Using a tree service to keep trees around a home or landscape healthy and attractive is of much larger benefit than most people think. In addition to aesthetic value, healthy, attractive trees on a property can increase overall property values by as much as 25%! However, there are precautions a homeowner should take when hiring a tree trimming service for tree removal or expert arborist services.
Even healthy trees are susceptible to injury and disease caused by construction damage. Just moving machinery or a high volume of foot traffic near trees can cause tree damage, or even kill the tree. Digging in surrounding areas can cause serious tree root damage.
By consulting with a certified arborist before undertaking a construction or renovation project, such mishaps can be minimized or avoided altogether.
Seek Trained Professionals
The first step in hiring a tree service company is to establish whether they belong to any professional organizations; such as the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA), or the International Society of Arboriculture. (ISA)
Next, establish if any of the employees who will be doing the work are certified arborists. Also inquire as to whether or not they carry arborist insurance. Note: to become certified, a tree arborist has to pass a test administered by one of the above professional organizations; insuring that they are knowledgeable and adequately trained to perform the work safely.
In addition to arborist certification, the TCIA offers an accreditation program for tree service companies covering all aspects of tree care; including employee training, insurance coverage, and compliance with industry standards, safety, tax payments, and licensing. Note: an accredited tree service company must employ a minimum number of certified arborists, to insure proper tree care procedures at the job site.
Be Wary of Fly-By-Night Tree Services
Some disreputable tree service companies undertake a practice known as “storm chasing.†They are nothing more than individuals who go door-to-door after a storm, soliciting clean-up tree removal services.
They may have large professional-looking dump trucks and wear uniforms, but a prudent homeowner will not be fooled. Even under the urgency of a storm situation, reputable tree services will gladly provide insurance certificates, certification credentials, and references.
Insist on References
When hiring a tree service company, ask friends, relatives, and neighbors for word-of-mouth references; also ask the prospective company for references.
Set up a personal meeting when a company representative comes to look at the required work. They should be dressed professionally, and produce necessary insurance and certification documents upon request. Take notes during the interview; follow up with phone verification with the issuing companies or organizations.
Insist on a written estimate for services to be rendered; including exact details of the work to be performed, as well as the costs of each service.
Be Adamant about Industry Accepted Procedures
Various tree and stump removal services in many communities provide the basic “cut down the tree, haul it away, and fire up the tree stump grinder†type services. All done with the proper safety guidelines and insurance coverage. Whereas tree nursery and similar services are more focused on arboriculture. They will be knowledgeable and experienced in maintaining tree health and accepted industry standards for trimming and pruning trees.
The tree service industry has standards set by the ANSI A300 guidelines. A homeowner should always ask if these guidelines will be met when services are performed. Practices that would violate these standards include “topping a tree,†“lion's tailing,†or using climbing spikes to prune a tree.
Lion's tailing is removing a large amount of interior branches and foliage; topping is cutting off a major portion of the main branches to drastically reduce size of the tree. The use of climbing spikes causes damage and wounds the tree. Note: pruning and trimming should never remove more than 25% of the foliage on a single branch, and no more than 25% of the total tree foliage in a single year, with at least 50% of the foliage remaining evenly distributed in the lower 66% of the canopy.
Using practices that violate the industry standards can result in severe tree injury, or even kill the tree; with visual damage not showing up until years after the services were performed.
Higher Cost for Certified Tree Service Worth the Investment
Tree removal cost can be considerable, and tree removal prices may vary from one service provider to another. However, paying the higher costs for an accredited tree service employing certified arborists, with adequate insurance coverage, utilizing industry standard procedures, may be well worth the investment. Especially when considering the plight of homeowners who hire a company with inadequate or no insurance at all. Then end up holding the bag for property damages and personal injury to tree service workers injured while on their property!
Remove the Stumps
Once tree removal has been completed, one final obstacle remains - what to do about the tree stump. A reliable tree service will be knowledgeable and well-experienced on how to remove tree stump eyesores. If you plan on having the tree service company perform the tree stump removal, make sure to have them include the stump removal cost in the tree removal estimate before undertaking the project.
An accredited tree service will be able to quickly dispatch the stump with a tree stump grinder. If you are in no hurry, in lieu of the more costly grinding procedures a chemical tree stump remover can be topically applied. This can be done by drilling holes in the stump, and pouring the solution in. However, this alternative takes months, even years to complete; requiring a healthy portion of patience.
Find a Reliable Professional for Your Project
To find reliable tree service professionals for tree removal, or a arborist for expert tree care, an excellent online resource is TrustedPros.ca.
Homeowners sign up for FREE, with no obligation; post their tree removal project or tree care needs anywhere in Canada online. Their project description is instantly made visible to professional tree service provider members who then compete for the project. Providing the homeowner with competitive bids; sometimes as quickly as hours after posting.
Homeowners can view company profile pages, references, credentials, customer reviews, and even contractor photo galleries of recently completed projects online, 24/7. Then make an informed contractor hiring decision, or hire no one at all. Remember, there is no obligation whatsoever; no hidden costs.
Posted by: TrustedPros
