Kentfield has some of the biggest trees in central Marin. Large lots, old estates and the wooded streets of Kent Woodlands climbing toward Mount Tam leave room for oaks, redwoods, bays and madrones to grow for generations, and many of them are now enormous. Down on the flats near College of Marin and Corte Madera Creek, older homes sit under mature canopies that shade entire blocks. All that tree cover is a big part of Kentfield's character. It also puts a lot of weight over roofs, long limbs over steep driveways, and plenty of dead wood to clear before fire season. When winter storms come through the Ross Valley, Kentfield usually has its share of downed limbs.
Our crews handle large oak and redwood work here, from careful tree trimming and pruning on heritage-size trees to full removals on steep lots where everything has to be rigged down. Free estimates, and we'll look over every big tree on the lot with you.
Big Trees on Big Lots
On a large wooded lot, the job isn't one tree, it's managing a small forest. Old oaks develop heavy, horizontal limbs that reach far out from the trunk. Redwoods drop dead branches from high in the crown. Tanoaks hit by sudden oak death die back and become brittle, sometimes in groups. A good plan for a Kentfield property usually begins with a full lap of the lot: which trees are sound, which need work this year, and which can wait. From there, the work can be spread over a few seasons so the cost and the change to the property stay manageable. The same long-view approach works well for the older properties over in San Rafael.
Marin County Tree Rules in Kentfield
Kentfield is unincorporated, so trees here fall under Marin County's rules, not a city's. On a developed lot, you can remove up to two protected trees in a 12-month period without a county permit, as long as none is a heritage tree and none sits in a stream or wetland conservation area. Sizes depend on species. Coast live oak and other native oaks become protected at 6 inches across and heritage at 18 inches. Coast redwood, California bay, tanoak and Douglas fir become protected at 10 inches and heritage at 30 inches. Trees that are dead, diseased, unstable or flagged by a fire inspector are generally exempt, and the county advises keeping written proof of why. A hazard tree assessment gives you that paper trail.
Common Questions
It depends on size and count. Under Marin County's rules, a native oak 18 inches across or larger is a heritage tree and needs a permit. Smaller protected oaks can come out without one, as long as you remove no more than two protected trees from a developed lot in a year and none is in a stream conservation area.
Generally, yes. The county exempts trees that are dead or in poor health, trees an arborist says threaten others with disease, unstable trees that can't be fixed and trees a fire inspector has flagged. The county suggests keeping an arborist report or dated photos to show why the tree qualified, in case questions come up later.