I was referred to Ponderosa Tree Service from my next door neighbor. My neighbor had excellent results trimming/removing several trees on his property. My neighbor provided me with the contact information for Joshua Batoon, who was the project manager/certified arborist for his projects, as well as a separate project for his next door neighbor. In a nutshell, the whole transaction was seamless and great. Joshua got back to me super timely and provided an estimate very quickly. He came and explained the entire process and timing to me in detail His crew were all great. Very well trained, very respectful of my property, and very customer focused. They proactively put no parking signs in front of my property to allow their huge truck to properly park and recycle the tree limbs and branches. They trimmed a huge redwood tree. that has been partially on my property since my family bought the house back in 1956. The tree is now healthy and looks happy! I highly recommend Joshua and the workers of Ponderosa if you have a tree trimming/removal project you are contemplating. read more

Ponderosa Tree Service - The Redwood Tree trimmed by Ponderosa Tree Service. - Tree Services Near Me - Berkeley, California

Ponderosa provided a reasonable estimate, considering that they're a reputable and insured company. Scheduling and communication was easy as they've always been courteous and helpful on the phone. The crew was professional and attentive to the trees and the property, using only hand tools per my request. I'm happy with the outcome and would use them again. read more

Ponderosa Tree Service - Row of eight fern pine (podocarpus) trees - Tree Services Near Me - Berkeley, California

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They did an amazing job removing some overgrown cypress and acacias from a very narrow space. I really appreciated the care they took with removal of the cut limbs. read more

I am very pleased with the service received. We had a beetle that infected our tree and needed to cut it down. Scheduling was easy thanks to Mary in the office. The work crew showed up on time and got right to work. They did a complete job and cleaned the mess hauling away the debris. I will use them again if needed. read more

Great guy, very direct, very knowledgeable. Has been doing this for 40 years and it shows.

Ponderosa Tree Service is great! They tip-toed through my tulips to carefully trim a tree in my backyard. When I purchased the house that I'm currently in, it had a tree that was approximately 3 feet away from the exterior of the house. Over a period of just 3 years, it extended its wings such that it was touching the house. I had an exterminator come for unrelated reasons and he suggested that I have it trimmed back. I looked up local tree trimmers, and called up Ponderosa. Ponderosa was out at the property within a few days. The workers were knowledgeable and easy to work with. As I mentioned above, they tip toed through my tulips and were very delicate with the ground cover. I really appreciated this. I would definitely use them again. read more

I needed some fresh wood logs to grow mushroom. I contacted a bunch of tree services to see if they would sell me some. I got an email from Mary the very next day to coordinate picking up some maple (nobody else even responded). Within two days I got 7 nice maple wooden logs in my backyard ready to go. I want to thank Mary for responding to me so quickly and coordinating everything so well. Shoutout to the on-site team for being so nice and helpful and cutting the logs to my liking. Just a wonderful company with wonderful people. I didn't get service for a tree but I definitely will if I ever need to. A+ read more

Ponderosa Tree Service - Maple wood logs - Tree Services Near Me - Berkeley, California

Mon, Apr 29, 6:33PM Their crew did a great job today. I really appreciated the professionalism, efficiency, and courtesy of Ponderosa Tree Service. They did extensive tree trimming and removal around the perimeter of our house to help us respond to insurance renewal concerns! Thanks so much for helping us out! Very reasonable cost. I highly recommend them... read more

Ponderosa Tree Service came Friday and pruned the three coastal redwood trees in my backyard by crown reduction tip shaping . The crew did a fantastic job, everyone was friendly, professional, and efficient . My neighbors have commented on how shapely and healthy the trees look now and have thanked me for getting the work done. I have previously used Ponderosa, and both times the service and quality have been great. I highly recommend Ponderosa Tree service and will definitely call them for when my redwoods need a trim. read more

Outstanding. From the original consultation to the execution of the work, the experience was excellent. These folks know what they're doing, are well educated and masters of their art/craft. For folks in the hills and subject to wildfire inspections, they are well versed in what will pass inspections and keep us safe. read more

Fantastic service and communication. Friendly, prompt, I couldn't be happier. I will definitely call them again.

