Independent Consulting Arborist El Dorado County, CA

Most tree companies make money when trees come down. I do not.

Sierra Tree and Fungi is the independent consulting arborist practice of Christopher Hodge, serving homeowners, property managers, builders, HOAs, and attorneys throughout El Dorado County and the greater Sacramento region. I have no removal crews, no equipment to keep busy, and no financial incentive to recommend work your trees do not need. My only product is an honest, written assessment you can act on. I am an ISA Board Certified Master Arborist, the highest credential the International Society of Arboriculture awards.

What a consulting arborist actually does

A consulting arborist is not a tree service. As the American Society of Consulting Arborists describes the role, a consulting arborist provides objective, expert guidance about trees rather than the physical work of pruning or removal. I assess, diagnose, measure, and report. I do not prune or remove trees. That distinction matters more than it sounds, because it means every recommendation I make is based only on what is right for your trees and your property, never on keeping a crew busy. When a tree service tells you a tree has to come down, they are also quoting you the job. When I tell you a tree has to come down, I have nothing to gain from the answer either way, which is exactly why an independent opinion is worth having before you commit to expensive work.

When you need a consulting arborist

People bring me in when the stakes are high enough that a guess is not good enough. The most common situations are:

• Before you build. A grading or building permit near protected native oaks in El Dorado County requires an Oak Technical Report, and getting it right the first time keeps your project on schedule.
• Before you buy or sell a property. An independent tree assessment tells a buyer or seller the condition of the trees and what they will cost to manage, before it becomes an expensive surprise.
• When a tree looks dangerous. A written tree risk assessment tells you the real level of risk and the real options, which are often something other than removal.
• When a tree is sick or declining and no one can say why. Correct diagnosis of disease, pests, or decline is the whole point, and it is where my fungal pathology work lives.
• For an insurance claim, a legal dispute, or expert testimony. A documented, defensible assessment gives adjusters, attorneys, and courts a clear opinion on tree condition and causation they can rely on.
• After a storm or a wildfire. An independent look at damaged trees tells you which will recover and which are hazards, so you keep the canopy you can and remove only what you must.

The reports and documents I prepare

Most consulting work ends in a written document you can hand to a county reviewer, an insurer, an attorney, or a contractor. The ones I prepare most often are:

• Arborist reports for county permits, CEQA review, and HOA approvals.
• Tree risk assessments using the ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification framework, with a written risk rating.
• Oak Technical Reports for El Dorado County oak permitting, prepared to the county's Oak Resources Management Plan standards.
• Tree inventories and tree protection plans for construction and development.
• Fungal pathology reports, with microscopy and organism identification, for cases where the cause of decline is unclear.
• Expert witness reports, declarations, and testimony for tree related disputes.

The standards behind a defensible report

A report is only useful if it holds up when someone pushes on it, so mine are built on the recognized standards of the profession rather than on opinion. My tree care recommendations follow the ANSI A300 standards, the American National Standards for tree care developed through the Tree Care Industry Association, along with the International Society of Arboriculture's Best Management Practices. My risk work follows the ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification methodology, a structured, repeatable framework rather than a gut feeling. My oak permitting reports are written to El Dorado County's own Oak Resources Management Plan requirements. Grounding the work in published standards is what makes a report defensible to a county reviewer, an insurer, or a court, and it is the difference between a professional assessment and an opinion typed onto a page.

Your arborist's credentials

Christopher Hodge holds the International Society of Arboriculture's highest credential, the Board Certified Master Arborist, which most tree services and even most certified arborists in the region do not carry:

• ISA Board Certified Master Arborist WE-14385B, the top professional credential in arboriculture.
• ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ), the ISA standard for formal tree risk assessment.
• California Qualified Applicator License, licensed by the Department of Pesticide Regulation for targeted plant health care.
• TCIA Plant Health Care Technician, specialized training in tree disease and pest diagnosis.
• TCIA Tree Care Specialist, credentialed in current arboricultural practices and industry standards.
• OSHA 30 safety training.

What sets my work apart from the average arborist is over fifteen years of hands on study of fungal taxonomy and forest ecology. Fungi drive many of the outcomes in tree health, from the mycorrhizal partnerships that keep a tree alive to the decay fungi that quietly hollow a trunk, and reading them correctly can change both a diagnosis and a risk rating. I identify fruiting bodies in the field and under the microscope, and I work with fellow arborists to raise the profession's understanding of tree and fungus biology. That combination of credentials and specialty is why you receive a defensible, documented assessment rather than a guess.

