Crane tree removal in West Carson City (89703)

Of the three Carson City ZIP areas we serve, 89703 has the largest share of homes from before 1960, and it climbs toward the Carson Range. Both facts shape how a big tree comes down here.

At a glance

• ZIP 89703: about 78% of homes are detached houses on their own lots
• About half of the homes date from before 1980, about 13% from before 1960
• Crane, climber and ground crew from one company
• Free estimate with a certified arborist

What makes the west side different for big tree work?

Two numbers from the Census Bureau's survey of ZIP 89703 tell the story. About 78% of the housing is single-family detached, and about 13% was built before 1960, nearly twice the share for Carson City as a whole. Detached houses on established streets mean back yards, and back yards mean trees that were planted long ago and now stand behind the house with no truck access.

That is the textbook crane job. The machine stays out front. The tree leaves the back yard through the air, over the ridge of the roof, and lands where the chipper is waiting.

How do you remove a back-yard tree with no way in?

The crew picks a set-up spot with enough reach, levels the crane on outriggers, and flies the tree out in sections to a drop zone in front, so nothing is dragged through the yard.

1. The arborist walks the lot and picks a set-up spot with enough reach, looking at slope, overhead obstacles and how near the buildings are.
2. On the day, the crane is leveled and steadied on outriggers.
3. The climber ties the crane's line to the first section and cuts it free while the operator carries the load.
4. Each piece is flown to the drop zone in front, cut down to size and hauled off.

No loader crosses the lawn and no log is dragged through a side gate. That is what we mean by a low impact removal.

Does the slope toward the mountains matter?

It can. West Carson City sits at about 4,809 feet at our reference point and rises from there. A crane has to stand level, so on a sloping street or a steep driveway the set-up spot takes more thought, and outriggers and blocking do the leveling. The arborist settles this at the estimate, before a date is set.

The west side is also wetter than the valley floor. A rain gauge in the neighborhood (Carson City 2.1 NW) averages about 14.7 inches of precipitation a year in the 1991 to 2020 normals, against about 9.3 inches at the Carson City station. Trees here have had more to grow on.

Are dead trees handled differently?

Yes. Dead wood is brittle, and a dead tree should not be climbed more than necessary. With a crane, each section is held from above before it is cut, and the climber spends less time on weak wood. This side of town knows fire: the 2004 Waterfall Fire, mapped at 8,765 acres, was centered about 1.4 miles from our West Carson reference point. If a tree on your lot has died, do not wait for wind to decide where it lands. Our guide to dead and dying trees lists the signs.