Emergency tree service in Crystal Bay, NV

Crystal Bay is a very small community on a steep point at the Nevada state line. It is the farthest Tahoe community from our yard, so this page is plain about what to do in the first hour and what we need to know when you call.

At a glance

• Nevada side only: our work stops at the state line
• Roughly half of Crystal Bay's homes were built before 1960 (small Census sample)
• On lakeshore lots, TRPA's permit size drops to 6 inches between the house and the lake
• About 53 minutes from our yard without traffic

The first hour is yours

With most of an hour of mountain highway between our yard and Crystal Bay in good conditions, and more in a storm, what you do before a crew arrives matters.

1. Get everyone out of the rooms under the tree, and keep them out.
2. Call 911 for injuries, fire, a gas smell or a blocked road that cuts off a neighbor.
3. If a utility line is involved, call NV Energy and stay away from the tree, the fence and anything else it touches.
4. Do not go on the roof or under the trunk to cover a hole. Close the doors to the damaged rooms.
5. Take photos from where you are standing, then call us at 775.232.8243.

Why are Crystal Bay lots hard to work on?

The town climbs a steep slope above State Route 28, and the houses are old for the lake: the Census Bureau's small sample suggests roughly half were built before 1960. Homes from that time were fitted between trees that were already mature, and the trees have had sixty more years to grow since.

For the crew, that means working out where a crane or the 75-foot boom truck can stand before anything else. On a slope, outriggers steady the machine. If there is no place for a truck, a climber takes the tree down in pieces. Tell the office about the street width and any cars that can be moved.

Where does the state line come into it?

Crystal Bay ends at California. We work on the Nevada side only, so if the tree's trunk is on a California parcel, that owner needs a California contractor. A tree that stands on the Nevada side and fell toward the line is one to describe carefully when you call.

What does TRPA say about a tree that has come down?

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency requires a permit to remove a live tree over 14 inches in diameter at breast height, and over 6 inches on a lakeshore lot when the tree stands between the house and the lake. A dead tree that could fall on a house needs no permit.

A storm-damaged live tree that is still standing should be photographed and reported to TRPA or the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District before removal, unless it is an immediate danger. The agency decides what is allowed. The measuring method is in our guide to the 14-inch rule.

After the tree is off the house

Emergency work clears the hazard and the debris. A second visit can deal with what the storm left: the stump, the broken limbs in neighboring trees, and any tree the arborist thinks should be looked at again. Your insurer decides what is covered; storm damage and insurance claims explains what they usually ask for.