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Elms have a long history in Sacramento. The Sacramento Tree Foundation notes that many city streets were once lined with elms, and elms were among the city's earliest planting fashions (Sacramento Tree Foundation – Growing a resilient urban forest). Today you'll mostly see Chinese (lacebark) elms in yards and parking strips, plus some older American and other elms. Elms bring two well-known pests — Dutch elm disease and the elm leaf beetle — and one of them is a real reason to remove a tree quickly. This guide explains how to tell them apart, what UC IPM recommends, the permit rules around Sacramento, and what removal typically costs.
Species matters for the diagnosis, so if you're not sure, have an ISA Certified Arborist identify the tree.
Dutch elm disease (DED) is caused by introduced vascular wilt fungi. According to UC IPM – Dutch Elm Disease, it has killed several thousand elms in California, mostly in the San Francisco Bay Area and around Sacramento — and millions in the Midwest and East since 1930.
Symptoms. Leaves first yellow and wilt, usually in one portion of the canopy. They then turn brown, curl, and die but stay on the branches. Cutting off bark reveals blackish to brown streaks in the wood, and a cross-section of an infected branch shows dark concentric rings. UC IPM – Bark Beetles adds that elms showing yellowing or wilting branches in spring may be infected and should be reported to the county agricultural commissioner.
How it spreads. Elm bark beetles pick up spores from dead or dying trees or infected elm logs and infect healthy elms when they feed on young twigs. People spread it by moving infected elm wood, and pruning or injection tools can carry it. It also moves through natural root grafts between nearby elms.
What UC IPM recommends:
UC IPM – Elm Leaf Beetle describes the elm leaf beetle as a leaf-chewing pest, especially of European elms; American and most Asian elms are fed on less, and most Chinese elm cultivars are infrequently fed upon. Adults chew holes through the leaves, often in a shothole pattern, and larvae skeletonize the leaf surface so it turns brown to whitish.
The key points from UC IPM:
UC IPM – Anthracnose lists the Chinese elm cultivars Evergreen and True Green as susceptible to anthracnose and Drake as resistant, but notes that all Chinese elm cultivars appear resistant in warm interior areas of California, where Chinese elm anthracnose is uncommon. UC IPM adds that in California anthracnose rarely causes permanent damage except on Chinese elms, which can develop large branch and trunk cankers in more humid areas or in trees with dense, compact canopies.
UC IPM advises not pruning elms from March to September, during elm bark beetle flight season (UC IPM – Bark Beetles). When pruning is needed, do it in late fall and winter, avoid unnecessary pruning, and promptly remove dead or dying branches — they pose a limb-drop hazard and provide habitat for the bark beetles that spread DED (UC IPM – Elm Leaf Beetle). See when to trim trees and tree trimming cost.
Because beetles breed in freshly cut elm wood, UC IPM says to bury, chip, or (where permitted) burn it — or seal logs tightly under clear plastic in a sunny spot for at least 7 months. Don't keep unsealed elm wood as firewood or move it to other areas. Ask each bidder how they'll dispose of the wood, and get it in the written quote.
Leaf-beetle damage alone usually isn't a reason. Not sure? See tree removal vs. trimming: how to decide.
Other areas: City of Sacramento · unincorporated Sacramento County · Elk Grove · Roseville · Folsom · Citrus Heights · Rancho Cordova · West Sacramento · Davis. A diseased tree can still need a permit — call your city or county first, and mention suspected Dutch elm disease when you do.