How to choose a consulting arborist

If you are comparing arborists, a few things separate a defensible consultant from a salesperson with a chainsaw. Look for the ISA Certified Arborist credential at a minimum, and ideally the Board Certified Master Arborist, which is the highest level. Look for the TRAQ qualification when tree risk is the question. Ask whether the arborist runs removal crews, because genuine independence means the person assessing your tree does not profit from cutting it down. And ask to see a written report, because a verbal opinion at the tailgate is not something you can submit to a county, an insurer, or a court. A consulting arborist should hand you documentation, not a bid.

Service area

I serve all of El Dorado County plus the greater Sacramento region and the Sierra foothills, including Sacramento, Placer, and Amador counties. That covers El Dorado Hills, Cameron Park, Shingle Springs, Placerville, Folsom, Roseville, Rocklin, Auburn, Granite Bay, and the surrounding communities, so if you are searching for a consulting arborist near you in the region, this is the service area.

Get a written assessment

A site assessment with a written report you can use for permits, insurance, legal proceedings, or contractor negotiations starts at $450. The site visit on its own is $250 and covers up to one hour on site. Call or text (530) 391-6100 to schedule, or use the contact form below.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a consulting arborist cost in El Dorado County?

A site assessment with a written report starts at $450. The site visit on its own is $250 and covers up to one hour on site. Beyond that hour the cost depends on the number of trees, site complexity, and the type of report you need, whether it is a risk assessment, an Oak Technical Report, or documentation for insurance or legal proceedings. Call (530) 391-6100 for a fee estimate before scheduling.

What is the difference between a consulting arborist and a tree service?

A consulting arborist assesses, diagnoses, and provides written reports, but does not prune or remove trees. Because I have no removal crews or equipment to keep busy, every recommendation is conflict free and based only on what your trees actually need. A tree service performs the physical work: pruning, removal, and stump grinding. Hiring a consulting arborist first gives you an independent opinion before you commit to expensive tree work, the same way you would get a second medical opinion before surgery.

What is the difference between a certified arborist and a consulting arborist?

Certified Arborist is a credential from the International Society of Arboriculture that shows an arborist has passed a professional exam. Consulting arborist describes a role: an arborist who provides objective assessments, diagnoses, and written reports rather than performing the physical work. I am both, a credentialed ISA Board Certified Master Arborist working as an independent consultant, which is the combination you want when a report has to hold up.

Do I need an arborist report for a building permit in El Dorado County?

If your project is anywhere near native oak trees and at or below 4,000 feet elevation, usually yes. El Dorado County's Oak Resources Conservation Ordinance requires an Oak Technical Report signed by a qualified arborist for grading or building permits that could affect native oaks six inches in trunk diameter or greater, or multi trunk oaks whose three largest trunks total ten inches or more. Without an approved report, your permit can be delayed or denied. I prepare Oak Technical Reports specifically for El Dorado County's requirements and know what county reviewers look for.

Can a consulting arborist help me keep a tree instead of removing it?

Often, yes, and that is frequently the outcome. Because I do not profit from removals, I have every reason to find the option that saves a sound tree, whether that is pruning, cabling, root or crown treatment, or simply monitoring. When a tree service has told you a tree must come down, an independent assessment can confirm whether that is really true or whether the tree can be kept safely.

How does an arborist consultation work?

A consultation starts with a site visit, where I inspect the trees, identify any disease, pests, or structural concerns, and answer your questions on the spot. You then receive a written report with findings and clear recommendations you can act on or submit for a permit, an insurance claim, or a sale. A site assessment with a written report starts at $450. The site visit on its own is $250 for up to one hour on site. Call or text (530) 391-6100 to book a consultation.

Professional standards and resources

• International Society of Arboriculture (ISA)The global professional body for arborists and the source of the Board Certified Master Arborist and TRAQ credentials I hold.
• American Society of Consulting Arborists (ASCA)The professional society for consulting arborists, whose focus on objective, independent guidance defines the consulting arborist role.
• Tree Care Industry Association and the ANSI A300 standardsThe association that develops the ANSI A300 standards, the American National Standards for tree care that my recommendations follow.
• ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ)The standardized, repeatable tree risk assessment methodology behind my written risk ratings.