The Urban Arborist provides professional tree care and maintenance for the San Francisco Bay Area. The Urban Arborist is a full-service tree company specializing in urban tree care and management. Our certified arborists provide tree services to residential, commercial, and municipal clients throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.
Josef Sikelianos, the founder of Urban Arborist, became an arborist out of a family tradition and a lifelong fascination with the natural world. What started as a one-man operation has now grown into a comprehensive tree service with highly skilled arborists and technicians with over 60 years combined Bay Area experience.
Our teams are well-versed in the City's unique and challenging landscape. At the Urban Arborist, we begin with the view that your trees are part of an ecosystem. We use our experience to determine how best to treat that system as a whole in order to enhance each tree's relationship to its unique setting, considering the surrounding landscape, buildings, micro-climates, and of course the humans that share that ecosystem.
Josef Sikelianos, the founder of Urban Arborist, became an arborist out of a family tradition and a lifelong fascination with the natural world. What started as a one-man operation has now grown into a comprehensive tree service with highly skilled arborists and technicians with over 60 years combined Bay Area experience.
Our teams are well-versed in the City's unique and challenging landscape. At the Urban Arborist, we begin with the view that your trees are part of an ecosystem. We use our experience to determine how best to treat that system as a whole in order to enhance each tree's relationship to its unique setting, considering the surrounding landscape, buildings, micro-climates, and of course the humans that share that ecosystem.
Reviews (18)
Sara M.
Nov 17, 2021
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We had such a great experience working with Jake and his team over at The Urban Arborist. As recent new homeowners, we adopted quite a few trees on our property. Among them, two beautiful and mature redwoods.
We were nervous and unsure as to what our responsibilities should be to the trees on our property. Were they getting enough water? Were they healthy? We looked around and eventually found The Urban Arborist. We called and set up a free consultation.
When the consultation date arrived, Jake dove right in. Identifying every tree on the property and he provided us his expert perspective on
We were nervous and unsure as to what our responsibilities should be to the trees on our property. Were they getting enough water? Were they healthy? We looked around and eventually found The Urban Arborist. We called and set up a free consultation.
When the consultation date arrived, Jake dove right in. Identifying every tree on the property and he provided us his expert perspective on
Elaine H.
Aug 08, 2021
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Our family just moved into a new home and there were 3 overgrown trees that needed serious pruning to provide clearances from power lines, our building, and the property line. UA uses a helpful automated appointment notification/reminder system which made communication very efficient. Jake showed up exactly when promised for both the quote, and for the job. He was very knowledgeable about what was allowable from the standpoint of the health of the trees, and the City's regulations (1 tree was on our front sidewalk, 2 trees were along the property line in our backyard). Their team did a great
I. R.
Jul 12, 2021
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I've written a review before, but sending one in again because UA is just amazing. UA came (on time) to check out the crack in the trunk of my tree and explained what was happening and then wrapped it together with bungy cords as that's all that could be done. He was very nice in general and told me all about the other trees in the yard. We have to wait and see what happens to this tree, but this was the best fix for now. I really love UA!!
Thomas B.
May 27, 2021
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Personalized service! Jake and his A-team of tree climbing, stump grinding, tree planting arborists who showed up this morning were great. It was a pretty big job involving six different trees, each needing different treatments.
In the back yard we had two dead Hopseed trees needing to be cut down, one large Hopseed tree I wanted totally removed (stump too) and replaced with a new 15 gallon Merlot Redbud, and one very large tree needing three low hanging but massive branches cut down. In the front yard, we had a large Weeping Willow tree that needed pruning to avoid power and phone lines
In the back yard we had two dead Hopseed trees needing to be cut down, one large Hopseed tree I wanted totally removed (stump too) and replaced with a new 15 gallon Merlot Redbud, and one very large tree needing three low hanging but massive branches cut down. In the front yard, we had a large Weeping Willow tree that needed pruning to avoid power and phone lines
A. G.
Nov 24, 2020
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Ruth K.
Oct 07, 2020
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Urban Arborist is the exact kind of small business you want to support. Jake clearly knows his stuff about trees and instilled a sense of trust. He conducted a thoughtful and thorough assessment of all the trees on our property and developed a comprehensive care plan. He was honest and clear and followed through. I will definitely continue to work with them to take care of our precious trees!
S. M.
Sep 16, 2020
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Stephen M.
Jul 14, 2020
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James S.
Feb 23, 2020
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Update: Didn't know how to put an update on this so I am just editing my previous update: Yesterday the receptionist and the owner both reached out to me. There was a misunderstanding between the receptionist and myself. She wasn't annoyed she just wanted to get the arborist back to the house to talk to us before he was too far away. She was really nice when she left me a voice mail and very sincere and apologized for the mixup. I was then contacted by the owner who was genuinely concerned with what happened and wanted to work with me on addressing the issue. I said ok. He came out to
Rebecca S.
