Two Utilities, One Hard Rule
PG&E (Pacific Gas and Electric) provides electrical service to most of the Sacramento region's foothill and rural communities — Auburn, Colfax, Newcastle, El Dorado Hills, Cameron Park, Shingle Springs, Placerville, Pollock Pines, and the Sierra Nevada foothills generally. SMUD (Sacramento Municipal Utility District) is the publicly owned utility serving most of the city and county of Sacramento — a large service territory that includes Folsom, Rancho Cordova, Elk Grove, and much of the Sacramento metropolitan area. If you are east of Folsom in the foothill corridor, you are almost certainly a PG&E customer. If you are in the city of Sacramento or the suburban valley floor, you are almost certainly a SMUD customer. Your electric bill will confirm it. Both utilities operate vegetation management programs. PG&E does so under the oversight of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), which regulates investor-owned utilities through rules like General Order 95 — a set of construction and maintenance standards for overhead electrical line facilities that includes required clearances between conductors and vegetation. SMUD, as a publicly owned utility, operates under comparable technical safety standards and its own board-approved programs. The hard rule that applies regardless of which utility serves your address: energized high-voltage conductors are not a homeowner task, and they are not a general tree service task either. The hazard is not hypothetical.
Who Is Responsible for What
The question of who handles trees near power lines depends on which conductor type is involved and where the tree sits. The table below lays out the most common scenarios.
| Situation | Who Is Responsible | What to Do |
|---|---|---|
| Tree or limbs growing into primary distribution or transmission lines (the high-voltage lines on poles or towers) | Utility — PG&E or SMUD | Contact the utility's vegetation management program. Do not attempt any pruning — these are energized high-voltage conductors. |
| Tree fully fallen onto a primary or secondary line | Utility emergency crew | Call 911 and the utility emergency line. Stay well clear — do not approach, touch the tree, or drive over a downed line. |
| Vegetation growing into the service drop (the secondary conductor from the pole to your meter) | Utility owns the conductor; vegetation clearance coordination is often the homeowner's responsibility to initiate | Call the utility to report. They will assess and may de-energize for safe pruning. Do not prune near the drop yourself. |
| Dead or hazardous tree on private property with no line contact | Property owner | Hire a qualified tree service. If the tree is near lines, confirm crew can work outside approach distances — or coordinate de-energization first. |
| Tree needs additional pruning beyond what the utility crew performed | Property owner (for work outside the utility's scope) | Hire a qualified tree service to work on portions away from energized conductors. Contact utility if additional line-clearance work is still needed. |
Why Energized Conductors Are Not a Pruning Problem
Trees and power lines seem like a straightforward situation — they are not. Overhead distribution lines in residential and rural neighborhoods typically operate at voltages between 4 kV and 25 kV; transmission lines run far higher. At these voltages, electricity can arc through an air gap between a conductor and a tool, a ladder, a tree limb held by a person, or a person's body without direct contact. Wood, fiberglass, and rope — the materials a climber or pruner touches every day — do not insulate reliably at distribution voltages under field conditions, especially when wet, dirty, or subject to sustained voltage stress. OSHA's electrical safety standards (including 29 CFR 1910.333) establish minimum approach distances (MAD) based on conductor voltage — the minimum clearance an unqualified worker must maintain from an energized conductor. For distribution voltages typical on residential streets, OSHA sets a 10-foot minimum approach distance for unqualified persons. The 10 feet applies to the person's body and to any conductive object they are holding — a pole saw extends the effective approach requirement well beyond 10 feet from the line. ANSI Z133, the safety standard for arboricultural operations published by the American National Standards Institute, addresses tree work near energized conductors specifically. It defines the training, qualification, and supervision requirements for line-clearance arborists — a designation that requires documented training, medical fitness evaluation, and experience that goes substantially beyond a general arborist credential or tree service license. ANSI Z133 prohibits any worker from working within the minimum approach distance unless they hold line-clearance arborist qualification. A homeowner with a pole saw, or a tree service without line-clearance qualification, has no safe path within those distances while conductors are energized.
PG&E Vegetation Management: What They Do and How to Request It
PG&E's vegetation management program, operating under CPUC GO 95 and PG&E's own safety and reliability standards, maintains clearance around PG&E's distribution and transmission infrastructure. PG&E contracts with vegetation management specialists who perform line-clearance pruning on a regular inspection cycle — frequency varies by line type, fire risk zone, and local conditions. In High and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones across the foothill corridor, PG&E has expanded inspection and trimming frequency significantly in recent years as part of its PSPS (Public Safety Power Shutoff) risk reduction and wildfire mitigation work. What PG&E's vegetation management covers: clearance pruning around their distribution and transmission conductors, performed by qualified line-clearance crews. PG&E prunes to the clearance required by GO 95 and its own internal standards. The program does not remove trees for property owners, does not perform general landscaping, and does not address portions of a tree that are not threatening PG&E infrastructure. If a tree on your property is growing into PG&E lines — or if you notice a tree on any property growing toward PG&E conductors — you can report it through PG&E's tree-trimming or vegetation management request process, available through the PG&E website and by phone. PG&E will send a crew or contractor to assess the situation. If the encroachment is within their program scope, they schedule and perform the work. This is generally done at no charge for vegetation issues directly affecting their infrastructure. For tree work away from the lines — removal of the trunk, work on canopy sections not near conductors, stump grinding — that is the property owner's job and can be handled by a qualified tree service while staying outside the minimum approach distance. The practical setup for a partial removal: a tree service takes the portions of the tree they can safely reach without approaching the conductors, and the utility clears what is adjacent to the line, usually on separate visits.
