4 Critical Factors to Consider When Hiring a Tree Service or Arborist

Tree work is a highly specialized and dangerous job. Therefore, it is important to ensure that you hire a reputable tree service company with the proper insurance, expertise and equipment to get the job done safely and efficiently.

If you’re in the process of looking for a local tree service to hire, here are some tips and factors to consider as part of your purchase process:

1. Safety first.

Tree care operations are inherently dangerous. Serious injury or death can occur if tree care operations are performed by unqualified or inexperienced individuals therefore it is essential to hire a reputable tree service company that meet the following requirements pertaining to safety:

• ISA Certified Arborist present on every job
• Follows industry safety standards
• The use and handle of Operating Equipment
• Licensed and Fully Insured

The best way to ensure they meet these standards is to look at their reputation in the community, find their website to read reviews and testimonials and to get a feel for the company. If they do not have a website or any reviews you may want to play it safe and find a tree service company that has a more professional and established reputation.

2. Fully Licensed and Insured

Due to the inherent risk of tree care, any reputable and professional tree service will carry the appropriate insurance coverage. Make sure the tree service has their municipal license, full WCB coverage for their employees and a minimum of $5,000,000 general liability insurance to cover any damages they may occur to your property in the unlikely event of an accident.

3. Reputation

One of the best ways to feel confident in choosing a tradesmen of any kind, whether it be a tree service, carpenter, plumber, etc., is to research their reputation in your community. If the tree service company you are looking to hire already has satisfied customers in your community that are willing to vouch for them through reviews or testimonials, then chances are they provide quality tree care services. Of course it is still important to ensure they have the proper insurance, equipment and expertise.

4. Pricing

We all want the best price we can get as consumers but as the old adage goes, “you get what you pay for”. This can be especially true with regards to tree care. The tree service industry is both dangerous and expensive. Because of the latter, there are many self-proclaimed “tree guys” trying to make a quick buck at the risk of the consumer. It may be tempting to hire a guy with a pick-up truck and a chainsaw who has quoted your job much lower than the competition, but there is usually a catch as to why they can offer the job at such a ‘too good to be true’ price. These type of “tree guys” are often a liability waiting to happen due to the following factors:

• They may not hold a valid business license.
• They may not have insurance to protect themselves, you or your property.
• They may not be a certified arborist.
• They may lack up-to-date safety equipment and tools to do the job safely and efficiently.
• They may lack professional knowledge and expertise which can result in injury to themselves, damage to your property or irreparable damage to your trees or hedges if improper pruning techniques are used.

On the other end of the pricing spectrum, there are established and reputable tree service companies providers who over-charge customers. This is common for tree services that are well established and have a strong community presence. The reason for this is not that they want to rip customers off, it is because these tree services provide more estimates than they could keep up with if they were to secure each job. Because of this, they require only a certain percentage of quotes to result in a sale. If they reach this quota for a certain time period but still have scheduled estimates, they can quote higher than average prices. This way if they are underbid, it’s okay because they already have enough work to keep busy. If they do sell a customer on a high bid, they can then prioritize the job due to the high profitability.

Keeping this in mind, you may want to consider hiring a tree service whose quote is not the lowest, but also not the highest.

For a free consultation with a certified arborist contact ArborGreen Tree Care Specialists today, we are here to help!