We have used Empire Tree Experts over the past several years for tree removal and tree trimming. They have always done work as requested and agreed to exactly as expected and at a very reasonable price. They have always been courteous and left the job site clean to our satisfaction. We highly recommend them to others. read more

The guys get things done in record time and what a great job this tree company does at my property. My trees look amazing! Thanks so much!

Similar to some of the other reviews the owner Lucas is really hard to get a hold of and scheduling was incredibly difficult. Lucas was really prompt with coming out and giving an estimate. The estimate was the most reasonable for removal of one tree. However getting him to come to do the work was really hard. Not very responsive. Scheduled a few times starting back in October. The last time he/crew never showed up to do the job. I gave up after the third try in December. Very disappointed. read more

In reference to the yelp review below created by Alexandra L. I work for Empire Tree experts and I am well aware of how the job she is referring to went today. The owner Lucas called HIS customer today who mind you isn't the woman who wrote the review and told her he could have the job done today. His customer who is the mother to this person that doesn't understand the impact of slander said that's great I'll meet you there. So to clarify her comment about showing up a day early unannounced is entirely false. Also referring to the comment about cutting into the neighbors yard that's false as well. They trimmed a common tree and never cut onto the neighbors property in any way. The crew had a conversation with the neighbor who confirmed this as well. She was just upset that she wasn't informed that our customer was going to be trimming the tree. The truth is the woman who wrote the review was taking online classes from home and she didn't like the noise. She isn't our customer and she wasn't the point of contact for Lucas, the point of contact was her mother who said it was ok to complete the tree job today. read more

Took out 2 very large liquid amber trees that were destroying the sidewalk and 3 smaller trees in the back yard. The crew showed up on time, were very fast and efficient, and did an excellent job of cleanup and hauling away debris. Showed up on time when we requested a bid and were quick in giving us a price. Their bid was the most reasonable one we received and we were very satisfied with the whole process. read more

Chris and his crew were great. They listened to what we wanted, did the work in a short time, and cleaned up thoroughly.

The guys who came to trim and top my tress were exceptionally nice and helpful. They did a wonderful job and I felt that it was good value for the work they did. I will call them again. read more

I called and left to messages, 2 days apart to arrange for a quote to remove 45 trees (not a small job). Lucas returned my call yesterday and the tone of his voice was gruff, however he said he would come today at 10 am. I said that would be perfect. We waited until 10:45, and had to leave for an appt. in Petaluma. We left a note on the door telling him what trees we were referring to. He did not call, and he didn't come. This is not acceptable. If I am going to hire someone to do a big job on my property, it won't be with someone who doesn't even give me the courtesy of showing up or calling. This is not how you run a successful business. read more

I wanted to update my 6/25/19 review of Lucas of Empire. On the day he was supposed to show up (and didn't) we left a message for him not to bother coming out to give us an estimate. To his credit he called that evening to explain the misunderstanding. He said he would come out the next day at 10:00am and he showed up as promised, even a little early. He was personable and professional and explained the scope of work. He said he would have an estimate for us the next day and called us the next day to confirm the email address. We are waiting for the estimate so that we can make our decision. We did receive the estimate from Lucas in a timely manner and he was by far the lowest bid of three that we got to remove 50 40' tall Lelandi Cypress including grinding out the stumps. We scheduled the work and his crew of 7 arrived on time and went to work. Lucas was on another job, but his foreman Chris took charge of our job. Chris and all the guys worked really hard removing all of the trees in only 4 days. They also chipped everything and delivered the chips to several of our friends in our neighborhood. Not only was the crew hard working, but they were also friendly and respectful. We enjoyed having them at our home. Lucas came by himself a few days later and ground out the stumps. The only issue we had was that in trying to back a very large truck through a vehicle gate numerous times, one of the wooden gate posts was broken off at the base. Lucas said that he would take care of it and for us not to settle the final bill until it was done. John and Israel came out, removed the post and concrete and set a new post in concrete. They rehung the gate and cleaned up. They also helped me work on stabilizing another gate post. Both great guys. Overall, we were very pleased with the work of the crew and the responsiveness of Lucas. read more