I needed to remove a dead tree from our yard that was right next to the property line. I obtained 4 quotes. Of these, Ponderosa was: 1. The most expensive: Company 1: $2200 (but I later found out are not insured) Ponderosa: $2440 Company 3: $2250 Company 4: $1800 I made the mistake of giving the previous 2 quotes' details to Company 3, but after I let them know I was going with Company 4, they offered $1700. I went with Company 3, which matched at $1700. So compared to what I paid ultimately, Ponderosa was higher by 43.5%. 2. The only company that requested access to my neighbor's yard. 3. Scheduling was for 3-4 weeks later. All other companies could schedule for the same or following week. read more

I read about Ponderosa from the community and they spoke highly of this company. I have some Oak trees on a hill that grew very large from the atmospheric river and 7 years of minimal trimming. I decided to go with them because of the great reviews of Craig Peterson, the arborist. He came over and gave me a free consultation, education about my trees and what he recommended. A day later, the company sent me an estimate which I thought was reasonable compared to what my friends were paying. Very organized company, I agreed to the work and they set up a time with me at 8:30am. Exactly at 8:30am, they arrived. A nice young man greeted me and told me they were here. 6 strong looking men and shortly later, Mr. Peterson arrived and provided leadership to the men. They worked non stop and the transformation of my trees was just incredible. It was a tough job with old ivy wrapped around the tree and dried out but they worked diligently to remove it. Great preparation for fire season. My trees looked healthier from their cutting large branches and beautiful pruning and the trees do not look squeezed in together. My neighbors were also happy with the work because we have some space between the trees. The team also cleaned up all the branches and debri from the job. So great quality, good value and expertise plus a friendly, hard working crew and very knowledgeable arborist. read more

During the pandemic, I called arborist Kerry of Ponderosa Tree Service to prune several large trees. Turns out that I actually had a large tree and several large bushes! Kerry's team came up with a good plan for accessing and maintaining these big woodsy friends of mine. They didn't do the neatest job, but eventually (3-4 weeks later) they came back to fix the things I initially requested and had paid for them to complete. I will use their services again in the future. I appreciated the complete removal (from my property) of all the plant matter they trimmed off. I appreciated the detailed aspects of their proposal and written work estimate. I love the enhanced safety and health of my trees. It is not easy to get maintenance activities done during the pandemic, and I am really glad I was able to check this essential task off of my to-do list, with the help of Yelp, and Ponderosa. read more

Loved working with ponderosa - they helped us get rid of our old tree, and find a suitable replacement. Made the whole thing easy, they handled all the work, and they came in at significantly less than other arborists that we had bid. Highly recommend them! Have been recommending them to our friends for sure. read more

This group cares so deeply about trees! We have to take out a beloved tree due to a safety issue and their arborists went the extra mile trying to find a solution. Kerry Bliss even reached back on a weekend with information on doing cuttings and grafting as to preserve the longevity of the tree! And he was so kind and friendly. You can tell he loves his job and the trees! read more

During the storms, a large tree blocked one of our entrances and created a hazard. One service promised to take care of it and blew us off. Another offered a quote for removal, which we explicitly said we were not ready to do. Ponderosa came when called, showed up early the next day and took care of everything in half the time they quoted. Terrific work. Highly recommend. read more

A friend recommended Ponderosa and they did an excellent job. We have 2 large and beautiful ash trees in the backyard. Ponderosa said they were in good health and was able to trim or should I say pollard the trees in a timely manner. They explained everything to me, were friendly and left the area exceptionally clean. Sorry I didn't take a before photo but hopefully these give an idea of the amount of work. I recommend and would use again. read more

Ponderosa Tree Service - Just some of the branches that were trimmed. - Tree Services Near Me - Berkeley, California

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They are great and helped me assess the need for work without charging me. Very honest and reliable company.

Kerry was great. He is very knowledgeable and informative. He let us know that our curly willow was sick with heart rot, which was confirmed by one other company. Two other companies (certified arborists) didn't say a thing. He advised us there was no way to know when it might keel over and that would have caused major damage to ours or three neighbors' properties, yikes! We decided to remove the tree to eliminate the risk of expensive damage. What a bittersweet decision as this tree was a distinctive accent to our back yard. Kerry arrived on the day of removal just after the crew. It was great to have him there again with the "hand off" to the crew. The crew was friendly and efficient. They put out no parking signs the day before to make room for their trucks and the wood chipper. Our dogs made friends with the crew during their lunch break, especially our dachshund who loves food! When they were done with the removal we realized their stump grinder would not fit up our narrow steps from the driveway up to the backyard. Kerry came to the rescue by stopping by to tell me he would get Bob, who specializes in stump grinding to contact me to schedule a time. Guess what, Bob showed up 1-2 hours later with Ray and his crew chief Kona his collie/cattle dog mix. What a sweetheart she is! She kept an eye on them from afar to make sure they completed the job. Ponderosa was not the least expensive, but they were the most organized from start to finish. As professional as you can get! 5+ stars! read more

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Really went above and beyond in our free consultation. We look forward to giving these guys our business in the near future.

