Johnson Tree Company Since 1925Expert Tree Care Call for free estimate 310-393-5700
A Johnson Tree Company climber roped into the upper canopy of a mature Westside shade tree at sunset.

Three generations of expert tree care since 1925

  • Advanced master dendricians
  • Licensed, bonded & insured
  • Eli Johnson is a Certified ISA Arborist
The title card of the Johnson Tree Company film: the company van on a canyon road above the Palisades, under the Johnson Tree Co mark, captioned Eli Johnson / Tree Man.

What does your tree need?

Pick the closest one.

See the areas we serve ↓

Every cut chosen one at a time

Nothing comes out unless there is a reason for that particular cut. Weight, light, clearance or structure. The tree keeps its shape and its ability to feed itself.

  • Which limbs carry weight and which only carry leaves
  • Light and air moving through the crown
  • Clearance to roof, pool, paths and lines
  • How much live growth can come off in one visit

Points to: Pruning · Trimming · Shaping

Want it thinned, not stripped?

Call for free estimate 310-393-5700

Read about pruning →

A smaller crown, the same tree

Height and spread come back to sound growth points, so the load drops without topping the tree. Topping is a different thing, and it is not this.

  • Where the crown can be cut back to a lateral that takes over
  • How much can come off before the tree suffers for it
  • Weight sitting over the roof, pool or drive
  • The shape it will hold as it grows back

Points to: Trimming · Balancing

Tree getting too big?

Call for free estimate 310-393-5700

Read about crown work →

The parts that could come down, first

Work aimed at what could fail: broken limbs, cracks, weak unions and anything hanging over where people are.

  • Cracks, splits and included bark at the unions
  • Hangers and broken limbs still up in the canopy
  • Decay where limbs attach to the trunk
  • What is underneath if a limb lets go

Points to: Pruning · Tree diagnosis

Something looks unsafe?

Call for free estimate 310-393-5700

Read about pruning →

Dead wood out, the living tree left standing

The dead limbs are taken out and the tree stays. Dead limbs in a crown do not mean the tree has to be removed.

  • How much of the crown is actually dead
  • Whether the dieback is at the tips or right through
  • Size of the dead limbs and what sits below them
  • Whether something in the ground is causing it

Points to: Pruning · Tree diagnosis

Dead limbs up there?

Call for free estimate 310-393-5700

Read about diagnosis →

Usually crown work, not removal

Limbs over a roof or a pool are a weight problem before they are a health problem. Crown reduction, thinning and balancing take the load off. The tree stays.

  • Where the weight actually sits, not just where the shade falls
  • Attachment points and included bark at the main unions
  • Clearance to roof, gutters, chimney and lines
  • How the crown will regrow after the cut

Points to: Trimming · Pruning · Shaping · Balancing

Limbs over a roof?

Call for free estimate 310-393-5700

Read about crown work →

Brush clearance, done to the inspection

Canyon lots carry real clearance obligations, and the work has to look done to an inspector. It is also the moment to cut the ladder fuels running up into the crowns.

  • Dead material in the understorey and against structures
  • Ladder fuels running brush up into tree crowns
  • Slope access and where the debris can physically go
  • What should stay: clearance is not the same as clear-cutting

Points to: Brush clearance

Clearance deadline?

Call for free estimate 310-393-5700

Read about brush clearance →

An arborist silhouetted against the sun, working a pole saw through the canopy above a rooftop.
An arborist works along a heavy horizontal limb high in a bare winter canopy.
A Johnson Tree Company arborist in a hard hat uses a pole saw over a swimming pool at a Palisades estate.
A climber in a Johnson Tree Co. shirt reaches into a hedge canopy above a clipped box garden.
A crew member carries cut brush across a poolside terrace during a clean-up.
Two arborists on ladders work a steep bougainvillea-covered slope.
An archival photograph of the Johnson Tree Company fleet: a line of yellow and black flatbed trucks parked down a residential street, the crew standing alongside.
About us

The story of Johnson Tree Company

Everett Johnson trained at the Bartlett School of Tree Surgery and came to Southern California to find nobody doing complete, professional tree care. He started it. Eli was four when he began selling jobs alongside his father.

Three generations on, Johnson Tree Company is the best tree care company on the westside of Los Angeles, run by a Certified ISA Arborist.

The whole story →

What people are saying

Neighbours, for a very long time

We have used Johnson Tree Company for many, many years and have always been completely satisfied. Eli always gives accurate estimates for how long it will take to do the job, and he and his crew always arrive on time. They are very knowledgeable about everything related to trees: trimming, removing, watering, fertilizing etc. The crew is also extremely friendly. We couldn't recommend them more highly!
Midge S.
After a horrible encounter with another tree service company, I got a recommendation from a neighbor to use Eli Johnson's services. He was prompt, professional and pleasant to work with. His crew came out to do the work and did exactly what I wanted. They removed the trees I wanted gone and cleanup was great. I will be recommending Johnson Tree Co to anyone who needs tree services.
Janey S.
Where we work

Areas we serve

Serving the westside of Los Angeles, hillsides and canyons included.

  • Pacific Palisades
  • Malibu
  • Santa Monica
  • Bel-Air
  • Brentwood
  • Beverly Hills
  • Westwood
  • Venice
  • Marina del Rey
  • Culver City
Straight answers

Before you call

Does a tree with dead limbs have to be removed?

Usually not. Crown cleaning and structural pruning resolve most of it and the tree keeps standing. Removal is the last option, not the first.

What areas do you serve?

Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Santa Monica, Bel-Air, Brentwood, Beverly Hills, Westwood, Venice, Marina del Rey and Culver City.

Are you licensed and insured?

Licensed, bonded and insured. Eli Johnson is a Certified ISA Arborist.

How much does an estimate cost?

Nothing. Call 310-393-5700 and an arborist looks at the tree before quoting.

How long have you been in business?

Since 1925. Three generations of the Johnson family have run it.

Do you handle brush clearance for fire inspections?

Yes. All Westside Los Angeles properties. Hillsides and canyons.

Enjoy the confidence and security of dealing with the leaders of the tree care industry.

An arborist looks at the tree, tells you what it needs, and quotes the work. The estimate is free.

310-393-5700 Serving the westside of Los Angeles
Call for a free estimate · 310-393-5700