Tree service in Bear Creek, TX
Tree removal, oak trimming and clearing for Bear Creek and the properties along FM 1826.
ISA Certified Arborist, Santos BonillaFree estimates$1M liability insuredLocally owned and operatedRated 5.0 across 96 Google reviewsBetween Wimberley and south Austin
Bear Creek sits along FM 1826 between us and the southern edge of Austin, which puts it comfortably inside our normal run. Mostly wooded acreage and country properties rather than town lots.
The work here is typically a mix of hazard trees near houses and outbuildings, and thinning cedar back out of the oak stands.
Tree services in Bear Creek
The same small crew handles the work, and you have one point of contact throughout.
Tree removal in Bear Creek
Hazardous, dead and storm-damaged trees taken down in sections, including work tight to roofs and fences.
Tree trimming in Bear Creek
Deadwood out, weight off the heavy limbs, and clearance over roofs and driveways.
Oak trimming in Bear Creek
Live oak work year round, with every cut sealed the same day.
Emergency service in Bear Creek
Trees on structures and blocked driveways. We answer the phone any hour and assess at first light. Emergency work depends on where the crew already is, so we will tell you honestly when we can get to you.
Land clearing in Bear Creek
Selective clearing for lots and acreage, with the oaks worth keeping left standing.
Cedar clearing in Bear Creek
Cedar thinned back to bring pasture and oaks back and cut the fire load.
Tree health in Bear Creek
A straight walk-through of what needs doing, what can wait, and what to leave alone.
Chipping in Bear Creek
Brush chipped on site, or hauled away entirely. Spreading the chip is not included.
Live oak, Ashe juniper and Spanish oak
Dense oak with cedar filling every gap. Once the cedar is thinned the oaks need deadwood taken out, because most of them have been shaded on one side for years.
Where in Bear Creek we work
We are regularly on the FM 1826 properties, Bear Creek Road and the wooded acreage either side of it. If you are outside that and still in the area, ask anyway. We would rather tell you honestly that you are better off with someone closer than take a job we cannot service properly.
What a job in Bear Creek usually looks like
Most jobs start with a photo. Text us a picture of the tree and we can often get a general idea of what is involved and whether an on-site assessment is needed. That saves everyone a wasted visit.
If it needs looking at properly, Santos walks the property himself rather than sending an estimator who will not be on the job. He checks access for a truck and chipper, rigging points, what sits underneath the work, and whether anything else on the property needs flagging while he is there. You get the agreed scope and price in writing before anything starts. If you ask for extra work, or conditions turn out different once we are on site, we agree the change with you before we do it.
Access, and why we ask about it
The single biggest variable in what a job costs around here is not the tree, it is how close we can get equipment to it. Gate widths, cattle guards, low limbs over a drive, soft ground after rain and turning room for a truck and chipper all change how a day runs. It is worth mentioning any of those when you call, because it lets us price accurately the first time rather than revising once we arrive.
Hill Country ground in Bear Creek
Local terrain here is rocky limestone and steep slopes, and it changes how trees grow and how they fail. Shallow, rocky Hill Country soils can influence rooting and stability, with roots often spreading wide rather than deep. A tree can look completely sound and still have very little holding it once the ground is saturated.
That is why so much of the storm work we do around Bear Creek involves trees that had shown no obvious problem. It is also why proper equipment is essential for removing trees in challenging locations, and why the estimate happens on site rather than over the phone.
Oak wilt rules that apply in Bear Creek
Oak wilt has killed millions of oaks in Texas and it spreads quickly through interconnected oak roots, so how an oak is cut matters wherever you are. Sap-feeding beetles are drawn to fresh oak wounds, which is why every cut we make on an oak is sealed on the spot, tools are cleaned between trees, and oak brush is chipped rather than left stacked. We take oak work year round and follow that procedure whatever the month.
Whatever the month, we paint oak cuts promptly, sanitize tools between trees, and dispose of oak debris properly. Emergency pruning can happen at any time of year for a hazardous limb, provided the wound is sealed straight away. See oak tree trimming for the full protocol and what oak wilt looks like if you think you already have it.