Craig Peterson, arborist together with Crew chief, Herculano and his team of hard workers did a fantastic job on our twin redwoods that had not been trimmed for many many years. Shaping and pruning this fifty-foot redwood and doing a great job of cleaning up afterwards. Top marks for making the redwood look beautiful again! Unsolicited compliments from our neighbors. A job well done!! read more

Craig from Ponderosa came out and was very knowledgeable. He helped answer all my questions even after he provided the quote. We had some stumps removed that were near a gas line and Ponderosa did the 811 call and removed them expertly! All things others weren't willing to do. We also had 3 trees removed with the stumps ground down (several arborists didn't include the stump grinding) and Ponderosa's prices were very reasonable. They were also very responsive to some issues that came up. Very happy with the work and service, would highly recommend. read more

Showed up on time, in masks, ready to work with a full crew. They were synchronized and efficient, amenable to neighbors. Fully communicative by email. Best of all, they managed to take down our 4 story high deodor cedar in the same day, with less than 2 hours the following morning to grind down the stump. From time of my first call to the estimate to job completion was only 10 days. Priced very reasonably, thrilled we can pay by credit card over the phone. read more

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I just had Ponderosa remove a plum tree in my backyard that was just off the fence line between our home and a neighbor. I was nervous about branches falling over on to our neighbors side, but the Ponderosa crew removed the tree and ground the stump so expertly, carefully, and quickly that there was nothing to worry about. I was really impressed. Also Kim, who I think is the office manager of Ponderosa Tree Service was just great. Every time I had a question Kim was always super responsive and friendly. It's so nice to work with a company that has great customer service and is great at what they do. A++++ read more

We have two Coastal redwoods in our backyard, each over 100 feet tall. Ponderosa has been our service for years - pruning, removing dead limbs, etc. We can't say enough about them. They know what they're doing, remove just enough to keep the trees healthy and safe. They leave our yard and the yards of our neighbors impacted by the work immaculate. Their prices are quite reasonable. We love these enormous trees and Ponderosa has been wonderful helping us care for them. read more

They worked patiently and collaboratively with me to thin my redwood trees to open up a view, and the trees ended up looking just like I wanted them to look. The workers left my yard cleaner than when they found it, and the guys were considerate and helpful. Great Company read more

On Fri 8/4/2023, I wrote to a dozen companies trying to find someone who could transplant my peach tree. As of 4:45 on Mon 8/7/2023, I have 4 responses (2 no-can-do, & 1 warning that it would be expensive with no garuntee of success.) Only Kerry Bliss at Ponderosa Tree Service wrote me a very detailed and informative reply about why transplanting that tree was not a good idea. He had examined the photos I sent and thoroughly analyzed the situation and determined the tree would almost certainly not survive a transplant, and gave good advice about what to do and what not to do. He gave this advice out freely, knowing he would not be benefitting from telling me all this. Well, except that maybe he will benefit in that his generous, knowledgable, informative and thoroughly professional reply inspired this review on Yelp, and if I have tree needs in the future, I now know who to contact. read more

They left my gate to my deck open and my dog got out. Luckily a neighbor found my dog before he got run over by a car, lost, or stolen. I checked the videotapes recorded on my Ring security cameras. They came onto my deck 3-4 times and left the gate open for over an hour. There's clearly a doggy door onto the deck and also a fake grass area there for my dog to go potty. You can even hear my dog barking at them on the videotapes. They never closed the gate, my neighbor did after she found my dog. I had ignored the Ring camera notifications at work all morning bc I knew they would be there. Luckily I finally checked one of the videos and saw my dog go out the gate. I was unable to leave work since I was about to start an operation (I'm a doctor). I was literally panicking ab my dog. Thank God one of my neighbors was home and found my dog outside. I would have been so heartbroken if something happened to my dog. And it ruined the rest of my workday. They offered me a 10% discount but I don't really think this is enough considering the potential ramifications. They should have at least closed the gate behind them, or notified me that they would be on my deck so I could lock my dog inside. read more

