The tenant says the tree is going to fall

Ask for three photos before you promise a crew.

The email is usually urgent and short. “The tree is going to fall on my unit.” Sometimes it is. Often it is leaves, shade, or a limb that has looked the same for five years. Your job is to sort it the same day, then tell the owner which kind of money it is.

A crack, a lean, or a limb over the bedroom is a call. A full gutter is a cleaning.

What the photos have to show

Ask the tenant for three shots from the ground. Do not ask them to climb.

• The whole tree, so species and size are in the frame.
• The spot they are worried about: the crack, the lean, the limb over the roof or the carport.
• The target: the unit, the walk, the car, the play structure.

A fresh crack, soil pulled up on one side, or a limb that is already moving is emergency tree service. Call 408-439-6975. Keep people out from under it. The tenant does not get on a ladder with a saw “to take the pressure off.”

Deadwood over a roof, with the tree still standing and not moving, is a scheduled trim. Leaves, pollen, and shade are not a removal. Say that in the reply. You can still book a clearance trim if the owner wants the complaints to stop. That is a different line item than taking the tree out.

Send the owner the same three photos and one sentence: hazard, maintenance, or complaint. The lease and the owner decide who pays. We price the work. We do not interpret the lease.

If the tree is in the parkway, it may be a street tree with its own permit. We flag when a permit may apply — you confirm with the city. We do not pull permits unless that is scoped in writing.

Start Easy Estimate with those photos, or call if something is already moving.