Nevada
Tree Removal and Tree Service in Nevada
Nevada's two population centers could be different countries for trees. Las Vegas is a Mojave Desert city where every tree depends on irrigation. Reno and Lake Tahoe sit at the foot of the Sierra, with pine forest, heavy snow and, at the lake, permit rules for larger trees.
Southern and northern Nevada side by side
| Las Vegas valley | Reno, Carson City and Tahoe | |
|---|---|---|
| Climate | Under five inches of rain. Summer highs above 110 degrees. | Cold winters, Sierra snow, strong afternoon and downslope wind |
| Common trees | Afghan pine, mesquite, palo verde, ash, African sumac, fan and date palms | Jeffrey and ponderosa pine, white fir, cottonwood, elm, fruit trees |
| Why trees come out | Heat and water stress, wind throw, outgrown spaces | Snow breakage, bark beetles, wildfire defensible space |
| Rule to know | State contractor license for landscape work | Tahoe Regional Planning Agency tree permits in the basin |
Sierra snow, Washoe wind and a stressed forest
Reno, Sparks and Carson City lie in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada. Storms that bury the crest still reach the valley floor as heavy, wet snow several times a winter, and the winter of 2022 to 2023 brought one such storm after another. Elms, cottonwoods, fruit trees and multi-stemmed evergreens broke under the load.
Wind is the other constant. The afternoon westerly known as the Washoe Zephyr and stronger downslope events ahead of Pacific fronts regularly gust past 60 mph along the foothills.
Around Lake Tahoe the concern is the forest itself. Years of drought left white fir and Jeffrey pine open to bark beetles, and dead and dying conifers stand among homes throughout the basin. Removing them is part of defensible space work, which local fire districts organize. For the valley floor in the south, see Las Vegas.
Contractor licensing and Tahoe tree permits
Nevada regulates tree work through the State Contractors Board. Tree trimming and removal fall under the landscape contracting classification, and a license is required above the board's small-job threshold. You can look up a license and its bond on the board's website.
In the Lake Tahoe Basin, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency requires a permit to remove a live tree larger than 14 inches in diameter at breast height, with a lower threshold on lakefront parcels. Dead trees and trees marked by a fire agency for defensible space follow a simpler route. Local fire districts handle most defensible-space tree marking.
Clark County restricts planting certain high-pollen trees, including fruitless mulberry and European olive. Existing ones may stay, though many are being removed as they age.
Palms and desert trees
- Mexican fan palm
- Grows past 60 feet. The dead frond skirt is a fire hazard and a home for pests, so it is removed yearly.
- Date palm
- Heavy fronds and fruit stalks. Trimming needs a lift on tall specimens.
- Mesquite and palo verde
- Low water use, but top-heavy under drip irrigation and prone to tipping in summer gusts.
- Ash
- Many older ash are in decline from heat, borers and dieback disease.
- African sumac
- Dense and wind-catching. Needs regular thinning.
Removing a Tahoe Basin tree: two routes
Defensible space route
- The tree is dead, dying or a fire hazard near a structure
- A fire district forester inspects and marks it
- Marked trees can be removed without a separate regional permit
- Usually the faster path
Permit route
- The tree is alive, over 14 inches in diameter and not a hazard
- An application goes to the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency
- Approval depends on the reason and the site
- Lakefront parcels have a lower size threshold
Start with your local fire district. If the tree does not qualify for marking, ask the planning agency what a permit would require.
Timing tree work in Nevada
- Act now
Monsoon or spring wind has left a tree leaning on a wall or roof
Call. Block walls fail under the load.
- This week
A palm's dead skirt reaches down the trunk
Have it trimmed before summer.
- Plan it
Desert trees need thinning
Late winter to spring. Avoid heavy pruning in peak heat, which exposes bark to sunburn.
- Plan it
A Tahoe pine over 14 inches needs to come out
Start the permit or fire-district marking process well ahead.
Guides for California, Arizona and Utah
- CaliforniaThe other side of Lake Tahoe and state defensible space law.
- ArizonaMonsoon blowdowns and native plant protection.
- UtahHeavy snow and canyon wind on the Wasatch Front.
- IdahoConifer forest and wildfire thinning.
- Las VegasHeat-killed pines, block-wall lots and state contractor licensing.
- Dead tree removal in Las VegasA local service page for Las Vegas.
Nevada tree service questions
Does a tree service need a contractor's license in Nevada?
Yes for work above the State Contractors Board's small-job threshold. Tree work falls under landscape contracting. Verify the license number with the board.
Do I need a permit to cut a tree at Lake Tahoe?
For a live tree over 14 inches in diameter, generally yes, from the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency or through your fire district's defensible space program. Smaller thresholds apply on the lakefront.
Why are so many pines dying in Las Vegas?
A combination of hotter summers, reduced irrigation after turf removal, and age. Stressed pines are then attacked by borers and mites.
Can I keep my mulberry or olive tree in Clark County?
Yes. The restriction is on planting new ones. Existing trees are allowed to remain.
Tree service in Nevada, by phone
Call to be connected with an independent tree company serving your part of Nevada.
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