Tree removal in Genoa, NV

Genoa sits on the west edge of the Carson Valley, right where the valley floor meets the slope of the Carson Range. It has two kinds of housing and little in between: about 16% of homes were built before 1960, and about 41% since 2000.

At a glance

• About 75% of Genoa buildings are in the direct wildfire exposure zone
• About 16% of homes predate 1960; about 41% were built since 2000
• Nearest rain gauge records about 16.3 inches a year, well above the valley floor
• About 20 miles from our yard, about 27 minutes without traffic

Why does the west side of the valley grow bigger trees?

Water. The Gardnerville 5.0 W precipitation gauge, about 4 miles from Genoa at nearly the same elevation, averages about 16.3 inches a year. The Minden station out on the valley floor averages about 9.3 (NOAA 1991-2020 normals). Storms drop more against the foot of the range than out in the middle of the valley.

More water means more wood. Trees along this edge of the valley grow larger and faster than the same species a few miles east. That is welcome shade until one of them is over a roof.

What is different about removing a very old tree?

In the older part of town a tree may have stood for several generations, and it may share a small lot with an equally old building. Size is one problem. Condition is the other: old trunks can be hollow or decayed inside while still leafing out, which changes how they can be climbed and rigged.

A certified arborist assesses the tree before any plan is made. If the wood is too weak to trust with a climber, the crane holds each section while it is cut and lifts it clear. Read more under large tree removal and how crane-assisted removal works.

And the newer homes up the slope?

For a newer home set among native vegetation at the foot of the slope, the removal list is driven by fire. The Forest Service ranks Genoa's risk to homes higher than about 97% of US communities, and none of its buildings fall in the minimal exposure zone. The 1984 Walley's Fire, mapped at 316 acres, was centered less than 2 miles from town, and the 1996 Autumn Hills Fire, 3,805 acres, about 5 miles away.

Dead trees, trees with crowns against the house and dense thickets within the first 30 feet are the usual removals. That work overlaps with defensible space in Genoa, and for brush and small trees across a whole parcel, with lot clearing and brush mowing.

Getting equipment to the tree

Where a street is narrow or a driveway is long and steep, equipment has to be chosen to fit. During the free estimate the arborist works out where the crane or boom truck can set up and whether the Bobcat track loader is needed to move logs out to the truck. If a street has to be partly blocked for a few hours, we plan the timing with you.