Ponderosa Tree Service

Ponderosa Tree gave me excellent service. I had a huge Deodar Cedar Tree in my front yard. I loved the tree but it was not the right place for such a beautiful giant. Kerry Bliss came promptly to give me an estimate. He gave me his professional advice and explained the scope of the work. His manner inspired confidence. He was knowledgeable yet easy-​going. When the work was scheduled, they were prompt, thorough and left the place very clean. The office staff, Robert and Benjamin provided excellent service. They trusted me, a new customer, and did the work without asking for a down payment. I highly recommend Ponderosa Tree and will call on them in the future.

I had used Ponderosa at my home before, and have always been satisfied with their work. We recently asked them to take out a stump in front of the library. They were responsive, came out quickly and gave an estimate, and had USA prep the area by checking for underground lines or pipes. When they did the work they did a really great job! They totally removed the stump, farther in reach than we originally thought it to be. The crew member also helped our head gardener move two bordering rocks, way above and beyond the task. They cleaned up the site completely. Wonderful company — we would definitely use them next time.

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 Unilocal,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

We called and set up a appointment, they arrived on time and got to work to remove a tree the guy poncho who climbed the tree was great new exactly what to due, they finished fast what great group all were very nice.
Thanks
Robert

We had a very large and very complex job to get done and Ponderosa did it. We are surrounded on canyons on three sides, we had very large trees to get cut down, we had a hill to navigate (to haul out the debris) and had an extremely call Redwood that required trimming.
Beyond that, a substantial portion of the debris had to be removed by hand, because of the confined space.
The crew worked in extreme heat and under a very rapid turn-​around, and did a remarkable job.
We will have them back to do some final work once the rest of our renovation is done, but we can’t speak highly enough for the service and attention.
Well done.

Prompt and good service.

Kerry is the greatest! He came all the way out to my place and answered my questions, then waived the fee because it was such a quick and easy trip. He also promised to text me photos from his niece’s circus wedding. :D

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.

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.

What an amazing crew!!! Very detailed, organized, and reasonable. Highly recommend.

I used Ponderosa to trim back a tree growing close to the house so that I could get my roof replaced. The estimate was very reasonable, the work was scheduled within three days, and the crew did a nice job of pruning the tree and giving it a balanced shape. I will definitely call them again.

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.

Francisco and his crew came in this morning to cable my Redwoods and cut down three sickly fruit trees. They were efficient, polite and professional. Additionally, the price for this work was very reasonable. I priced it out with two other vendors and Ponderosa came in $ 500 less than the next lowest bid. I highly recommend them and will call them back for any other work that comes up.

wow! what a bunch (group) of really nice guys working with Ponderosa Tree Service. Friendly and they all seemed genuine-​ly happy. Oh did I mentioned their tree service is great.

Great work and best price. We had them come to cut down an 80 – 90 foot palm tree. I felt bad for the guy that had to climb the thing. The trunk is so narrow and swayed in the wind. He climbed it with ease, tied it, and cut off the top with a chainsaw. Bye palm tree! We also had them grind down about some additional stumps. Our yard seems so much more open and workable now. I’d hire them again.

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!

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.

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.

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

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 Unilocal 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.