manager for our job, was incredibly nice and communicative. Their crew quickly cut down a large redwood tree and preserved parts of it for later use in the house. Urban Arborist even offered to come on the weekend to do work. Overall The Urban Arborist is a great company which I will use again in the future and happily refer to others. read more

Urban Arborist did a great job in pruning a tree on the street in front of our house and the overgrown hedges in the back yard. The crew arrived on time, worked quickly, and cleaned up a large amount of debris. read more

The Urban Arborist - Tree Services Near Me - San Francisco, California

Stuart and his team are total pros. They did a great job cutting back 2 Neighbours trees after advising me of the "ins and outs" of cutting trees overhanging my property from next door. They showed up on time, did the work quickly, to my specs and cleaned up perfectly after the work. I'll be using them going forward for the twice a year from illl be needing for those trees I'd definitely recommend them. read more