Empire Tree Experts have twice come out and trimmed out our Cypresses. The first time, I met with Lucas and went over exactly how the trees were to be trimmed. He gave me an estimate, and his crew came out with a wood chipper and did about half the job we had agreed upon. Lucas came back out, took a look, and agreed that the job was incomplete. I hung with the crew when they came back, and when it got dark, they decided they were finished. Since the job had clearly taken a lot more effort than it had maybe looked like at first, I did not press for day three, although the job was still not complete. A few months later, Lucas and the crew came back to do the same trees again. This time, I could not be there, and my instructions were lost in the translation. Lucas remembered me, remembered the job, remembered the trees, but did not remember anything about my particular desires. And I could not be there at all that time. I was horrified to come back and find the trees had been trimmed like hedges. Plus there were pieces of tree all over the place. These are cypress trees. Think Monterey, Think open and beat up looking by the weather. Think romance. Hedge clipped? Squared off? I called Lucas, told him that since I had not been there to give the instructions I would not hold the job against him, but could he please send the crew out to pick up the debris. No one came out. No one returned my calls. I filled about a dozen trash bags with the debris and the garbage service picked it up. Months later, Lucas called about his bill. Was I going to pay it? I had never gotten the bill, and it was too late to insist he pick up the debris. I resigned myself to paying the bill and resolved never to use Lucas again. This year, I trimmed my own trees. And guess what. Inside the hedge trim job was the rest of the story. Branches and twigs, mostly pieces of dark brown tree hacked off and just left lying on top of the branches. Fallen into the branches, forming a density of dead stuff that has to be penetrated and prodded loose just to get the tree trimming gadget into the part of the tree that needs to be trimmed. Like dreadlocks, tree style. Like dreadlocks you have to comb out, tree style. Were it not for the fact the Lucas at one time actually tried to fix a botched job, I would not give him two stars. The last time, he just ignored and intimidated me with collections after a truly abysmal job. Do not be fooled by the beautiful photographs on his web site. You can do a better job yourself with a $79 trimmer from the hardware store - at a huge savings over his quadruple digit bill. read more

Our landlord asked for a bid on removing a limb that had fallen and to trim two trees in our back yard. While waiting for another tree service to deliver the other bid for same work, Lucas came out with a crew without being requested and started to take down both trees. We called the landlord and asked the men to stop the removal. The landlord came out and stopped the work. Lucas was presumptuous and took down one of the trees that only needed to be trimmed. I would not trust this Company to do any work in the future. We had another tree service complete the work, and were satisfied with their work. read more

We got an estimate and the work was done two weeks later. Great job good clean up and reasonably priced. The one thing I really liked was John explain to me why they were trimming the trees the way they were to keep them healthy. read more

Excellent service. Lucas quote was great and the work was done as scheduled. Very happy with the results and the cleanup.

Lucas talks a good game,but has NO CLUE about customer service or anything about it!!! He promises one day and ignores you for two more. When his crew finally showed, they didn't want to talk and proceeded to chop the shit out of my trees leaving them with little coverage. He said he'd send the boom truck to top them to the correct level. But his crew climbed and chopped from there. Wouldn't recommend him!!! read more

A neighbor owns a home on the next street over and has property that backs up to my backyard, which encompasses a tree-lined creek between the two houses. My property line runs up to half the width of the creek. The neighbor hired Empire Tree Experts to trim some trees this morning. When I heard the commotion of their chainsaw I looked out my window and was stunned to see them working on cutting down a tree on MY property. I ran outside to confront a worker and told him he was on my property, to stop cutting immediately and to climb down off of my tree. He ignored me and when I was more forceful about my demand he gave me the finger. Finally I located the crew supervisor to try and stop the cutting. He did not immediately tell his employee to stop cutting. It wasn't until the neighbor came outside to resolve the matter that I got any satisfaction. Empire Tree Experts are no experts whatsoever. How do you begin cutting down a tree without even verifying whether the tree is on the customer's property or not and then disregard the demand of the impacted neighbor to stop? I would never use Empire Tree Experts as they behaved in a very unprofessional manner and I suggest you do the same. read more