We didn't find a reliable published price specific to elms, so the best guide is height. These are national published ranges (estimates, not quotes) used across this site; Sacramento-area labor often runs above national averages:
| Height | Angi | HomeGuide |
|---|---|---|
| Under 30 ft | $150–$450 | $200–$500 |
| 30–60 ft | $450–$1,200 | $500–$1,500 |
| 60–80 ft | $800–$1,500 | $850–$2,000 |
| Over 80 ft | $1,000–$2,000 | $1,200–$2,500+ |
Angi puts the national average around $750, and HomeGuide lists an $850 average. Add-ons often priced separately include stump removal (Angi: around $100–$150 per stump), cleanup and haul-off (about $70–$95), and a permit where required (around $60–$150). Chipping or hauling all the wood, as UC IPM recommends for diseased elms, may affect the price, so ask for it to be itemized. See tree removal cost in Sacramento.
Tree removal and most pruning of trees 15 feet or taller generally requires a CSLB license under Business and Professions Code § 7026.1 (C-49 Tree and Palm Contractor). Ask whether the crew disinfects tools between trees, how the wood will be disposed of, and whether the stump will be ground (call 811 first). In spring and summer, ask them to check for active nests (Fish and Game Code § 3503). See how to hire a tree service and stump grinding cost. If you're replanting, UC IPM suggests elms resistant to both Dutch elm disease and elm leaf beetle — such as Accolade, Emerald Sunshine, Frontier, Prospector, and most Chinese elms except Dynasty — or non-elms like hackberry or hornbeam.
UC IPM says Dutch elm disease first causes leaves to yellow and wilt, usually in one part of the canopy; the leaves then turn brown, curl, and die but stay on the branches. Peeling back bark on an affected branch shows brown to blackish streaks, and a cut branch shows dark rings. Elm leaf beetle damage can look similar from a distance, so look closely for chewed holes. Report suspected Dutch elm disease to your county agricultural commissioner.
UC IPM says to remove infected elms immediately so they don't spread the fungi to nearby elms, and that prompt detection and removal of dead and dying elms is the most effective way to manage the disease. Pruning out diseased limbs can work only in limited cases — when it's done promptly in the first season of symptoms, the tree is otherwise vigorous, symptoms are limited to one or a few limbs, and at least 10 feet of healthy wood separates the infection from the cut on the main trunk.
Usually not on its own. UC IPM says healthy elms can tolerate substantial leaf damage and total defoliation may have little long-term effect, especially late in the season, though repeated extensive defoliation weakens trees. It also says the elm leaf beetle hasn't been a significant, widespread problem in California since the 1990s, and most Chinese elm cultivars are infrequently fed upon.
UC IPM advises not pruning elms from March to September, when elm bark beetles that spread Dutch elm disease are flying. When pruning is needed, it recommends doing it in late fall and winter, avoiding unnecessary pruning, and promptly removing dead or dying branches, which can drop and also provide habitat for the beetles.
We didn't find a reliable published price specific to elms, so height is the best guide. National published ranges (Angi and HomeGuide) run about $150–$500 under 30 feet, $450–$1,500 for 30–60 feet, $800–$2,000 for 60–80 feet, and $1,000–$2,500 or more above 80 feet. Stump grinding, haul-off, and any permit are often extra.
We don't do tree work ourselves. Tell us about your tree and we'll connect you with independent local tree professionals so you can compare written quotes. Always verify the contractor's license and insurance at cslb.ca.gov.
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More guides: Stump grinding cost · Emergency/storm removal · Tree trimming cost · Palm tree removal · Tree permits · Tree fell on house: insurance · Neighbor & boundary trees · Oak tree removal · Dead/hazardous trees · Trees near power lines · Roots, sewers & foundations · Elk Grove permits · Roseville permits · Folsom permits · Citrus Heights permits · Rancho Cordova permits · Sacramento County permits · Davis permits · West Sacramento permits · Hiring a tree service · After a storm · Pine tree removal · When to trim · Defensible space · Landlords, tenants & HOAs · Trees & solar panels · Remove or trim? · Preparing for removal day · Eucalyptus removal · Crane removal cost · Tree removal in an HOA · Arborist reports for permits · Street trees: who's responsible · Sycamore removal · Sweetgum removal · Ash tree removal · Elm tree removal