Tree Removal Los Angeles: $550 to $1,000 + Protected Oaks

The Los Angeles row is Angi's city range; state and national rows are labeled. City permit fees are not included.

Do this now: a tree on the house or a power line

1. Stay away from the tree and any wire it touches. In the City of LA, report a tree on a power line or a downed line to LADWP at 1-800-DIAL-DWP (1-800-342-5397), any hour. In SCE areas, call 911 first, then SCE at 1-800-611-1911.
2. If anyone is hurt, or the house is no longer safe (a crushed roof, a gas smell, sparking), get everyone out and call 911.
3. Call your insurer before you hire anyone, because a tree on the house may be a claim. Photograph the tree, the roof and the yard before anything is moved, and make only the repairs needed to stop more damage (Maryland Insurance Administration).
4. Do not climb onto the roof or cut a bent limb yourself. ISA warns that broken limbs and uprooted trees under tension can move unexpectedly when cut.

Is it an emergency? Signs a Los Angeles tree needs help today

A tree needs attention the same day when its lean passes 15 degrees or suddenly changes, the trunk has deep cracks, soil is cracking or lifting at the roots, or a broken limb hangs over the house, a driveway or a wire (HomeGuide and ISA warning signs). Wind is the LA trigger. During the January 2025 windstorm, about 92,000 LADWP customers and 314,000 SCE customers lost power at one point, Renewable Energy World reported.

Same-day or next-day service often costs 2 to 3 times the standard rate, HomeGuide says, and Angi puts emergency removal as high as $5,000. A dead branch over open lawn, or a healthy tree you simply want gone, can wait for a normal booking at the lower price. Even in an emergency, find out whether the tree is a protected species before it comes down; a tree service can tell you on the phone if you describe the leaves and bark.

Protected trees in Los Angeles: what needs a permit

Six native species are protected in the City of Los Angeles once they reach 4 inches or more in cumulative diameter, measured 4.5 feet above the ground, according to LADBS guidance P/ZC 2024-022:

• Oaks, including Valley Oak and California Live Oak (Scrub Oak is excluded)
• Southern California Black Walnut
• Western Sycamore
• California Bay
• Mexican Elderberry and Toyon, which are shrubs but protected the same way

The Board of Public Works, through StreetsLA's Urban Forestry Division, must issue a permit before a protected tree or shrub is removed or relocated. The guidance counts as removal any act that will cause the tree to die, so heavy root cutting or topping can count. Trees grown for sale by a licensed nursery, or planted as part of a planting program, are excluded. An arborist report helps with the application; Angi puts the average at about $860 nationally.

Street trees in Los Angeles

Any tree in the public right of way needs a permit before anyone removes it, trims it or prunes its roots, under LAMC 62.162 and 62.169, and the Urban Forestry Division issues those permits too. That usually includes the parkway tree between the sidewalk and the curb. LAMC 62.174 also bars piling building material around a street tree in a way that could injure it, which matters during a remodel.

Tree trimming in Los Angeles: cost and power lines

Tree trimming costs $400 to $900 per tree on average nationally, with a $650 average, HomeGuide reported in January 2026; Fixr's range is $175 to $750. LADWP prunes trees to clear its power system with its own and contract crews, so branches in its lines are LADWP's call, not a homeowner's. On private trees, ISA advises removing no more than 25% of the crown at once. Prices by height: tree trimming.

Local tree rules and contacts for Los Angeles, from official city, state and utility pages unless marked.

More Los Angeles repair guides

Limb through the roof: roof repair in Los Angeles. Roots in the sewer lateral: sewer line repair in Los Angeles. Service drop torn off the house: electrician in Los Angeles. Compare tree removal in Sacramento and tree removal in Phoenix. Calls go to an independent company that serves your area and takes this kind of job (how calls work).