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Last reviewed 2026-10-19

Tree Removal Cost: Ventura County, CA

Ventura County tree work runs from coast live oaks and western sycamores on ranch lots in Ojai, Moorpark and the Santa Rosa Valley, to tall eucalyptus windbreaks along the Oxnard Plain and pines and palms in Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley yards. For a ballpark, HomeGuide's February 2026 numbers (gathered nationwide) run $400 to $1,200 for an ordinary tree.

Most of the county's woodland is chaparral-country juniper and oak. Of roughly 226,800 forested acres the Forest Service counts here (FIA, 2024 California evaluation), more than half, 52.0%, is pinyon/juniper; western oak makes up 27.4%, ponderosa pine 6.8%, and 13.8% is nonstocked.

The Census Bureau's Building Permits Survey counts 540 single-family buildings authorized in Ventura County in 2025, up from 499 in 2024 and 400 in 2023.

Cost at a glance

Ventura County tree removal cost at a glance
ItemTypical costSource
Typical single tree$400-$1,200HomeGuide, Feb 2026 (national)
Oak$300-$2,500HomeGuide, Feb 2026 (national)
Palm$200-$1,200HomeGuide, Feb 2026 (national)
Land clearing, per acre$1,200-$8,000HomeGuide, Feb 2026 (national)
County tree permit, ministerial (one tree)$167Ventura County Planning
County tree permit, ministerial (more than one)$340Ventura County Planning
Discretionary tree permit deposit$750Ventura County Planning

Permits

Oaks and sycamores are protected. Outside the coastal zone, the County's tree protection rules (Non-Coastal Zoning Ordinance Section 8107-25) cover every oak and sycamore on private land measuring 9.5 inches or more in girth (trunk circumference, generally at 4.5 feet), multi-trunk oaks at 6.25 inches, and any tree of 90 inches girth or more as a heritage tree. Removing one, or working inside its protected zone, needs a County tree permit: the Planning FAQ lists ministerial permits at $167 for one tree and $340 for more than one, and discretionary permits at a $750 deposit billed against staff time. These rules apply to unincorporated areas; cities such as Thousand Oaks run their own oak ordinances.

Burning: Ventura County APCD Rule 56 limits open burning to agricultural, range, wildland and similar permitted burns, so residential tree and yard debris has to be chipped or hauled.

Brush clearance: state law (Public Resources Code Section 4291) makes owners in mapped fire hazard zones keep a 100-foot defensible-space ring around buildings, and that ring is where many Ventura County jobs happen.

Step 1: check whether the tree is an oak or sycamore and whether you're in a city or unincorporated area. Step 2: if it's protected, call County Planning first. Step 3: plan chipping or haul-off. Step 4: compare itemized written bids. Step 5: call DigAlert (811) before grinding.

Local conditions

Rock north of Ojai: more than half the Ventura Area soil survey (CA674) is steep, 55.4% of acres at grades of 15% or more by NRCS mapping, and 37.1% has bedrock inside roughly 39 inches (100 cm), so oaks in the Topatopa foothills and Santa Monica Mountains get roped down in pieces.

Fire: FEMA's declarations data list 27 weather-related major disasters for Ventura County, including 7 fire declarations; chaparral and oak woodland near homes is why defensible-space thinning is so common.

Floods and storms: FEMA lists 9 flood and 7 severe storm declarations, most recently the winter storms declared in 2023 and April 2024, which toppled saturated eucalyptus and oaks in canyon bottoms and along the Ventura and Santa Clara rivers.

Wind: Santa Ana gusts snap limbs on eucalyptus windbreaks on the Oxnard Plain and in the Camarillo hills.

What drives local prices

  • Species: oaks range $300-$2,500 on HomeGuide's species chart and palms $200-$1,200; a 100-foot blue gum often brings in a crane.
  • Height: windbreak eucalyptus routinely tops 80 ft, a bracket HomeGuide puts at $1,200 to $2,500 and up.
  • Permits: a protected oak or sycamore adds the County's $167 ministerial permit, or $340 for several trees.
  • Brush acreage: a ranch parcel cleared for fire safety is quoted by the acre, and HomeGuide's land-clearing band is $1,200-$8,000 for each one.
  • Stump: HomeGuide's survey puts stump removal at $100-$500+, more on rock.
  • Method: the dollar ranges for species, height, acreage and stumps are HomeGuide's nationwide figures dated February 4, 2026, not Ventura County bids; the $167 and $340 permit fees are the County Planning FAQ's, burn limits come from APCD Rule 56, and clearance from PRC 4291. Checked October 19, 2026.

Common jobs

  • Eucalyptus windbreak removal
  • Oak and sycamore work under a County tree permit
  • Defensible-space thinning
  • Palm and pine removal in town

Service area

We hear from Oxnard, Ventura, Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Camarillo, Moorpark, Ojai, Fillmore, Santa Paula and Port Hueneme. US 101 follows the coast and turns inland through Camarillo and Thousand Oaks, Highway 118 links Moorpark and Simi Valley, Highway 126 runs up the Santa Clara River valley to Fillmore, and Highway 33 heads north to Ojai.

The bordering county page on this site is Los Angeles County, which shares the Santa Monica Mountains, Simi Hills and Santa Clara River with Ventura.

Southern California Edison owns most of the lines; only its crews should handle limbs near wires. Have a tree in mind? Send the species, rough height and what's below through the free form below. We reply by email with next steps and, where we know them, insured Ventura County crews.

Communities: Oxnard, Ventura, Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Camarillo, Moorpark, Ojai, Fillmore, Santa Paula, Port Hueneme

When something can’t wait

When a Santa Ana night drops a eucalyptus across the driveway or onto SCE wires, keep people clear and phone Edison (or 911) first. Expect after-hours pricing at roughly double or triple normal, per HomeGuide; if a protected oak was damaged, call County Planning about emergency work.

Questions about Ventura County

How much does tree removal cost in Ventura County?

HomeGuide's 2026 survey puts a typical tree at $400 to $1,200. Tall eucalyptus and protected oaks cost more.

Which trees need a County permit?

In unincorporated non-coastal areas, oaks and sycamores of 9.5 inches girth or more, and any tree of 90 inches girth or more.

What does a tree permit cost?

The County Planning FAQ lists $167 for a ministerial permit for one tree and $340 for more than one.

Can I burn tree debris?

No. Ventura County APCD Rule 56 allows only agricultural and other permitted burns, not residential yard waste.

Do I have to clear brush near my house?

In fire hazard areas, California PRC 4291 requires 100 feet of defensible space.

Sources

Bordering county

Tree problems

Local fees and rules change. Confirm with the county or state office named above before you clear. For published price ranges, see land clearing cost per acre or follow the worked estimate. Estimate your clearing cost.

Other counties we serve

Free, no obligation

Ask about your clearing project

Tell us the acreage, what is growing on it and what the land is for: pasture, house pad, trails or a view. The form goes to Cornelia Cove LLC, which runs this site, and we reply by email. We use your details only to answer this request, and we pass them to a contractor only if you ask us to.

Bring a range from our estimator to every site visit. A clearing bid should price clearing, stumps, debris disposal and grading separately, and say who handles permits.