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Storm knocked down or damaged a tree? What to do first in the Sacramento area

Winter storms regularly bring down trees and limbs across the Sacramento region. The Sacramento Tree Foundation's Sacramento Tree Foundation – Storm resources page notes that saturated soil and strong winds can topple trees whose roots can no longer anchor them, and that evergreens — including eucalyptus, cedars, redwoods, pines, and evergreen oaks — were especially hard hit in the severe storms of winter 2022–23. Here's a step-by-step checklist for the first hours and days, with the right phone numbers.

1. Safety first: power lines, gas, and unstable trees

• Assume any wire is live. If a tree or limb is on or touching a power line, or a line is down or sparking, stay away from the line, the tree, and anything touching them. Call 911 first, then your utility:
  • SMUD (most of Sacramento County): 1-888-456-7683 for sparking or downed lines — SMUD – Storm safety says to call only after calling 911. If a tree or branch fell on a line that's still up and not sparking, the Sacramento Tree Foundation says to call SMUD at 1-866-473-9582.
  • PG&E (Davis, West Sacramento, and other areas): PG&E – Report an emergency says to stay away, not to leave your car or home if a line is down near it, call 911, then PG&E at 1-800-743-5000. If you smell gas, PG&E says to leave the area, call 911, then call PG&E at 1-877-660-6789.
  • Roseville Electric: the city says to call 911 for downed or sparking wires and never approach them; report outages at 79-POWER (916-797-6937) (Roseville Electric – Power outages).
• Watch for trees that are still moving. The Sacramento Tree Foundation lists warning signs: soil lifting around the base, a new lean, cracking or groaning sounds, broken or hanging large branches, and loose or dangling cable hardware. Stay out from under those trees and avoid parking beneath trees during and right after storms.
• Tree on the house? If it broke through the roof or walls, get everyone out and don't go back in until it's checked. Don't climb onto the roof or cut a trunk resting on the house — loaded wood can shift or spring. More in Tree fell on your house: insurance and next steps.

2. Who to call for what

Who cleans up what: per the City of Sacramento – Tree Questions page, City Urban Forestry runs emergency crews to clear the right-of-way and remove public tree debris from private property, but tree emergencies involving private trees are the owner's responsibility. The Sacramento Tree Foundation adds that if a private tree blocks a public right-of-way, the city or county will clear the right-of-way, but the owner is responsible for any other tree work and hauling. And SMUD – Storm safety says that when storms push trees into its lines, SMUD will prune or cut the trees to remove the hazard and restore power, but removing and disposing of the debris on your property is the owner's job.

3. Document everything before cleanup

The California Department of Insurance – Top Ten Tips for People Affected by Winter Storms advise photographing damage and keeping records of all cleanup and repair costs. Before anything is moved:

• Take wide photos and video of the whole scene, then close-ups of every impact point and of the tree's base, root plate, or break. A visibly decayed trunk or a neighbor's long-dead tree can matter later.
• Make reasonable temporary repairs (tarps, plywood) to prevent further damage and keep receipts; the CDI Residential Property Claims Guide cautions against major permanent repairs before the adjuster has seen the damage.
• Photos also matter for tree permits: several local ordinances require documentation after an emergency removal (see below).

Who pays depends on your policy and whose tree it was — see Tree fell on your house in California? Insurance and next steps and, if the tree came from next door, Neighbor's tree and property line rules.

4. Storms don't cancel tree permits

A damaged protected tree — a native oak, a heritage tree, a street tree — can still be covered by your city's or county's ordinance. Most local codes have an emergency path, but they differ. From our permit guides:

