Tree service in Walnut Creek
Tree removal, pruning, stump grinding and our other services in Walnut Creek, about 7 miles from our yard in Martinez.
Emergency work 24 hours a day, 7 days a weekCall (925) 228-1010
In Walnut Creek a permit depends mostly on trunk size: one is needed for any tree with a single trunk 28 inches or more in circumference, about 9 inches across, eucalyptus and Monterey pine included. The City arborist visits before a permit is approved. Six native oaks, madrone, California buckeye, black walnut and gray pine are highly protected, with a stricter test for removal.
Our work in Walnut Creek
Clients here include:
- City of Walnut Creek
- Rossmoor
- Heather Farms HOA
Tree permits in Walnut Creek
- Who reviews a permit
- Public Works, Engineering Services
- What the code protects
- A single trunk 28 inches or more in circumference, measured 4 1/2 feet above natural grade. The City's page gives the no-permit size as less than 9 inches in diameter.
- Several trunks with an aggregate circumference of 40 inches or more, or one trunk of 28 inches.
- A tree of any size in a grove: three or more trees forming an integral cover, with stems totaling 40 inches or more in circumference.
- What has to be planted back
- Only where a reviewing body approves a highly protected tree that the director would not: then planting worth the value of the tree removed, over and above the landscaping the project owed anyway, or the payment below (WCMC 3-8.04(h)). For every other tree the director may attach conditions but the code requires no replacement.
Checked on , against Walnut Creek Municipal Code Chapter 3-8; street trees in Chapter 7-1, Article 4. Rules change, so confirm with the City before work starts.
Defensible space in Walnut Creek
Walnut Creek is served by the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (opens in a new tab), which requires weeds kept to no more than 3 inches on a parcel of five acres or less, by June 1 in 2026.
On CAL FIRE's 2025 Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps, no part of Walnut Creek is rated Very High; 3,542 acres are rated High.
Tree work in Walnut Creek: common questions
- Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Walnut Creek?
- Walnut Creek requires a tree removal permit for any tree on any property with a single trunk 28 inches or more in circumference, or several trunks totaling 40 inches or more, measured 4 1/2 feet above natural grade, and for any tree in a grove. The City arborist visits before a permit is approved. The full rules, with the code and the City's own page, are on our tree permits page.
- What do I have to plant back after removing a tree in Walnut Creek?
- Only where a reviewing body approves a highly protected tree that the director would not: then planting worth the value of the tree removed, over and above the landscaping the project owed anyway, or the payment below (WCMC 3-8.04(h)). For every other tree the director may attach conditions but the code requires no replacement. A payment equal to the appraised value of the tree removed, spent on trees in city parks and open space. The value comes from an ISA appraisal, so there is no flat rate.
- Who enforces defensible space in Walnut Creek?
- The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, which requires weeds kept to no more than 3 inches on a parcel of five acres or less, by June 1 in 2026.
- Do you take emergency calls in Walnut Creek?
- Yes. We take emergency calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at (925) 228-1010.
Talk to someone about a tree in Walnut Creek
Estimates are free. Tell us what you’re looking at and we’ll come and have a look.