SMUD Vegetation Management: What They Do and How to Request It
SMUD operates its own vegetation management program within its service territory covering most of the city and county of Sacramento. SMUD's program follows the same core principles: regular inspection cycles, contractor crews performing line-clearance pruning around SMUD's distribution infrastructure, and a process by which customers can report trees encroaching on SMUD conductors. SMUD has been transparent about its vegetation management program and provides customer-facing information on how to report trees near their lines and how to request service. The same practical framework applies as with PG&E: SMUD handles clearance around their distribution lines; they do not remove trees for property owners or perform general tree trimming; if a tree on your property is in contact with or growing toward a SMUD conductor, call or use their online reporting to flag it. SMUD's service territory includes portions of the foothill-adjacent communities — Folsom and Rancho Cordova are within SMUD territory, while El Dorado Hills, Cameron Park, and communities east of the SMUD service boundary are PG&E. If you are not certain which utility serves your property, the answer is on your electric bill. In most foothill communities — Auburn, Placerville, Colfax, Pollock Pines, El Dorado Hills, Cameron Park — PG&E is the provider. In Sacramento city, the urban and suburban Sacramento County areas, and communities like Elk Grove — SMUD. For the service drop (the secondary line from the pole to your meter), SMUD's customer-facing guidance is similar to PG&E's: the conductor is SMUD equipment, and customers should call to report vegetation contact or interference rather than attempting any clearing themselves.
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The Service Drop: The Gray Area
The service drop is the conductor that runs from the utility's distribution pole to your structure's meter base. It is typically a lower-voltage secondary line — not the kilovolt-range primary distribution conductors — but it is still an energized electrical conductor and remains lethal under the right conditions. The service drop question causes more confusion than any other line-related situation, because responsibility is genuinely divided. The conductor itself is utility equipment — PG&E and SMUD own and maintain the service drop wire. The service entrance at the house (the attachment point, the weatherhead, the meter base, and the conduit) is typically the homeowner's equipment. In practical terms: if the service drop sags because a branch is pushing it up, or if a tree limb falls and pulls the drop away from the attachment point on the house, you call the utility. If a tree on your property needs management so it stops interfering with the drop, coordinating that tree work is your responsibility — and doing it safely requires the utility to de-energize the drop while the work happens within the approach distance. De-energization for tree work is possible with both PG&E and SMUD, but it requires advance coordination. Utilities typically need several business days to schedule a temporary outage window for a tree crew. The sequence is: you call the utility, explain the need, get a scheduled outage window, then schedule the tree service for that window. Some situations also require a licensed electrical contractor to disconnect and reconnect the service entrance on the house side. Do not assume a tree service can work near the service drop and it will be safe because 'it's just the service wire.' Service drops operate at 120/240 volts — more than enough to kill — and they are not visually distinguishable from a safe wire by looking at them.
When a Branch or Tree Goes Down on a Line
Storm season in the Sacramento region — December through March, with occasional October and November events — brings the most line-contact emergencies. Rain-saturated soil loosens root plates. Wind snaps tops from drought-stressed or bark-beetle-killed trees. Falling limbs from valley oaks and mature elms hit service drops and primary lines on residential streets throughout the region every storm season. A branch on a line may or may not spark visibly, but that is not a reliable indicator of whether the line is energized. Distribution lines can be de-energized by protective devices and then re-energized automatically — a line that was quiet when you looked may carry full voltage a minute later. Ground around a line contact point can be energized at a distance. Standing water in the vicinity of a downed line can conduct electricity. The soil between the contact point and a drain, puddle, or wet surface may be conducting. The protocol is not complicated: call 911 and the utility emergency line. Do not approach the area. Do not try to move the branch or limb. Do not drive over a downed line — if your tires are the insulator between you and ground potential and you step out of the vehicle, you may complete a circuit. Do not touch a tree that is in contact with a line — the tree may be conducting. Keep people and pets away from the entire area until a utility crew arrives and confirms the hazard is cleared. After the utility has resolved the emergency and confirmed the scene is safe, a tree service can handle removing the damaged tree or limb. Not before — and not while any line in the area is of uncertain status.