Feb 18, 2020
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We had a great experience with the Urban Arborist. They had a fair quote, we're easy to schedule and extremely professional to work with. The day of the scheduled tree removal they were prompt and courteous to our neighbors and finished even quicker then expected. Additionally they provided recommendations for our remodel. Would definitely recommend.
Judy D.
May 25, 2019
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Customer-centric from the start:
-Fast response to my initial email inquiry
-Timely on-site visit to survey our 60-foot, slim Mexican palm in dire need of a clean-up haircut
- Fast bid delivery via email (ask about the cash discount)
- On-time arrival and great work
Our palm looks beautiful, and the garden, back deck, and street in front of our home were all left clean and tidy.
Thanks to Stuart, José, and the team for sprucing up our garden focal point!
-Fast response to my initial email inquiry
-Timely on-site visit to survey our 60-foot, slim Mexican palm in dire need of a clean-up haircut
- Fast bid delivery via email (ask about the cash discount)
- On-time arrival and great work
Our palm looks beautiful, and the garden, back deck, and street in front of our home were all left clean and tidy.
Thanks to Stuart, José, and the team for sprucing up our garden focal point!
A. K.
Jan 08, 2019
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Cannot say enough good things about Joseph and the whole team. Not only did they give us a quote when they said they would (so many people just don't show up!), they came in much more competitively, and they did a remarkable job- so much so we hired them on the spot to do another job at my mom's home up the road.
The team was kind, responsible, clean, dealt with the neighbors and truly cared about the trees. The first job we hired them for was a tree that is on the sidewalk in front of our house. It really should be the city's job to pay for the maintenance, but alas, we are responsible
The team was kind, responsible, clean, dealt with the neighbors and truly cared about the trees. The first job we hired them for was a tree that is on the sidewalk in front of our house. It really should be the city's job to pay for the maintenance, but alas, we are responsible
Mary O.
Oct 12, 2018
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The Urban Arborists are terrific. I used them to cut back a walnut tree that was very overgrown on our property, and had been neglected by my neighbor.
You will see his ever so nice comment in the reviews below which I think is completely unfair.
Here is what happened:
They had a walnut tree that was years overgrown. It was hitting the deck of the upstairs neighbors and ruining their garden, and overgrown on the lower unit so much so that the branches were about to fall and causing damage to my patio with the stains. I asked them at LEAST three times if I could cut it back. Each time was Yes
You will see his ever so nice comment in the reviews below which I think is completely unfair.
Here is what happened:
They had a walnut tree that was years overgrown. It was hitting the deck of the upstairs neighbors and ruining their garden, and overgrown on the lower unit so much so that the branches were about to fall and causing damage to my patio with the stains. I asked them at LEAST three times if I could cut it back. Each time was Yes
D. K.
Sep 21, 2018
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Simon R.
Sep 04, 2018
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Stuart and his team are total pros.
They did a great job cutting back 2 Neighbours trees after advising me of the "ins and outs" of cutting trees overhanging my property from next door.
They showed up on time, did the work quickly, to my specs and cleaned up perfectly after the work.
I'll be using them going forward for the twice a year from illl be needing for those trees
I'd definitely recommend them.
They did a great job cutting back 2 Neighbours trees after advising me of the "ins and outs" of cutting trees overhanging my property from next door.
They showed up on time, did the work quickly, to my specs and cleaned up perfectly after the work.
I'll be using them going forward for the twice a year from illl be needing for those trees
I'd definitely recommend them.
Eric P.
May 09, 2018
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Michael T.
Apr 03, 2018
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Hands down an outstanding Arborist; no need to call others, you found one of the best here.
The Urban Arborist went above and beyond to work with us and the neighbors to ensure everyone knew what was going on. Stuart, the manager for our job, was incredibly nice and communicative. Their crew quickly cut down a large redwood tree and preserved parts of it for later use in the house. Urban Arborist even offered to come on the weekend to do work.
Overall The Urban Arborist is a great company which I will use again in the future and happily refer to others.
The Urban Arborist went above and beyond to work with us and the neighbors to ensure everyone knew what was going on. Stuart, the manager for our job, was incredibly nice and communicative. Their crew quickly cut down a large redwood tree and preserved parts of it for later use in the house. Urban Arborist even offered to come on the weekend to do work.
Overall The Urban Arborist is a great company which I will use again in the future and happily refer to others.
Bruce M.
Jul 28, 2017
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This is a story of a job that nearly went wrong but turned out happily and left me impressed. About a week ago, I went outside and found my youngish apple tree (planted 8 years ago) leaning badly forward where previously it had been happily vertical. It had an incredibly prolific crop this year, and I clearly didn't thin the fruit adequately. After another arborist I'd had a consultation with previously couldn't come for 2 weeks, I called Urban Arborist, and manager Scott Wheeler came out to inspect the situation. We arranged for his crew to come out a couple days later to straighten