Permits, insurance and estimates
Permitting requirements for tree removal vary by city and by tree. If you are inside a city boundary, check with the local planning department before work is booked, and an HOA or deed restriction can apply in some subdivisions. Confirming it is the property owner’s call.
Ask any tree service what their insurance actually covers before work starts. General liability is what stands behind damage to your property if something goes wrong. We carry $1,000,000 general liability insurance ($2,000,000 aggregate) through American Builders Insurance Company, and we will send the certificate before we start.
You should also get a clear, written estimate detailing everything included: which trees, whether the stump is part of it, whether wood is hauled or left, whether brush is chipped on site, and the cleanup standard. Ours is written down, and the price covers the work described in it.
A village of one square mile against the Austin line
Bear Creek is small in a way that changes the work. The village covers about 1.2 square miles in northern Hays County, had a population of 397 at the 2020 census, and is bordered on the north and east by the city of Austin, roughly sixteen miles by road from downtown.
That size is why a lot of tree companies do not really cover it. There is not enough volume to build a route around, so it gets picked up in passing or not at all. We come out here because it sits on the way between Wimberley and the south Austin work we already do, and because the lots are exactly the kind we are set up for: wooded, sloped, and with the good trees close to the house.
Bear Creek is not Austin, and that matters before you cut anything
This is the thing most worth knowing here. Bear Creek borders Austin on two sides, and Austin has a tree ordinance. It is easy to assume those rules follow the map across the boundary.
They do not automatically. Bear Creek has been its own incorporated village since November 1997, so it is a separate jurisdiction with its own requirements, and Hays County rules apply outside the village rather than Travis County ones. What that means in practice is that the answer depends on your address rather than on how close you feel to Austin. We confirm what applies to a given property before we schedule the work, and if something needs an approval we cannot obtain for you we will say so rather than start and stop.
Wooded lots, and the trees that came with them
Bear Creek was platted into a wooded hillside rather than cleared and planted, so most of what stands on these lots is native: live oak, Ashe juniper, and Texas red oak on the better ground. Houses were fitted around the trees, which is the reason the village looks the way it does and also the reason so much of the work here is done on rope rather than with a bucket.
Two things come up more than anything else. Cedar that has grown up through the skirts of a live oak, taking water and light and hiding the oak’s structure until it is thinned out. And limbs that extended toward the only gap in the canopy, which on a wooded lot is almost always straight over the roof. Neither is urgent on the day you notice it. Both are much cheaper to deal with before the tree makes the decision for you.
Our process
No call center and no chasing. Santos walks the property himself, and the written price covers the work described in it.
Tell us what is going on
Call, text a photo, or send the form. Most of the time a picture tells us what we need.
We come and look
Santos walks the property himself and checks access, rigging points and what sits underneath.
You get a written price
Agreed in writing before we start. Any change to that scope is discussed and approved before the extra work happens.
We do it and clean up
Brush chipped or hauled, logs cut to length, and the ground raked off.
What Hill Country property owners say
Rated 5.0 across 96 Google reviews. Homeowners and acreage owners on the crew, the cleanup, and the price holding to the quote.
Read Our Google ReviewsQuestions from Bear Creek property owners
Straight answers, including what the work actually costs.
Do you actually cover Bear Creek?
Yes. Bear Creek is along FM 1826 between us and south Austin, comfortably inside our normal run.
How much does tree removal cost in Bear Creek?
It comes down to size, access and what sits underneath the tree. We give you a written price after looking at it, covering the work described in it. If you change the scope, or we find something that could not be seen from the ground, we tell you before we carry on.
How quickly can you come out?
It depends on what is already on the schedule that week. Santos does it himself rather than sending someone who will not be on the job. Scheduling the work is separate: we normally run about a month booked out. Emergencies, meaning a tree on a structure or blocking access, are fitted in as soon as the crew can get there.
Are you insured?
