--- title: Can You Remove a Tree on a Steep Slope? url: https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/tree-removal/removing-a-tree-on-a-steep-slope/ business: Battle Born Tree Service address: 6301 US Highway 50 East, Carson City, NV 89701 phone: 775.232.8243 hours: Office Monday-Friday 8:30 am-5:00 pm; phones answered seven days a week; 24-hour emergency service credentials: ISA Certified Arborist WE-11728A on staff; Nevada Business License # 20131580674; fully insured type: Tree service (removal, crane work, pruning, stump grinding, defensible space, snow removal, firewood) --- - [Home](https://battleborntreeservice.com/) - [Questions and answers](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/) - [Tree removal](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/tree-removal/) - Can you remove a tree on a steep slope? # Can you remove a tree on a steep slope? Often yes, but a slope changes how the work is done, so it is planned at the estimate. The arborist looks at footing, where the pieces can go and what the roots are holding in place. ## What a slope changes Footing comes first: a crew and a machine need ground they can stand on, and loose rock or wet soil can slide. Falling pieces roll or slide downhill, so the arborist plans where each one goes and who is below. Access matters too; a slope can mean a crane or a boom truck working from the road or driveway, with pieces lifted rather than dragged. The roots hold soil. On a bank, removing the tree can leave soil with nothing holding it. The arborist may suggest leaving the stump or having it ground only after a plan for the ground is in place. ## Tahoe and other rules In the Tahoe Basin, TRPA requires a permit to remove live trees over 14 inches in diameter at breast height, and over 6 inches on lakeshore lots between the house and the lake. A dead tree that could fall on a house needs no permit. Erosion control is a separate concern at the lake, so check with TRPA, or the fire district (North Lake Tahoe FPD for Incline Village and Crystal Bay, Tahoe Douglas FPD for the Nevada south shore). The agency decides, not us. ## What to tell the office Say how steep the lot is, whether there is a road or driveway above or below the tree, and what stands downhill. A few photos help. The estimate is free and a certified arborist assesses every job before work begins. We cannot say by phone that a slope job is simple or that a tree is safe to leave. Elevation and exposure matter on slopes in this region. Foothill and Sierra-front lots such as those around Galena or Kingsbury sit on steeper, rockier ground than valley floor lots, and winter ice can make a slope that is easy in July slippery in January. The arborist reads the ground in person, and that is the main reason there is no quote by phone. Bring up drainage, retaining walls and anything downhill when you call. ### Sources - [Tahoe Regional Planning Agency: Trees and defensible space](https://www.trpa.gov/trees-and-defensible-space/) (read October 1, 2026) ### Talk to the office [775.232.8243](tel:775.232.8243) | Monday to Friday | 8:30 am - 5:00 pm | |---|---| | Saturday and Sunday | Office closed, phones answered | Phones answered seven days a week. 24-hour emergency service. [Free estimate](#quote) ### Keep reading - [Tahoe tree removal permits: the 14-inch rule and how to measure DBH](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/tahoe-tree-removal-permits-dbh/) - [Crane-assisted tree removal](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-services/crane-assisted-tree-removal/) - [Lake Tahoe tree work questions](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/lake-tahoe/) - [Removing a tree in a tight backyard](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/tree-removal-tight-backyard/) ### Terms on this page [Arborist](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/arborist/) [TRPA (Tahoe Regional Planning Agency)](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/trpa/) [The full glossary](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/) ### All tree removal questions - [Tree removal questions](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/tree-removal/) ## Keep going: tree removal questions [Is stump grinding included in a tree removal?](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/tree-removal/is-stump-grinding-included-in-tree-removal/) [How long does a tree removal take?](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/tree-removal/how-long-does-tree-removal-take/) [Can trees be removed in winter?](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/tree-removal/can-trees-be-removed-in-winter/) [Can you take down part of a tree instead of the whole thing?](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/tree-removal/can-you-remove-part-of-a-tree/) [Will tree removal damage my lawn or driveway?](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/tree-removal/will-tree-removal-damage-my-lawn-or-driveway/) [What happens to the roots after a tree is removed?](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/tree-removal/what-happens-to-the-roots-after-removal/) [Previous question: Will tree removal damage my lawn or driveway?](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/tree-removal/will-tree-removal-damage-my-lawn-or-driveway/) [Next question: What happens to the roots after a tree is removed?](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/tree-removal/what-happens-to-the-roots-after-removal/)