Providing property owners, HOAs, and property managers with certified arborist reports, guidance, and documentation support rooted in clear observations, professional standards, and practical next steps.
Independent arborist and landscape-condition reports for HOA boards and property managers who need clearer documentation before acting on tree, vegetation, irrigation, or landscape-related issues.
AB 130 (Civil Code § 5850) limits most California HOA monetary penalties to $100 per violation. A board may impose a higher penalty only when the violation may result in an adverse health or safety impact on the common area or another member’s property — and only when the board makes a written finding at an open board meeting.
For tree, landscape, vegetation, irrigation, and root-related issues, that means the board may need a clearer record of observable site conditions before it acts. That is the documentation gap ArborSolutions fills.
ArborSolutions does not determine whether a fine is legal. We provide independent, photo-supported tree and landscape documentation that may help HOA boards, property managers, and counsel evaluate visible conditions before board action.
AB 130 changed the HOA enforcement conversation in California. When tree, landscape, irrigation, or vegetation conditions may involve health, safety, common-area impact, or another owner’s property, boards and property managers often need more than verbal opinions or informal comments. ArborSolutions provides independent arborist reports, guidance, and documentation support for HOAs across Santa Barbara County and San Luis Obispo County.
California HOA boards already operate in a documentation-heavy environment. The Davis-Stirling Act governs meetings, enforcement procedures, records, reserves, elections, homeowner rights, and board decision-making for residential common interest developments. California leads the nation in HOA density, with more than 50,000 community associations and over 14 million residents in HOA-governed communities.
AB 130 adds another practical layer. Signed by Governor Newsom on June 30, 2025, and effective immediately, the law amends Civil Code §§ 5850, 5855, and 714.3 of the Davis-Stirling Act to cap most HOA fines at $100 per violation. The cap may be exceeded only when a violation may result in an adverse health or safety impact on the common area or another member’s property — and only when the board makes a written finding at an open meeting describing that impact. Late charges and interest cannot be added to fines.
For property managers and boards, the practical question becomes: has the condition been clearly documented before the board acts?
When the issue involves a tree, overgrown vegetation, irrigation runoff, root damage, dead plant material, defensible-space concerns, or landscape conditions affecting another property, the board may need a clearer factual record. That is where ArborSolutions helps.
Most HOA monetary penalties are now capped at $100 per violation. A higher fine may be allowed only when:
For tree, landscape, vegetation, irrigation, and root-related issues, the board may need a clearer record of observable site conditions before it acts. That written finding has to describe something. ArborSolutions provides the Independent and Certified Documentation that supports it.
ArborSolutions brings the independent, certified arborist record HOA boards need when tree and landscape concerns become serious. We are ISA Certified Arborists and Tree Risk Assessment Qualified professionals who inspect, diagnose, assess, photograph, and document observable tree, vegetation, irrigation, and landscape conditions without selling tree work, pruning, removals, or landscape maintenance.
That independence matters. It gives boards, managers, and counsel a cleaner factual record — one built to clarify health, safety, common-area impact, neighboring-property concerns, contractor scope questions, and board-packet documentation. The board and its counsel make the legal finding. ArborSolutions supplies the unbiased field documentation that can stand on its own because it is based on observed conditions, professional credentials, and facts.
Our role is not to decide legal enforcement outcomes or determine whether a fine is valid. Our role is to provide the missing technical record:
Not every landscape concern requires an arborist report. But some conditions should be documented before the board responds, enforces, approves work, or rejects a resident request.
ArborSolutions provides clear, photo-supported landscape records that separate documentation from corrective work. Our independent model serves as a clearer record for board discussion and community transparency for HOA boards and property managers before major decisions are made.
Starting at $950 Pricing depends on property size, number of trees or issue areas, documentation needs, urgency, travel distance, mapping requirements, and whether a formal report or expanded board packet is required.
Not sure whether your issue needs a full report?
Start with a focused documentation review — ArborSolutions can help determine whether the condition should be photographed, mapped, summarized, or escalated into a formal board packet. Ask About a $950 Documentation ReviewProperty managers do not need another vague opinion. They need clear documentation that can be placed into a board packet and understood by non-technical decision-makers.
