Tree Service Area: San Marcos, TX 78666 and 78667

Storm Damage and Fallen Trees in San Marcos

The calls that can't wait come after spring and early summer thunderstorms: a split cedar elm across the driveway, an oak limb through a carport, a pecan on the fence. Read storm and fallen-tree removal for what to do before anyone arrives, and the first hour after a tree hits the house if it's on the roof right now.

Two Kinds of Ground in One Town

West of I-35. San Marcos sits on the Balcones Escarpment, and the west side climbs onto limestone. Soil is thin, live oaks and cedar share the hillsides, and stumps often sit right on rock ledges. Neighborhoods like Castle Forest, Hunter's Hill and Spring Lake Hills are on this side, along with the larger lots off Ranch Road 12. Cedar clearing and oak work come up most here.

East of I-35. The ground drops into deep blackland clay. Pecans, hackberries, cedar elms and bottomland trees do well, and the clay holds water long after a storm, which is when shallow-rooted trees tip. Fence-line removals, storm cleanup and stump grinding make up much of the work.

Along the Rivers

The San Marcos River starts at Spring Lake on the north edge of town and runs past downtown and Rio Vista. The Blanco River comes in from the west and joins it southeast of town, running past Blanco Gardens and Blanco Vista on the way. Bald cypress and big pecans line both, and riverfront trees get handled with more care because their roots hold the bank. Cypress trees on riverfront lots covers what to watch for.

Neighborhoods

Calls come from all over town, including downtown and the blocks around Texas State University, Willow Creek, Spring Lake Hills, Castle Forest, Hunter's Hill, Tanglewood, Blanco Gardens, Rio Vista, Blanco Vista, Trace, La Cima and Kissing Tree. Newer master-planned neighborhoods tend to have young trees and HOA rules about tree work. Older blocks have big pecans, live oaks and cedar elms over streets and sidewalks, where the city's tree rules and sidewalk clearance rules come into play.

Not Covered

Only 78666 and 78667 are covered. Kyle, Buda, Wimberley, Martindale, Maxwell, New Braunfels, Lockhart and Seguin are outside the service area, even where they border San Marcos.