We carry $1,000,000 general liability insurance ($2,000,000 aggregate) through American Builders Insurance Company, and we will send the certificate before we start. It is worth asking anyone you call what theirs actually covers rather than assuming.
Do you clean up afterwards?
Always. Brush chipped or hauled, logs cut to length or taken away, and the ground raked off before we leave.
Tree care in Bear Creek, and how to get it right
What most properties need. Common tree care services include routine pruning, storm recovery and complete tree removal, and a variety of tree services are available for both residential and commercial needs. Tree pruning encourages healthy growth in trees and removes dead or diseased branches. Tree trimming enhances the aesthetic appeal of properties, and regular tree trimming can increase property value, which matters if you are selling.
Storms, and why response time matters. Storms can cause significant tree damage in Central Texas. Emergency services address urgent issues like sudden tree falls, and quick response reduces hazards and restores safety after storms. In Bear Creek we answer the phone any hour for emergencies and assess at first light. Storm work is fitted in as soon as the crew can get there.
Oak wilt. Oak wilt is a significant concern in Central Texas and can impact tree health, and tree health treatments may involve managing regional threats like oak wilt. It is the single reason sealing every oak cut matters here, and why it is important to hire a tree service familiar with Central Texas oak wilt prevention practices.
Who should look at a valuable tree. Arborist-led evaluations are recommended for valuable mature trees. Locally based experience is crucial for tree maintenance in Central Texas, because the soil, the species and the disease pressure here are not what a national checklist assumes.
Checking whoever you hire. A tree service should be able to show proof of general liability insurance before work starts. Proper coverage protects you from liability when hiring tree services, and choosing an insured company protects property during tree maintenance and removals. Cross-referencing recent local reviews can inform hiring decisions for tree services.
Reading the quote. Free written estimates are typically offered by reputable services in the area, and ours is free. Confirming the scope of work in estimates helps avoid unexpected fees. Stump grinding and debris removal should be clarified in service quotes, so check whether each is included before you agree to anything, from us or from anyone else.
How clearing is done. Land clearing prepares land for new construction projects and removes unwanted trees, thorns, vines and brush. Clear cutting removes all trees in a specified area, while selective cutting preserves certain trees while removing others, which on Hill Country slopes is nearly always the right call. Chainsaw and hand removal is used for smaller clearing projects where machinery would do more harm than good.
Bear Creek Tree Service TX
Wimberley Tree Service is a locally owned tree service company, owner operated, and the same small team does the work on every job. We are based in Wimberley TX and cover Hays County and the surrounding areas, including Dripping Springs, Driftwood, San Marcos, Kyle, Buda, Blanco, Bee Cave and Austin, with nearby areas across Comal and Blanco counties served on the same terms.
We work for homeowners, ranch and acreage owners, builders, clients and property managers, on both residential and commercial properties. Whether it is one dead tree in a back yard, dead limbs and branches over a driveway, or a whole fence line that has disappeared into cedar, the process is the same: we come out, look at it, and give you a written price that fits the unique needs of the property.
Every estimate is a free estimate, and we will tell you when we can get out to look. Scheduling the work itself is a separate thing: we run about a month booked out, and we will give you a real date rather than a hopeful one. Emergencies are the exception and are fitted in as soon as the crew can get there. We are $1M liability insured, we take great care to leave the job site clean, and we will tell you when a tree does not need the work you asked about.
A four person crew, and years of Hill Country tree work. The business has run under this name since April 2025. Orlyn and Matt climb, Aurelio works the ground, and Santos comes out on the jobs that need him. That is who turns up: the same small crew every time, not a subcontractor you have never met. Our minimum charge for a job is $500.
You get options, not one number. Every estimate is itemised and normally comes with three to five ways to approach the job, priced separately, so you can see what each part costs and choose the scope yourself. Most people find one of the middle options is the job they actually wanted. We work in English and Spanish.
We also work in
The towns either side of Bear Creek, all worked by the same crew.
Tree trouble in Bear Creek?
Call and we will tell you straight away what we can do and when. Emergency work is fitted in as soon as the crew can get there.