Tree disputes turn on three numbers: what the tree was worth, what the code required, and what a reasonable owner would have done. This practice supplies all three in a form opposing counsel and adjusters accept, and it has no tree-work revenue that could color the opinion.
What you can order
- Appraisal and expert reports: trunk formula and cost-of-cure appraisals to CTLA standards, damage documentation, causation and standard-of-care opinions. $850 to $2,500 depending on tree count and audience.
- Deposition and testimony: $250 per hour, including preparation; travel at cost.
- Risk assessment after a failure: what was visible before the tree came down, documented to the ISA method. $650 to $850 per tree.
- Insurance claim documentation after storm damage or failure. $750 to $1,250.
The ordinance is usually the case
Civil Code 3346 doubles or trebles damages for wrongful cutting, but what the city's code protected, at what size, and whether a permit existed decides most Bay Area matters. Every report cites the code section from the verified dataset, and the penalties page shows what each city's enforcement looks like. Background: California tree law for neighbor disputes.
Questions counsel ask
Have you testified before?
Ask for the CV and matter list; it is sent with the engagement letter rather than published.
Can you work from photographs when the tree is gone?
Often, with the stump, the wood, neighboring trees and dated photographs. The report states what could and could not be verified.
Conflicts?
No referral relationships with tree-service companies. Prior work for either party is disclosed before engagement.