The 7 Questions You MUST Ask. Before. Hiring a Tree Service Company. By Lyle Blum

Transcription

1 The 7 Questions You MUST Ask Before Hiring a Tree Service Company By Lyle Blum

2 Why Hire A Tree Service Expert? Trees are valuable landscape assets. They provide beauty and lush greenery to landscape and properties, along with a number of social, environmental, community, and economic benefits to our cities and suburbs. Trees require an investment of time, money and expertise for the proper selection, planting, care, maintenance and removal. Having trees on your property is one of the best ways to increase its value. Trees also lower the cost of cooling your home during the summer months. Sometimes it is necessary to trim, raise, prune or just maintain your trees in other ways to keep them looking good and adding value to your property. When problems occur, such as storm or insect damage, or general maintenance is required, the help of a tree care professional may be needed. Pruning or the removal of large trees is hazardous work, especially if it requires climbing or working from an elevated position. Such work should be left to trained and qualified tree care professionals. Tree care professionals, also known as arborists, will usually offer a range of services including pruning, tree removal, storm damage, planting, preventive care, maintenance, pest and disease control, cabling and bracing, and lightning protection. Hiring a certified arborist will ensure the advice given is accurate and knowledgeable and they will provide diagnosis, recommend treatments, and complete evaluative appraisals where necessary. Finding a Tree Service Expert In Pennsylvania, anyone can claim to be an arborist or tree expert, so it is important to inquire about experience, training, insurance, and references. The following are some tips to help you choose a reputable, knowledgeable, and professional individual or company. Compile a short list of companies or individuals to contact. Recommendations from family, friends or neighbors who have had tree work done, and the phone book yellow pages listing under Tree Service are places to start. The Seven Questions You MUST Ask Before Choosing a Tree Service Expert Hiring a tree service expert is a decision that should not be taken lightly. Today s tree care consumers need to ask many questions of the person who will care for their trees. Here are seven questions you must ask before hiring a Pennsylvania Tree Care Expert: Are you an ISA Certified Arborists? Ask to see the company s certification card or check online. Certification is one of the best ways to help you identify tree care professionals. Certified Arborists have been examined and proven to be competent in the science and art of diagnosing, treating, and preventing tree injuries. This certification process measures the arborist s skills in identification, diagnosis and treatment of tree problems through field and written examinations. The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) administers a recognized certification program. This test measures an arborist s level of

3 knowledge and expertise across domains of tree care, from biology to identification. This certification lapses if the arborist does not maintain sufficient continuing education units. While any certification is not a guarantee of quality work, it does indicate a commitment to professionalism and education. How long have you been in business? Just like you wouldn t want a rookie working on your new car when you take it in for service, why would you hire a tree company without experience managing your trees? It is important that homeowners ONLY hire companies that employ experienced tree professionals who are upto-date on tree management techniques. May I see your insurance? Consumers need to be sure the tree service company they hire has the proper insurance and bonding. Ask for proof of insurance coverage personal liability, property liability and workmen s compensation and call the insurance company to make sure the policy is current and the level of coverage adequate (at least $1 million per occurrence). You may want to verify certifications and memberships in professional organizations Will the person bidding the job actually be the person doing the work? You don t want the salesperson promising something the certified arborists can t deliver. Rely and choose owner-operated tree service companies. Make sure the person that you talk with is someone that will be on site so there are no misunderstandings or misrepresentations. Are they registered as a Home Improvement Contractor under the Pennsylvania regulations and law? If not, why not? Ask about how the company handles the pruning of trees? Beware of those who advertise or recommend topping, which is the improper pruning or rounding-over of trees at a pre-determined height. Proper pruning should never remove more than 25% of the branches or limbs in a given year. They should mention that all work will meet the ANSI A300 National Tree Care Standards. Do you use spikes? Insist that climbing spikes not be used to prune trees or while working on any live trees --- only for removals. Do you have references or reviews from past clients? Check on the quality of the work and level of service and possibly even view some of their pervious work. Make sure the company can provide a list of past clients that they have done work for. Ask for a signed contract. A professional arborist will always provide a written statement of need, estimate, contract, current certification, and insurance on demand.

4 Beware of companies that require advance payment other than for plant and landscape materials, offer a special deal for fast decisions, or show up in the aftermath of a tree-damaging storm, unannounced and do get another estimate or opinion of the work to be done, by another qualified, certified arborist. After you have chosen your tree service provider, make sure to get an estimate with the specific work required and cost in writing. There may be a charge for the consultation or the estimate itself. If tree removal has been recommended, the estimate should be specific for the reasons why the tree needs to be removed. These might include: the tree is dead or dying; the tree is hazardous because of problems with the tree itself, because of poor growing conditions, or because of poor location; the tree is an obstruction and there is no other way to solve it; or the tree is no longer desirable (for example: diseased or insect prone, structurally weak, or an invasive species). Contracting With a Tree Expert Once your tree care professional is selected, the contract will be prepared. Read it carefully. It should specify: -beginning and end date of work; -details of the work to be done with clear identification of the trees to be worked on; -the standards to be used for pruning; -any clean up work that will be done; how any firewood will be handled size, where stacked; -how stumps, if any, will be handled; -the total cost of the specified work -an hourly rate for any unexpected additional work that may be needed outside of the contracted work. About the Author, Lyle Blum Owner/Operator, Lyle Blum has been in the tree service industry in Pittsburgh for over 20 years, starting his own company, Lyle Blum Tree Service LLC, in Lyle Blum is a certified arborist with extensive experience and knowledge of the tree industry. He is a member of the International Society of Arboriculture, is certified in the Line Clearance Program and is certified as a Commercial Pesticide Applicator. Lyle has been involved in many facets of the tree industry including forestry, electrical line clearance and residential tree care. His primary focus is in residential tree care with the preservation of large shade and ornamental trees. He prides himself in the beautification of smaller flower trees & shrubs. You can check out his website at

5 Additional Information and Online Resources ISA Certified Arborists The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), PO Box 3129, Champaign, Il For a statewide or local listing, call , or online at Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA), (formerly the National Arborist Association), 3 Perimeter Road, Unit 1, Manchester, NH Call , or online at American Society of Consulting Arborists, Shady Grove Road, Suite 130, Rockville, MD Call , or online at PA Trees.Org