--- title: Tree Trimming and Pruning by Certified Arborists url: https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-services/tree-trimming-pruning/ 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/) - [Tree services](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-services/) - [Pruning and tree care](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-services/tree-care/) - Tree trimming and pruning # Tree trimming and pruning in Reno, Sparks and Carson City Tree trimming and pruning from Battle Born Tree Service is planned by an ISA Certified Arborist and carried out by climbers or from a 75-foot boom truck. Dead or hazardous branches can be pruned at any time; other pruning is best done when the tree is dormant. We prune trees in Reno, Sparks, Carson City and across Northern Nevada, and estimates are free. Good pruning is a set of deliberate cuts, each with a reason: take out dead wood, lift branches off a roof, reduce weight on a long limb, shape a young tree so it grows up strong. We cannot stress enough how much regular pruning does to keep trees and shrubs thriving. ## At a glance - Two ISA Certified Arborists on staff - Pruning, trimming and shaping for trees and shrubs - 75-foot boom truck and climbers for tall crowns - Brush chipped and hauled, yard left clean - Residential, commercial and HOA properties - Free estimate with a plan for each tree ★★★★★ Alex and his team did a superb job trimming our gargantuan Cottonwood and Maple trees! They worked hard and cleaned up all the trimmings! I’ll be calling them back!! Laura F. · Google review, September 2026. [Read all reviews](https://battleborntreeservice.com/customer-reviews/) ## When is the best time to prune trees? If your tree or shrub has dead branches or is a safety hazard, pruning is recommended at any time to remove the hazard. If there are no dead branches and no hazard, prune when the tree is dormant. | Tree | Usual pruning window | |---|---| | Most deciduous trees (maple and others) | Late winter | | Most conifers (pines and others) | Early spring and summer | | Any tree with dead or hazardous branches | Any time | Fruit trees, elms and pines each have their own timing details. See [best time to prune trees in Northern Nevada](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/best-time-to-prune-trees-northern-nevada/). ## What kinds of pruning do we do? We do crown cleaning, thinning, raising and reduction, shaping, structural pruning and clearance pruning. The list below says what each one does. - Crown cleaning: dead, dying, broken and crossing branches come out. See [dead wooding](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-services/dead-wooding/). - Crown thinning: selected branches are removed to let wind and light through. - Crown raising: low limbs are lifted over a driveway, a walkway or a roof. - Crown reduction: long or heavy limbs are shortened back to a side branch. - Shaping: trees and shrubs trimmed for form and appearance. - Structural pruning: young trees trained so they need less work later. - Clearance pruning: branches moved back from buildings and lines. See [utility and structure clearance](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-services/utility-structure-clearance/). Each term is explained in [crown thinning, raising and reduction](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/crown-thinning-raising-reduction/). ## Why does the arborist plan the cuts? A tree cannot regrow a limb that was cut in the wrong place. The industry's pruning standard, ANSI A300, sets out how cuts should be made and does not accept topping as pruning. Our arborists follow that thinking: remove what needs to go, keep the tree's natural form, and leave it stronger. Customers notice the difference. Sunnee S wrote on our old site: "Mike took the time to explain what would be best for the trees and how to trim them so that they would grow even stronger." Why topping causes trouble is covered in [why topping a tree is not pruning](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/why-tree-topping-is-not-pruning/). ## Why does pruning matter in the high desert? The valley floors here get 4 to 10 inches of precipitation a year. NOAA's 1991 to 2020 climate normals show 9.34 inches at the Carson City station and 7.35 at Reno-Tahoe International Airport. Yard trees depend on irrigation, and a tree short on water sheds branches. That dead wood is what wind and wet snow bring down. Regular pruning removes it before a storm does. On the fire side of town it also lifts the crown off the ground and away from the house, which is part of [defensible space](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-services/defensible-space-fire-mitigation/). ## Is pruning different at Lake Tahoe? Yes. In the Tahoe Basin, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency requires a permit to remove branches from the upper two-thirds of a tree's height. The exceptions are branches within 10 feet of a chimney outlet, building or deck, branches rubbing or pulling on utility lines inside your property, and dead branches. The agency decides, and we can talk through what your trees need when we visit. ### Sources - [NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information: U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020](https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/land-based-station/us-climate-normals) (read October 1, 2026) - [Tahoe Regional Planning Agency: Trees and Defensible Space](https://www.trpa.gov/trees-and-defensible-space/) (read October 1, 2026) ### What is included - A walk-through with an arborist and a plan for each tree - Pruning cuts made for the health and structure of the tree - Dead, broken and rubbing branches removed - Clearance from roofs, driveways and walkways as agreed - Chipping and clean-up ### Equipment we bring - 75-foot Altec boom truck - Aerial lift - Chipper and 2017 Ford F550 chip truck ### 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) ### Related - [Dead wooding](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-services/dead-wooding/) - [Tree cabling and bracing](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-services/cabling-bracing/) - [Utility