Boise neighborhood
Boise Foothills tree service for hillside homes
Two things shape tree work in the Foothills: slope and fire. Homes in the Highlands, Boise Heights and the streets below Table Rock sit right against open grass and brush, so tree service in the Boise Foothills starts with wildfire in mind.
ZIP 83702, 83712
Local notes
Defensible space first
The foothill neighborhoods above the North End, such as the Highlands near Bogus Basin Road and Hulls Gulch Reserve, are mostly ZIP 83702. The slopes behind the East End around the Military Reserve and Table Rock are in 83712. Fires here are not hypothetical: the 2016 Table Rock Fire destroyed a home, and Boise Fire has credited defensible space with saving two houses when a grass fire jumped Bogus Basin Road.
Boise’s wildland-urban interface code requires a five-foot fuel-free area around structures in designated WUI areas and fuel modification out to at least 30 feet. Idaho Firewise recommends at least 100 feet of defensible space on flat ground and 200 feet or more on slopes, tree canopies kept at least 10 feet from the house, and lower limbs pruned 6 to 10 feet up to break ladder fuels.
On the job
What hillside tree work looks like
Ponderosa and Austrian pines, spruce and junipers are common foothill plantings, and junipers and arborvitae are among the plants fire officials want kept out of the zone right next to the house. Typical jobs include removing junipers that touch siding or decks, lifting pine limbs, clearing needles off roofs and gutters, and taking out dead trees that would act as kindling.
Access is the hard part. Steep driveways, switchbacks and retaining walls usually mean climbing, rigging and carrying wood out rather than bringing heavy equipment close. Open ridgelines also catch more wind than the valley floor, so exposed trees with weak tops or poor roots are worth checking before winter.
Common questions
Boise Foothills tree questions
How far back should trees be from my foothills home?
Idaho Firewise suggests keeping tree canopies at least 10 feet from the house and keeping the first five feet nearly free of plants that burn. On a slope, fire moves uphill faster, so the downhill side needs more space than the uphill side.
Do I need a permit to thin trees on my hillside lot?
Most private conifers and shrubs don’t need a City permit. Elms are the exception: Boise City Code 7-2-9 requires a free City Forester permit for any pruning or removal. Street trees, HOA rules and any conservation easement on your lot can add requirements too.
Can you get equipment up my steep driveway?
Often we do not need to. Most foothill work is done by climbing and rigging, with brush carried to wherever the chipper can safely park. We will look at the site before quoting.
Talk to us about your tree
Getting a foothills home ready for fire season? Call us.
Tell us your street and what’s growing near the house. We can walk the property with you.