we have a large wooded lot with big oaks & some smaller trees, empire came in and cleaned up the low hanging branches, took the hanging moss off the trees, took large limbs off of the 2 large oaks that hang over our house, blew the roof & cleaned up all of the scrub hanging over the fence. These guys were great 6 hours of non stop work from a group of about 6 to 8 guys. It was like watching a well oiled machine work, each knew their task & went about it so professionally. I'd recommend them to anyone. They were also on time, which today means a lot. Fran & George E read more

I am flabbergasted. Lucas and his team showed up on time and quickly removed 3 large trees from my property. They did everything they said they would do, were personable and efficient. I could not believe 3 trees could be removed, chipped and cleaned up in under an hour! I highly recommend Lucas and his team. read more

Really great experience with this company! We had two very large trees taken down. One of the trees was in a very tight spot, super close to the house and a fence, but they did an awesome job. Very pleased with their professionalism, attention to detail, and their prices. Highly recommend! read more

Lucas was working in my neighborhood and came promptly when i called. His bid was the lowest, his crew( this team was led by Scott) very professional, i was impressed. I recommend everybody must get their bid when comparing bids. read more

I read the reviews below before I said yes to Lucas. The negative ones really concerned me so I talked to him about them. He explained several things to me that made me decide to give him a chance because he was so much cheaper than the other estimates I had received. (Less than 1/2.) I am so glad that I did! His crew was very courteous and helpful, answering my questions and explaining things to me. Victor, the man up in the cherry picker, was very open to my requests for him to redo a couple of areas that he had already cut. (I don't think I have said that it was a big beautiful oak tree in my front yard that I entrusted them with.) They also left my property, the sidewalk and the street very clean. I'd give them 4 1/2 stars and wouldn't hesitate to ask them to come back again. read more

They are awful. Took down a tree then came back 2 weeks later with a backhoe to remove the large rounds from the backyard. Ran down my fence then went back and forth over the grass. Turned it into a muddy, swampy mess 4 weeks before my daughters backyard birthday party. You pay for what you get...even less. read more

I'm just rating the politeness of their driver. I and four other people had the misfortune of getting behind the driver of this company. He drove WAY under the speed limit, which is understandable for a big truck, but it was on a back road and he refused to pull over and let us pass. I drive that road every day for work and have never gotten behind someone that rude. He made us all so late. Crazy rude. From reading the other reviews of this company I get the feeling this is pretty typical for them. read more

I recently used Empire to remove a eucalyptus tree that was about to fall on my house from the all the rain. I called Lucas at 2am he was more than helpful, in fact he showed up with a couple guys around 45 minutes later. The crew was extremely nice considering that they were working in the freexing rain in the middle of the night. They had the tree on the ground, and my family and home out of danger before my kids had to be up and ready for school. There was a hole in my garage roof from a different tree that dropped a branch, and the guys not only removed the debris but they tarped the roof up for me free of charge. I called several other tree services only to be forwarded to a call center that prompted me to leave a message and wait for a call back; meanwhile my house was about to be crushed by a dangling tree. However, Lucas and his boys showed up and saved the day, or rather the middle of the night. I didnt even receive a call back from another tree service until after Empire was on the job and the tree was on the ground. I was expecting a massive bill, considering these guys showed up in the middle of the night in the rain. However, to my pleasant surprise Lucas gave me a stellar deal, not only on the eucalyptus, but on the stump removal and trimming my ornamental trees as well. All in all I couldnt have asked for a better deal and a better experience. My family and I owe Lucas and his boys a tremendous thank you. I wouldnt even consider using another tree service!! read more