and structure clearance](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-services/utility-structure-clearance/) - [Best time to prune trees in Northern Nevada](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/best-time-to-prune-trees-northern-nevada/) - [Pruning fruit trees in Reno and Carson City](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/pruning-fruit-trees-reno-carson-city/) - [Pruning and trimming questions](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/pruning-and-trimming/) ## Tree trimming and pruning by town [Carson City](https://battleborntreeservice.com/service-areas/carson-city/tree-trimming/) [West Carson City](https://battleborntreeservice.com/service-areas/west-carson-city/tree-trimming/) [North Carson City](https://battleborntreeservice.com/service-areas/north-carson-city/tree-trimming/) [Mound House](https://battleborntreeservice.com/service-areas/mound-house/tree-trimming/) [Reno](https://battleborntreeservice.com/service-areas/reno/tree-trimming/) [South Reno](https://battleborntreeservice.com/service-areas/south-reno/tree-trimming/) [Galena and Mt. Rose Highway](https://battleborntreeservice.com/service-areas/galena-mt-rose/tree-trimming/) [Old Southwest Reno](https://battleborntreeservice.com/service-areas/old-southwest-reno/tree-trimming/) [Caughlin Ranch](https://battleborntreeservice.com/service-areas/caughlin-ranch/tree-trimming/) [Northwest Reno and Somersett](https://battleborntreeservice.com/service-areas/northwest-reno/tree-trimming/) [the North Valleys and Stead](https://battleborntreeservice.com/service-areas/north-valleys/tree-trimming/) [Sparks](https://battleborntreeservice.com/service-areas/sparks/tree-trimming/) [Spanish Springs](https://battleborntreeservice.com/service-areas/spanish-springs/tree-trimming/) [Sun Valley](https://battleborntreeservice.com/service-areas/sun-valley/tree-trimming/) [Lemmon Valley](https://battleborntreeservice.com/service-areas/lemmon-valley/tree-trimming/) [Golden Valley](https://battleborntreeservice.com/service-areas/golden-valley/tree-trimming/) [Cold Springs](https://battleborntreeservice.com/service-areas/cold-springs/tree-trimming/) [Verdi](https://battleborntreeservice.com/service-areas/verdi/tree-trimming/) [Mogul](https://battleborntreeservice.com/service-areas/mogul/tree-trimming/) [Washoe Valley](https://battleborntreeservice.com/service-areas/washoe-valley/tree-trimming/) [Palomino Valley](https://battleborntreeservice.com/service-areas/palomino-valley/tree-trimming/) [Incline Village](https://battleborntreeservice.com/service-areas/incline-village/tree-trimming/) [Crystal Bay](https://battleborntreeservice.com/service-areas/crystal-bay/tree-trimming/) [Glenbrook](https://battleborntreeservice.com/service-areas/glenbrook/tree-trimming/) [Zephyr Cove](https://battleborntreeservice.com/service-areas/zephyr-cove/tree-trimming/) [Stateline](https://battleborntreeservice.com/service-areas/stateline/tree-trimming/) [Kingsbury](https://battleborntreeservice.com/service-areas/kingsbury/tree-trimming/) [Minden](https://battleborntreeservice.com/service-areas/minden/tree-trimming/) [Gardnerville](https://battleborntreeservice.com/service-areas/gardnerville/tree-trimming/) [Gardnerville Ranchos](https://battleborntreeservice.com/service-areas/gardnerville-ranchos/tree-trimming/) [Genoa](https://battleborntreeservice.com/service-areas/genoa/tree-trimming/) [Johnson Lane](https://battleborntreeservice.com/service-areas/johnson-lane/tree-trimming/) [Indian Hills](https://battleborntreeservice.com/service-areas/indian-hills/tree-trimming/) [Ruhenstroth](https://battleborntreeservice.com/service-areas/ruhenstroth/tree-trimming/) [Topaz Ranch Estates](https://battleborntreeservice.com/service-areas/topaz-ranch-estates/tree-trimming/) [Dayton](https://battleborntreeservice.com/service-areas/dayton/tree-trimming/) [Virginia City](https://battleborntreeservice.com/service-areas/virginia-city/tree-trimming/) [Stagecoach](https://battleborntreeservice.com/service-areas/stagecoach/tree-trimming/) [Silver Springs](https://battleborntreeservice.com/service-areas/silver-springs/tree-trimming/) [Fernley](https://battleborntreeservice.com/service-areas/fernley/tree-trimming/) [Wadsworth](https://battleborntreeservice.com/service-areas/wadsworth/tree-trimming/) [Yerington](https://battleborntreeservice.com/service-areas/yerington/tree-trimming/) [Smith Valley](https://battleborntreeservice.com/service-areas/smith-valley/tree-trimming/) [Fallon](https://battleborntreeservice.com/service-areas/fallon/tree-trimming/) [Hawthorne](https://battleborntreeservice.com/service-areas/hawthorne/tree-trimming/) ## Related services - [Dead wooding](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-services/dead-wooding/) - [Tree cabling and bracing](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-services/cabling-bracing/) - [Arborist consultation](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-services/arborist-consultation/) - [Root barriers](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-services/root-barriers/) - [Utility and structure clearance](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-services/utility-structure-clearance/) ## Tree trimming and pruning questions Still have a question? Call [775.232.8243](tel:775.232.8243). Phones are answered seven days a week. ### How often should trees be pruned? It depends on the species, the age and what is under the tree. We recommend regular maintenance, and the arborist will suggest an interval for each tree in your estimate. ### Do you trim shrubs and hedges as well as trees? Yes. Our tree and shrub care plans cover trees, bushes, shrubs and whatever else is growing in the yard. ### Do you top trees? No. Topping is not pruning. If a tree is too tall for its spot, the arborist will talk with you about crown reduction or removal. ### Will you clean up afterward? Yes. Branches are chipped and hauled away. Pamela P. wrote: "When they were done, the yard was completely cleaned." ### Can you prune fruit trees? Yes. From a large cottonwood to a fruit tree, we prune them all. Our fruit tree pruning guide covers timing.