Emergency tree removal in Pasadena: what to do first
The first step in any emergency tree removal is safety, then the record. Before anyone touches the tree:
- Get everyone out of the damaged rooms and away from the trunk and hanging limbs, which can shift as they settle
- Treat every downed or sagging wire as live. Stay well back, keep pets and children away, and call 911
- Photograph the tree, the damage, the base of the trunk and the root plate from several angles
- Call your insurance company and note the claim number
- If the tree is in the parkway or the street, report it to the City instead of hiring it out
Trees touching energized lines are cleared by the utility first: Pasadena Water and Power inside the City, Southern California Edison in Altadena. A private crew finishes the job once the line is safe; see tree trimming near power lines.
How a fallen tree comes off a house
A tree on a roof is still under load. Cutting the wrong piece first can drop the trunk through the ceiling, so the work runs from the outside in:
- 1Read the load
Where the trunk rests, which limbs are holding weight, what's under tension and what will move when it's cut.
- 2Take off the free wood
Loose branches and the crown come off first, lowered rather than dropped onto the roof.
- 3Support and lift the trunk
The trunk is rigged to a nearby tree or lifted with a crane, then cut in sections that come away cleanly instead of rolling.
- 4Clear the roof for a tarp
Once the weight is off, the roof can be covered against rain while the claim is handled.
- 5Clean up the yard
Chipping, hauling and, later, grinding the stump or pulling the root plate.
Big trunks over houses are often a crane tree removal, which can be faster and safer than rigging.
Emergency tree removal cost
| Situation | Price |
|---|---|
| Typical emergency removal | $1,000 to $2,500 |
| Tree on a house or roof | $1,500 to $6,000+ |
| Tree on power lines (after the utility makes it safe) | $1,000 to $3,000 |
| Fallen tree, no damage | $350 to $750 |
| Medium tree, 30 to 60 ft, emergency rate | $900 to $2,400 |
| Extra large tree, over 80 ft, emergency rate | $3,000 to $5,000+ |
| Emergency trimming of broken limbs, Pasadena | About $250 per hour |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column →
treesremovalcostcalculator.com emergency guide (March 2026), national with Los Angeles listed; Pasadena hourly rate from homeyou (September 2026). Emergency premiums run 50 to 100 percent, after-hours 2 to 3 times normal. Quotes vary by site.
A planned removal costs much less than the same tree in an emergency; see tree removal cost in Pasadena.
Permits, City trees and insurance after a storm
Pasadena's tree ordinance has a true emergency exception: no permit is needed to remove or injure a protected tree when immediate action is required to protect life or property and the City Manager's designee, a police officer or a firefighter has inspected the tree and found it hazardous. Ask whoever responds to note it. A street tree that falls is the City's to clear; see Pasadena street trees.
Santa Ana winds and Pasadena trees
Santa Ana winds blow most often from October through March and peak in December and January. Pasadena has seen what they do: the December 1, 2011 windstorm brought down about 450 City trees by that afternoon and put the city on emergency footing, and the January 7, 2025 event, the day of the Eaton Fire, ran 50 to 80 mph gusts with 80 to 100 mph in the foothills. Winter atmospheric rivers add saturated soil, which is how whole trees tip over root plate and all.
The cheapest emergency is the one that doesn't happen. Dead limbs, cracked unions, heavy end-weight and dead palms are the usual failures, and a hazard tree removal or a fall thinning ahead of the wind season costs a fraction of a tree on a roof. The best time to trim trees in Pasadena guide covers timing; general tree removal in Pasadena covers planned work.
