Electric lines running through our tree: our responsibility?
Hi BPN,
We recently bought a corner home in the Berkeley flats with a fairly large tree on our part of the sidewalk. However, we noticed that there are electric lines going through said tree which also cuts though/above our backyard to our neighbor’s small apartment building behind their home.
We really like the shade provided by the tree and are loathe to cut it back but what if it topples the electric wires on a windy day? Who is responsible? Do we suggest to out neighbor that they pay to cut back the tree? Are we supposed to go in and partially pay (while not ideal, better than paying for PG&E to come out in an emergency?) or how do these situations work? Thanks in advance for your advice.
Sep 18, 2022
Parent Replies
You need to apply for a permit with the City of Berkeley: https://berkeleyca.gov/city-services/streets-sidewalks-sewers-and-utili…
From a fire risk standpoint, the voltage of that wire is likely so incredibly low that there’s no risk. Also, I believe PG&E does not charge anything to come out, emergency or not. You could ask PG&E if they can come check the wires proactively if you’re concerned (though they may be able to tell you over the phone that there’s nothing to worry about).
PG&E sends workers around periodically to trim trees that are close to their lines. The cable companies do the same. If a line collapses call the fire department and PG&E. We had to do this a couple of times, though now they've put up new poles, so hopefully the problem has been solved. The Berkeley Fire Department is very responsive to downed wires.
Sometimes the PG&E tree trimming seems excessive, and we've noticed that the work they did this past year radically reduced shade and has caused our house to be much hotter. The trees on our street look like Bonsai trees now.
For better or worse, PG&E will monitor and cut the tree as needed to stay clear of the lines. And yes, you are responsible for cutting it (or letting PG&E do it) if it's your tree, regardless of whose lines are passing through--often for front yard trees, the lines are just community lines, and not specific to the house whose yard the tree sits in.