Just had Empire Tree Experts do some tree removal work for us. They were excellent. I called to ask for a quote, got an immediate call back, and by the end of the day had the quote in hand. The price quoted was great so I immediately agreed and by the next afternoon the work had been done. My job was not huge, so a crew came by in the afternoon after completing another job in the neighborhood. They were professional, quick, neat, and safe in taking down two trees in close proximity to my house. I will definitely call them again to do my bi-annual oak trimming. read more

I had three very large Monterrey pines needing removal. Lucas gave me a great price and Chris the foreman and his crew did an amazing job taking down the trees, chipping and cutting up the wood. They are very skilled and efficient at what they do. I plan on having them do addition tree work. read more

I can't say enough great things about Empire Tree Experts. Lucas Graves, the owner was very accommodating since I felt I had an emergency situation during the recent Red Flag warning. Lucas came out to give me a quote and was able to to schedule a crew the next morning to remove a huge tree branch, cleanup and take away all the debris. The entire crew was very courteous, professional, safety conscious and efficient. If you're looking for the best call Empire Tree Experts! read more

We used Empire to remove several trees and our neighbor also used them. We both found the same thing: they will show up to take your money and do most of the job, but good luck getting them to come back and 1) finish the job and 2) clean up the mess they leave behind. The owner *will* call and hassle you for full payment, however! Hold back a sizable portion of payment until you are satisfied the job is done--we did this and finally (after 8 months of asking them to finish the job) used the money to hire someone else to finish it. read more

Called this co. To take down some large dead oak trees on the property. Came out for an estimate. Didn't hear from them and after many calls they made an appointment. Never showed or called to cancel. Finally after more calls they show up. When my back was turned they took and entire truck load, only half mine and dumped the chips right off the drive in full sight. Could not believe the gall. Asked him to remove but fell on deaf ears. I cannot recommend these guys at all. It was just a continual headaches dealing with them read more

I just had a crew over here today and was very impressed not only with the excellent work they did but how wonderful the men were. Great personalities, worked well together and they all worked in sync as a team. I would highly recommend this company and the pricing was very competitive as well. Lucas can be tough to get hold of but at the end of the day he makes sure you are taken care of. He was here the day after I called for an estimate and he even did a follow up letter. He is a very busy guy but the entire company just works so hard to take care of the customers needs. My neighbor had a dead oak tree hanging over our mutual fence and we had discussed trying to take it down ourselves but after watching the Empire crew go through that process I'm glad we didn't try and do it ourselves. They cleaned up all our oak trees of dead wood along with a really good clean up of the yard. Great job guys! read more

Don't hire them. Despite several requests, Lucas never gave us a contract. We hired them last fall and we are still cleaning up the mess they left. Logs were scattered all over. They were asked to put fence back to keep the livestock in, didn't happen. We asked that the logs be cut, some were left long and family had to do it. Those that were cut, only half were cut according to the correct length. There are also many logs that have not been cut through, again family has to do it. They said they would cut the stumps down, they are still there; one is almost 4 feet high. We are in our '80s and relied on Lucas to do the job he said he would do. Instead we have to finish the job by asking our children to come and help us. read more

Lucas and crew removed 3 trees and trimmed the branches of 4 redwoods away from the utility lines. They did an excellent job and were very friendly and easy to deal with. The clean up was impeccable! I highly recommend Empire and will certainly not hesitate to call them when I need any tree work done! read more

I don't know what's going on with Yelp. I posted a favorable 5-star review of Empire Tree Service on February 28, 2014, and the review is gone from the website. What happened to it? Who removed it? Is "Yelp" reliable? Now I don't know. These review sites are becoming phony because a few "clients" pay for their reviews on Yelp and perhaps pay to remove those of their competitors. That's the way I feel now. I had Empire Tree Service at my place in Monte Rio for a second visit this year on March 11, 2014, this year. They finished their job here by cutting down three tall bay trees and cleaning up the yard. They left my place in good order, and I am a totally satisfied client. But now I wonder what's the use of my contributing any comments to Yelp? I don't know. Not everyone may agree with me, but who has the right to take down my earlier review. Let me assure everyone that I'm not Lucas Graves's father or mother-in-law but a client who calls him once every six years and is entirely satisfied with his crew's work - and with the price. I truly hate to see his crew get this rap. They deserve better - at least a chance for an honest evaluation. Yes, I'm angry. But I hope this will help some to check all the choices and make a good decision about tree removal and trimming. I'm for real. And it'll be your loss if you don't consider Empire Tree Service. read more