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Coordinating Tree Work Near Lines: The Right Sequence
When tree work is needed and power lines are anywhere in the picture, the starting question is whether the work can be performed while staying entirely outside the minimum approach distance — or whether it requires de-energization. Most residential tree work does not require line-clearance qualification at all: a backyard tree being removed, with a distribution line on the adjacent street, typically stays well clear of any conductor with proper rigging and a competent crew that understands what to stay away from. Where the tree removal path, rigging direction, or canopy clearing comes within 10 feet of a conductor, the options are a qualified line-clearance arborist or a de-energization order. The right sequence for tree work near lines: First, identify which conductors are in the vicinity and which utility owns them. For any work near primary distribution or transmission lines, call the utility before scheduling the tree crew. Find out what the utility will do — they may schedule their own clearance work, or they may confirm the lines are de-energized for a specific window. This call defines what scope the tree service can safely handle. Second, give the utility adequate lead time. Several business days is a realistic minimum for de-energization coordination; complex situations take longer. Booking the tree crew before the utility has confirmed availability is the most common sequencing mistake. Third, be clear with the tree service about what is present. A site visit and honest conversation about line proximity before the job is how a competent crew plans rigging and drop zones. Surprises on the day of the work are avoidable. 916 Trees assesses line proximity at the estimate stage and is straightforward about what requires utility coordination before the work starts. Estimates are free and site-specific — and the conversation about whether to call PG&E or SMUD first happens at the estimate, not on the day of the job.
Related reading
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How ember-driven ignition works, what California's Zone 0–2 rules require, and the tree work that matters most in Sacramento's foothill communities.
Tree Fell? What to Do After Storm Damage
The safe, step-by-step response after a tree falls in a storm — downed lines, insurance documentation, triage, and how to avoid storm-chaser scams.
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Frequently asked questions
Will PG&E or SMUD trim the tree near my power line for free?
- For trees actually growing into or making contact with their distribution lines, yes — PG&E and SMUD send their own vegetation management crews or contractors to clear around their infrastructure, and there is generally no charge to the property owner for that work. This is part of their obligation under CPUC General Order 95 and their own reliability programs. They will not, however, remove the tree, perform general landscaping, or trim portions of the tree away from their conductors. If a tree is encroaching on their lines, contact the utility's vegetation management or tree-trimming request line and they will assess and schedule work. If the tree just needs general maintenance or removal without any line contact, that is a job for a qualified tree service.
Can I trim the branches that are touching the service drop line to my house?
- No. Working near the service drop is working near an energized conductor. Even though it is a lower-voltage secondary line, it carries enough voltage to be lethal, and minimum approach distance rules still apply. Contact the utility first. They can assess whether the vegetation is something their crew will address, or whether they will de-energize the drop so a tree service can work safely near it. Attempting to cut branches touching a service drop yourself — with hand pruners, a pole saw, or from a ladder — is a scenario that has seriously injured and killed homeowners. Call the utility, not a ladder.
What is the 10-foot rule for trees near power lines?
- OSHA's electrical safety standards establish minimum approach distances (MAD) for workers near energized conductors. For the distribution line voltages common on residential and rural streets, OSHA sets a 10-foot minimum approach distance for unqualified persons. ANSI Z133 — the arboriculture-specific safety standard — incorporates these distances and specifies that only qualified line-clearance arborists may work within the approach distance of energized conductors. The 10 feet applies to the person's body and to any tool or equipment they are holding: a 12-foot pole saw in someone's hands requires the person to stand more than 10 feet from the line, not the saw tip.
My tree is growing into the high-voltage lines on the street — what do I do?
- Contact the utility — PG&E if you are in the foothills or most of the region outside Sacramento city, SMUD if you are in the Sacramento metro area. Use their vegetation management request line or online reporting form. A crew will assess the situation and determine whether the trimming falls within their maintenance program scope. High-voltage distribution and transmission lines are the utility's responsibility; they have qualified line-clearance crews and contractors trained for exactly this work. Do not attempt any pruning yourself, and do not hire a general tree service to address any line-adjacent work unless the service holds specific line-clearance qualification and has coordinated with the utility first.
What is CPUC General Order 95 and how does it affect my trees?
- California Public Utilities Commission General Order 95 sets construction and maintenance standards for overhead electrical line facilities in California, including vegetation clearance requirements that investor-owned utilities like PG&E must meet around their conductors. GO 95 specifies minimum clearances between conductors and vegetation at different voltage levels, and it is the regulatory framework under which PG&E's vegetation management program operates. For property owners, GO 95 is relevant background: it establishes that utilities are legally required to maintain clearance around their lines, which is why reporting encroachments to PG&E is legitimate and effective. SMUD, as a publicly owned utility, operates under similar technical safety standards but is not a CPUC-regulated investor-owned utility.
A storm knocked a branch onto the power line to my house — who do I call?
- Call the utility emergency line — PG&E or SMUD depending on your provider — and call 911 if there are sparks, a downed line on the ground, or immediate safety concern. The service drop is utility equipment, and storm damage affecting it is an outage and safety emergency to report to the utility first. Do not try to move the branch or pull it off the line. If any line is on the ground nearby, keep everyone away from the area — ground around a downed energized conductor can be electrified for a significant distance. The utility will dispatch a crew to assess and restore. After the emergency is resolved and the utility has cleared the scene, a tree service can handle the damaged tree or limb — but not before.