ArborSolutions reports are written to help managers and boards move from confusion to clarity. A typical board-packet summary may include:
ArborSolutions does not provide legal advice, does not interpret governing documents, and does not determine whether an HOA may impose a fine above $100. Our role is to provide independent arboricultural and landscape-condition documentation that may help boards, managers, and counsel evaluate observable site conditions.
The board needs to know whether the concern is supported by visible conditions, whether the tree has observable defects, and whether corrective action should be prioritized.
Before approving removal or major pruning, the HOA may want a separate professional review focused on observable tree condition, risk, and available options.
If the issue involves overgrown vegetation, irrigation runoff, blocked access, or a potential safety concern, photo-supported documentation can help clarify the condition.
Board members need concise, understandable documentation before discussing action, approving bids, or directing management.
Some HOAs have many tree and landscape issues but no clear sequence. ArborSolutions can help identify what should be addressed first.
A focused first-step review for boards and property managers needing a quick independent read on tree and landscape concerns.
Best ForResident complaints, tree work second opinions, visible tree concerns, landscape disputes, or early documentation needs.
A broader common-area review for communities with mature trees, recurring landscape issues, contractor concerns, or budget-planning needs.
Best ForSmall to mid-size HOAs, property managers, board planning, maintenance prioritization, and risk documentation.
Focused assessment for trees with visible defects, limb failure, lean, decay, structural concerns, or high-value targets.
Best ForLarge trees, eucalyptus, oaks, pines, palms, parking areas, roads, homes, playgrounds, and common areas.
Independent review before the HOA approves major pruning, removal, irrigation, or corrective landscape work.
Best ForBoards that want a neutral review before authorizing expensive work.
Recurring independent oversight for HOAs that want scheduled documentation, board-ready summaries, and a clearer risk-management record. Custom retainers available for larger communities.
Best ForCommunities with mature trees, recurring complaints, insurance concerns, or large common areas.
Many HOAs already have capable tree and landscape contractors for routine work. A separate arborist review serves a different role: it helps the board clarify observed conditions, compare recommendations to site context, and document the decision record before major or sensitive action is taken.
ArborSolutions provides inspection, reporting, and documentation support only. We do not sell trimming, removals, irrigation repair, or landscape installation. That separation keeps the review focused on what was observed, what may matter, and what information the board may need before choosing next steps.
ArborSolutions serves HOAs, condominium associations, planned developments, and property management firms across California’s Central & South Coast. Our service area covers both Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties— with on-site availability for board-ready documentation, tree risk assessments, scope-of-work reviews, and AB 130-supporting documentation.
Common HOA documentation requests in Santa Barbara County include mature coastal live oak (Quercus agrifolia) concerns under city and county tree ordinances, eucalyptus limb risk in Montecito and Carpinteria, irrigation runoff and root damage near pavement in older planned communities, vegetation blocking access or fire routes, and tree-related resident complaints requiring board documentation before any contractor work is approved.
Common HOA documentation requests in San Luis Obispo County include oak preservation concerns under local ordinances in Atascadero, Templeton, and Paso Robles, pine and Monterey cypress decline in coastal Cambria, Cayucos, and Morro Bay communities, Sudden Oak Death (Phytophthora ramorum) monitoring and disclosure, vineyard buffer tree disputes in the Paso Robles and Templeton AVAs, common-area tree risk, turf conversion impacts on mature trees, and irrigation concerns requiring board packet documentation.
Tree and landscape decisions often intersect with larger HOA responsibilities — board meetings, resident complaints, enforcement hearings, board packet documentation, reserve and budget planning, insurance and risk conversations, contractor oversight, and member-accessible records.
The following sources were used to verify the statutory and regulatory claims on this page. ArborSolutions does not provide legal advice. All legal interpretation should be confirmed with qualified HOA counsel.
When a tree, landscape, irrigation, or vegetation issue becomes an HOA decision, verbal opinions are rarely enough. A clear written record can help property managers and boards understand what was observed, what may matter, and what steps should be considered next. ArborSolutions provides independent, board-ready documentation — with clear documentation support.
Use this when your HOA needs independent documentation before responding to a tree complaint, landscape dispute, major work recommendation, irrigation concern, vegetation issue, or board enforcement question.
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