The Ponderosa crew was great from start to finish. Craig arrived on time to provide an estimate, and as an arborist, advised us as to how to care for palm trees and what Ponderosa can do to effectively groom our oasis. Craig provided a line-item breakdown of the trees and bamboo that will need pruning and the respective costs. ​His estimate of total costs was reasonable and a work date was scheduled. The crew arrived at the scheduled time and each member was friendly and professional. They did an excellent job of turning our jungle backyard into a relaxing and enjoyable place to escape to once again. Thank you, Ponderosa! We will definitely see you again! read more

I contacted him via yelp and he responded immediately! I showed him a very large tree (even taller than our 2 story house). I didn't know he's from Concord, but he was willing to come to San Francisco with all his gear. When they came to my house to remove the tree, he brought a team of 5 people and many machines to professionally fell the tree and remove the stump. Not only did he help remove everything from the tree, but also all my branches and leaves that I had (ready for my removal, but my compost bin can only fit so much each week) without me asking! I was so glad he helped with all of this and cleared the tree of debris before leaving. Thank you very much read more

Craig Peterson came out to discuss what our beautiful, but unbalanced live oak tree needed to be healthy and safe. It was planted, perhaps by a squirrel, close enough to our home that it hasn't been able to grow symmetrically and some of the branches over the street looked awfully heavy and potentially hazardous. Its a huge tree and needed extensive shaping. We had several arborists out, and found the amount of the estimate to be fair considering the amount of work needed. What set Ponderosa apart was Craig himself. He took the time to explain everything, why he would and would not do this or that, and really spent a solid chunk of time looking at it from every vantage point he could. Craig and the crew worked diligently and carefully throughout the day and cleaned everything up before leaving. Most importantly, the shape of the tree looks perfect. Very happy with everything! read more

Ponderosa Tree Service - Tree Services Near Me - Berkeley, California

Highly recommend the wonderful team from Ponderosa. They did a fabulous job pruning a huge Podocarpus tree. Watching them work almost made me cry. They worked hard, great teamwork, all the while smiling!! And the head guy who climbs into tree is a " virtuoso" tree pruner. read more

Ponderosa is great, from the guy who came out to give the free estimate, to the office staff who we dealt with, to the guy who came out to do the work. Real craftsmen, did a great job trimming, shaping, and thinning our Japanese Maple, removing a diseased apple tree, and taking out another stump infested with termites. read more

I was very impressed with the level of service from Ponderosa. Craig, their arborist, came out and met with me to determine what needed to be done for each tree that I was concerned about. He wore a mask and kept his distance during this important time. Some trees needed a full trim and shape, and others just needed cleaning up. When the crew arrived (I would have given 5 stars but they didn't check in with me when they got here and didn't start until after the arrival window) they worked efficiently and cleaned up after themselves. I will use them again and would recommend them to anyone looking for a great job with a knowledgeable arborist. read more

Very knowledgeable and they did a very nice job trimming a large coastal oak that was taking over our backyard. The workers also did a great job cleaning up after themselves. I would highly recommend. read more

Everyone from Ponderosa was excellent to work with. Craige was on time to the appointment to give us a removal quote. The quote was in line with our expectations for the scope of the job. Mary was very friendly and helpful. The entire crew was hardworking, safe, efficient and friendly. They left our yard immaculate. read more

Great work! Appreciate that everyone was mindful of the garden while servicing tree. Thank you

I know why these guys have 5 stars. Great service! We met with a few companies to get bids for cutting down a dead trim and trimming others to improve our view. From the 1st meeting, it was clear that they know about trees and understood our needs. These guys came in, got the job done quickly, cleaned up after themselves, solicited our feedback during the process, and adapted to some change requests. We couldn't be happier & I can't say enough about the quality of work and professionalism. Call these guys! read more

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Can't say enough about what an impressive job this company did for us! A neighbor's tree (huge Monterey pine) fell in our yard, breaking through a fence and crushing several oaks. This was at the top of a very steep hill. The crew safely removed the fallen tree and the crushed oaks as well. They left the area clean of all branches and debris. Just a fantastic job! read more