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Tree Removal in El Dorado
The town of El Dorado, ZIP 95623, is on our list. Call (530) 457-1414. Give us your road and we'll get a tree company headed your way.
The old crossroads town
El Dorado is unincorporated. It sits 4 miles southwest of Placerville at about 1,608 feet.
Mud Springs, that's what folks called it first. Cows and horses had stomped a watering hole into a swamp. Gold changed things fast. By about 1849-50 this was the hub of its own mining district. Freight teams and stage lines met here, and it was a Pony Express stop as well.
One old building started out in the 1850s as a Wells Fargo weigh station. In 1945 it was turned into a roadside barbecue place called Poor Red's.
Old lots, old trees
Old towns can have big trees in tight spots. A huge oak next to a historic building or a stone wall. A pine that's been growing over the same roof for longer than anyone remembers.
Jobs like that take care. Pieces get roped down slowly instead of dropped. If there's an old wall, a shed or a well nearby, point it out when the pro comes by.
The rules here
El Dorado is unincorporated county land, so county rules apply. Here's the short list:
- Native oaks fall under the county's oak rule. A heritage oak is 36 inches across or more, measured at 4 feet 6 inches up.
- Up to 8 native oaks a year can come off one parcel for personal use, with total trunk size no more than 140 inches.
- Fire clearing follows the county vegetation code and state law, PRC 4291.
- Before burning anything, call the burn day line at 530-621-5897.
If you're unsure about an oak, ask the county Planning & Building Department before cutting. Our oak removal and permits page explains the exemptions.
What it costs in El Dorado
No town has its own price list. These national ranges from This Old House are a fair start:
| Job | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Most single removals | $820-$992 |
| Average removal | $906 |
| Oak | $200-$2,000 |
| Tree under 30 ft | $150-$450 |
Source: This Old House tree removal guide (updated March 2026).
Old trees often mean bigger trunks and more cleanup. Ask if hauling is included or extra. If a dead oak needs a written report for the county, budget for an arborist too.
Before the pro shows up
- Walk the yard and note what's under the tree: wires, roofs, fences, old walls.
- Find your property line if the tree is close to it.
- Think about the stump. Grind it, or leave it?
- Measure the trunk if it's an oak.
A town that came and went
El Dorado has flip-flopped on being official. Mud Spring got its post office in 1851. The El Dorado name came in 1855, the same year the place incorporated. That lasted until 1857, when it un-incorporated.
Its Pony Express claim is a good one. Spring of 1860, April 13 to be exact. Sam Hamilton rode in carrying the first mail ever sent west by Pony Express, St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento. He got a fresh horse at the Nevada House and kept going.
El Dorado questions
Wait, El Dorado or El Dorado Hills?
Two different places. This page is the little old town 4 miles from Placerville. EDH is the big planned community by Folsom, and it has its own page.
Where did the Mud Springs name come from?
A watering hole that cattle and horses churned into a bog.
Do I need a permit for a big oak here?
Maybe. A heritage oak is 36 inches or more across, and a permit can come up when the work is tied to building. Check with the county first.
Nearby
See Diamond Springs tree removal, Placerville tree removal and Gold Hill tree removal. Got a dead tree? Read dead tree removal. All towns: service areas.