• City of Sacramento: City trees and "private protected trees" need a permit to remove; the code lists a tree's danger of falling as a ground for issuing one. Call 311 about storm damage involving protected or City trees. See Sacramento tree permits.
• Unincorporated Sacramento County: a hazardous tree needing immediate action may be removed with permission of the Director of Public Works (business hours) or the fire district (other times) — so call first. County guide.
• Elk Grove: similar — permission from the City Arborist during business hours, or Public Works at other times. Elk Grove guide.
• Rancho Cordova: emergency removal is allowed, but you must file an after-the-fact application within 10 business days with a photo and a certified arborist's letter or an emergency worker's report. Rancho Cordova guide.
• West Sacramento: you may act in an emergency but must notify the tree administrator the next working day, with photos for a retroactive permit. West Sacramento guide.
• Davis: landmark trees and trees of significance may be pruned or removed in an emergency upon notice to the city — the next day if notice beforehand is impossible. Davis guide.
• Folsom: the ordinance exempts emergency work removing limbs or trees damaged by extreme weather, and removals the city arborist or fire chief finds to be an imminent risk. Folsom guide.
• Citrus Heights: exempts emergencies where the city, law enforcement, or the fire department determines the tree is an imminent threat. Citrus Heights guide.
• Roseville: a hazardous protected oak needs an arborist's determination reviewed by the Planning Manager. Roseville guide.

When in doubt: photograph the tree first, then call. For oaks specifically, see Oak tree removal rules.

5. Hiring help after a storm — and avoiding storm chasers

• Use a licensed tree contractor for anything beyond small debris. The Sacramento Tree Foundation says landscapers, cleanup crews, and restoration services may be able to remove fallen debris, but to hire a certified arborist to remove or prune a living tree. Tree work is a CSLB-licensed specialty (C-49 Tree and Palm Contractor); per the CSLB bulletin on the $1,000 minor-work limit, an unlicensed person can't take a job of $1,000 or more, one that needs a permit, or one using workers. In a declared disaster area, unlicensed repair work can be a felony under Business and Professions Code § 7028.16.
• Deposits: a home improvement down payment can't exceed $1,000 or 10% of the price, whichever is less (Business and Professions Code § 7159.5; see CSLB Disaster Help Center).
• Price gouging: after a state or local emergency declaration, Penal Code § 396 generally bars contractors from charging more than 10% above their pre-emergency prices for repair or emergency-cleanup services for 180 days, unless higher labor or material costs justify it.
• Expect delays. The Sacramento Tree Foundation notes that wait times for all services can stretch after large storms.

Full vetting checklist: How to hire a tree service in Sacramento. Typical costs: emergency and storm calls often cost more than scheduled work — see Emergency tree removal costs and tree removal cost ranges (published estimates, not quotes).

6. Getting rid of the debris (City of Sacramento)

If the City of Sacramento collects your garbage:

• Leaf Season (roughly November through January): the City of Sacramento 2025–26 Guide to City Services (PDF) says residential customers on public streets can place yard-waste piles in the street for collection during the designated leaf season. Limbs must be cut to 3 feet or less in length and no more than 4 inches in diameter, and piles generally can't exceed 4 × 4 × 9 feet. Check the city's current season dates and placement rules.
• February–October: per City of Sacramento – Household Junk Pickup, residential customers get two free appointments a year for bulky items, including excess yard waste kept separate from junk; schedule through 311. Fee-based special pickups (the city lists a $39.48 minimum) are available by calling (916) 808-5454.
• Large trunks and rounds usually go with the tree service — make sure haul-off is written into the quote.

Outside the City, check with your city or county garbage hauler. If the downed tree is a pine with bark beetle signs, chip it promptly rather than stacking it as firewood — see Pine tree removal in Sacramento.

7. Check the trees that are still standing

The USDA Forest Service – How to Recognize Hazardous Defects in Trees recommends inspecting trees after severe storms. Look for new cracks, hanging broken limbs ("hangers"), a fresh lean, and lifted or cracked soil at the base. See Dead or hazardous trees for the warning signs, and consider an ISA Certified Arborist's assessment for large trees near the house.

Related guides

• Tree fell on house: insurance
• Neighbor & boundary tree rules
• Emergency tree removal
• How to hire a tree service
• Trees near power lines
• Dead or hazardous trees

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Tree removal costs by area: Sacramento · Elk Grove · Roseville · Folsom · Citrus Heights · Rancho Cordova · Carmichael · West Sacramento · Davis · Natomas · Antelope · Fair Oaks
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