This company always comes in cheaper than other bids. And especially for big jobs. I have used them 6 to 8 times and they have done a great job. Left the place clean and did exactly what they promised to do. Their bid on a huge tree hanging over a house was $6000.00. Another well known company bid the same job at $25,000.00 !!!!! read more

Lowest quote by a long shot. Trimmed back my hackberry very nicely and quickly. Left the yard nice and tidy. Will use again.

If you are aiming to upset your neighbors...this is the company I would go with. Otherwise you have got much better options! Twice they worked on my neighbors property cutting trees twice they have come on my property and removed lumber for wheel chalks I watched the first time and and they saw, and still neglected to ask me even when I gave the wtf face. I had to go get my child from school and came home to find the lumber they borrowed had just been thrown in the front of my driveway so I had I stop my car in the street to move what they had so carelessly placed I called and complained and they honestly the reaction was basically a "and wtf are you telling us, your problem not mine"...two weeks later I come home to see my lumber under their wheels yet again, only to later find my lumber on the corner of another neighbors yard tossed in some high weeds, I'm sorry my car was blocking your careless placement maybe you should put thing back where they came from or better yet ask first (or maybe buy some real wheel chalks?) you disrespectful ass hat of a company! So this time I'm not calling you I'm telling yelp, seems to be more effective ! read more

Supervisor for Empire came to our property at the request of our contractor to cable a tree up. When asked how much the job would cost he became very disrespectful and said this was between the contractor and him and if we didn't like it he would pack it up and leave right now. Yelled profanities at his crew on our property. Very embarrassing. Would prefer he not return to our property. read more

I recently had a tree removed in my backyard by Empire Tree Experts. Overall, I am satisfied with the work that was done. The guys that came over were very friendly and did a nice job of cleaning up the work site after they were done. The only reason I'm rating Empire 3 stars is because the crew was about 2 hours late...which I realize happens from time to time. However, a call in advance would have been appreciated to know that they were running behind. It was convenient that we could make it work when they arrived, but I can see how this would have been very frustrating to someone that planned their day around what was originally agreed to. Thanks to the crew that came to take care of this for us... read more

I really don't know what to say about these guys. Got a higher bill than the estimate. Mess left over. Lucas wasn't there to supervise. I wasn't there because they never confirmed if/when they were showing up, just suddenly showed. They did the job, looked OK. I didn't have the type of bad experience others attest to here on Yelp. But I can't really tell if I got screwed over or not. Cannot recommend. Not professional. read more

I had an appointment at 5:30pm. I came home from work early to meet with Lucas. At 6:00pm I called and asked where was Lucas. I was told he would call me. I never heard from them again. How do they stay in business?! read more

I'm posting an update due to a surprising and welcome development. I was contacted by Lukas who referenced my prior review, apologized, and expressed a desire to make things right. I told him how much I had paid to finish the work that his company agreed to but did not complete on the original job. A few weeks later, the full amount arrived in the mail. It was not a trivial amount, so this could not have been easy. He did not express an expectation that I would remove or modify my Yelp review in response to this, so he basically sent me the refund not knowing what the public outcome would be. This speaks to a positive character development. Whatever the impetus for his change of heart or evolution in ethics, I acknowledge that he has made things right with me through his actions. Thank you, Lukas, for taking the time to do the right thing. It is appreciated, and I wish success to you and your business. I've updated the rating to 4 stars to reflect this. read more