Fairfax is where Marin's towns give way to open hills. It's the last town up the Ross Valley, wrapped by open space on almost every side, and many streets wind up canyons lined with redwoods, oaks, bay laurels and Douglas fir. That makes Fairfax one of the most wooded towns in the county, and one of the most exposed to wildfire. Homes on upper streets often have native woodland right at the back fence. Steep driveways, tight turns and hillside stairs are normal, so most jobs here mean climbing, rigging and hand-carrying wood instead of using a lift. Winter adds its own work, since the same canyons that hold the fire risk in fall send down broken limbs and fallen trees once the storms arrive.
A lot of our work in Fairfax is fire clearing, limbing up oaks and thinning brush so properties meet the 100-foot rule. We also handle tree trimming and pruning on overgrown lots and careful removals of dead trees. Free estimates, and we'll tell you what your lot actually needs.
Living at the Wildland Edge
When your yard backs onto open space, defensible space matters a lot more than it does in a flat neighborhood. Fire moves uphill fast, and the canyons around Fairfax can channel wind. The goal isn't bare ground. It's breaking up the fuel: raising tree canopies off the ground, clearing the shrubs underneath them, keeping branches off the roof and pulling dead material away from the house. Dead tanoaks killed by sudden oak death are a particular problem in Fairfax's woodlands, since they dry out and stand like kindling. Taking those out, safely and before fire season, is one of the most useful things you can do for your property. San Anselmo's upper streets share the same wildland edge and the same advice. Good clearing also makes life easier for firefighters, who need room to work and a clear path up a driveway. A property that looks after its trees is one they can actually defend.
Fairfax Heritage Trees
Fairfax lists its heritage trees by species, each with its own size, measured around the trunk at chest height. Native oaks qualify at a 25-inch circumference, coast redwoods and Douglas fir at 38 inches, and California bay at 50 inches, along with other native species on the town's list. Blue gum eucalyptus, Monterey pine, Monterey cypress and acacia can never be heritage trees, however big they get. Pruning gets the same treatment once it goes too far: remove over 25 percent of a tree's leaves within a year and the town considers the tree removed. Normal pruning for a tree's health, and clearing required for fire safety, are treated differently. We'll check your trees against the list before any tree removal is scheduled.
Common Questions
Native trees such as oaks, redwoods, Douglas fir and bay, once their trunks pass the size the town sets for each species. Fast-growing non-natives like eucalyptus and acacia are left off the list no matter how big they are. A heritage tree can't be taken down without going through the town, and over-pruning one is treated like removal.
Fairfax's tree rules leave out trimming and clearing the fire department requires for fire safety, as well as normal pruning that follows good practice. Removing a heritage tree is a separate question. If a fire inspector has flagged a tree, keep that notice handy, since it helps show why the work is needed.