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Tree Trimming in Shingle Springs

Count Shingle Springs in. Call (530) 380-5512, and a nearby tree pro gets booked for your oaks, pines or yard trees, by the freeway or way out a back road.

Shingle Springs is our next-door neighbor to the east. It shares a lot with Cameron Park, but it has its own story too.

A town named for a machine

Gold miners started the camp. On its western edge, by the springs, stood a horse-powered machine that cranked out 16,000 wooden shingles a day, and the camp borrowed its name from it. Wood was a big deal here from the start.

Highway 50 runs right through town now, and Sacramento is about 40 miles off. In 2020 the census found 4,660 residents. Its elevation is listed at 1,421 feet, and it shares the 95682 ZIP code with Cameron Park.

The federally recognized Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians is based here. Before the Gold Rush, a Maidu village called Bamom stood near where the town is now.

The post office has a funny history too. It opened as "Shingle Springs" in 1865, got shortened to plain "Shingle" in 1895, and switched back in 1955. The town today is California Historical Landmark #456.

Oaks that look sick but aren't

Here's a Shingle Springs worry we'd love to put to rest. Some springs, blue oaks turn a pale, almost white color. People see that and think the tree is dying.

Usually the culprit is powdery mildew, per the UC Master Gardener oak talk. A soggy late spring brings it on, and blue oaks show it the most. The talk's advice? Leave it be. Even if most leaves fall, the tree will probably leaf out fine the following spring.

So please don't let anyone talk you into a heavy cut because a blue oak went white. Wait a season. A light cleaning of dead wood is plenty.

Live oaks get a summer trim

Interior live oaks keep their leaves all year. The Master Gardener rule says to prune evergreen oaks like these in summer, and leaf-droppers like blue oaks in winter. If you have both on one lot, that can mean two short visits a year. Or one visit for dead wood, and the live cuts saved for the right month.

Fire safety help close by

There's an El Dorado County Fire Safe Council, and it lists local councils all over the county. Its site describes a free home assessment program. It's meant to spot risks and fixes around your home, and it's not an inspection.

That's worth doing before a big trim. The assessment can point out which limbs near the house matter most, and then a tree pro can price just those.

What trimming costs in Shingle Springs

There's no local price list, so we lean on national guides. HomeGuide puts oak trimming at $450 to $1,500 a tree. It also says most companies charge a minimum of $100 to $300 or more, no matter how small the job.

One more line item to ask about is hauling. HomeGuide says taking the trimmed branches and wood away can add $75 to $250. Some folks keep the chips for mulch and skip that charge.

Shingle Springs questions

Do you cover all of Shingle Springs?

All of it. Dial (530) 380-5512, name your road, and someone who works out that way gets the job.

Why did my blue oak go white?

Probably not. The UC Master Gardener talk says it's most likely powdery mildew after a late wet spring, and the tree usually leafs out again next year.

When should my live oak be trimmed?

Summer, since it's evergreen. Dead branches can come off any time.