Ponderosa country means needles, not leaves. Out of the gutters, off the roof, and pulled back from the foundation.
Pine needles pack into gutters, collect in roof valleys, and drift up against foundations and under decks. That is exactly the fine fuel that carries fire to a structure, and it is the first thing a defensible space assessment looks at. In Black Forest and up the Divide this is not theoretical.
October, after the bulk of the needle drop but before snow. It pairs naturally with a sprinkler blowout — same visit, same trip, and you are not scheduling twice.
Low and moderate pitch, yes. Steep or high roofs I clear from a ladder and blow from the edge, which handles most of it.
Yes, and that is the easiest way to do it. One visit, and I will usually knock something off the combined price.
Yes, quoted on site. Worth considering under heavy ponderosa — it does not eliminate the job but it stretches the interval.