Top Ten Things to Consider When Hiring a Tree Company
Who to hire for a service professional to provide work at your residence can be a difficult decision. There are many variables and factors, especially when it comes to tough and sometimes dangerous jobs like tree service. This article explores a list of the top ten things to consider when hiring a tree service company. These articles are very informative and important to know when getting estimates for tree work.
1 – Security
Safety is the most important aspect of tree work to consider when hiring a forestry company. With the dangerous nature of our business, a safety first culture and tone in a forestry business is critical. Make sure the tree company you hire has a certified tree care safety professional on staff, follows industry safety standards, safety policy, and that the company holds regular safety meetings.
2 – Certified, Licensed and Fully Insured
Another important thing to look for in a qualified tree care company is that the company is fully insured with workers’ compensation and liability insurance. The forestry company must have a minimum of 1,000,000 for each occurrence and 2,000,000 general aggregate for General Civil Liability, and 500,000 for workers’ compensation. It is not wise for a homeowner to hire an uninsured tree service for many reasons, the most important being: do you value your home, car, and belongings? If so, make sure you hire a company that is fully insured!
Being licensed and certified are equally important. Most of the time, it is fine for a forestry company to have a business license in the city or county where it is located, but some cities and counties also require a license in their jurisdiction. For certification, both the ISA (International Society of Arboriculture) and the TCIA (Tree Care Industry Association) certify people in Arboriculture. A tree care company you are hiring must have an ISA certified arborist on staff and a TCIA CTSP certified tree care security professional.
3 – Reputation and longevity
Any service company that performs work in a residence must have a good reputation. There are “so-called” tree professionals who will take your money and walk away. Never pay a tree service up front for a job, not even a deposit. Deposits are frowned upon by true professionals in our industry. To determine if the company you are considering has a good reputation, some good questions to ask are: How long has it been in business? How many certified arborists do you have on staff? can you provide references? Do you own your own equipment, especially your crane? Another way to determine a company’s reputation is to check websites like Angie’s List or Consumer Checkbook. The best way, though, is to talk to your friends and neighbors – they probably have stories to tell, both good and bad! A company like JL Tree Service Inc, which has been in business for over 35 years and has worked for homeowners, businesses and municipalities alike, is very likely to provide quality tree service.
4 – Team
We all remember the old expression; It’s not the arrow but the Indian! Well, this is definitely true as working with trees requires a special talent. However, good equipment is absolutely necessary to get the job done efficiently and safely. Make sure a tree company has equipment such as bucket and chipper trucks, chippers, dollies, chainsaws, etc., that are relatively new and well maintained.
5 – Employees
Ask how many employees a tree company has. Since tree work is very dangerous and requires special talent, it is essential that the right people are there to do the right job. Who wants an amateur or unskilled worker to bring down a huge oak tree on their house? I do not! A good and reputable tree company should have at least a few of the best climbers with 2+ years of experience in large removals. A company like JL Tree Service Inc has over 18 top tier tree climbers with many years of experience in large removals and crane removals, 3 certified arborists and 1 certified safety professional on staff – this is what you want to look for.
6 – Rental
The distance between a company and its location may not seem very important, but it is. A tree company estimator must calculate the cost of travel time as part of the cost. If the company is close to your residence, naturally, the cost should be better since the travel time is less. A tree company located within 10 to 15 miles of your home will probably do the trick. We all know fuel prices aren’t cheap these days!
7 – Industry Standards
The tree care industry has OSHA and ANSI standards to follow such as safety guidelines, general work procedures, tree trimming, and more. Make sure the tree service you hire follows ANSI standard pruning. There are many tree men who trim trees incorrectly and recommend poor tree maintenance. There are many different tree species, and each tree responds differently to a diverse set of tree pruning methods. Make sure a certified arborist or licensed professional provides their professional opinion. Topping and felling trees with too much force are examples of improper tree care.
8 – Accept all forms of payment
Be careful who you hire. Some tree cutters who drive by asking about your business are likely to be uninsured, only accept cash, and unprofessional. Many tree companies will provide a free estimate. If you receive 3 or 4 estimates, they will vary a lot. For example, you may receive a low offer of $1,800 and a very high offer of $4,000. Some others will be close and between $2,800 and $3,200; These are most likely the two companies you’ll want to consider. It is not best to always go with the lowest bid for tree work as there are many factors that are discussed in this article. Please look closely at all offers and ask questions! A company like JL Tree Service Inc accepts all forms of payment, including all major credit cards.
9 – Services offered
If you are a client with a fair amount of tree work to complete, make sure you hire a real tree company. There are many ‘tree cutters’ who do not have adequate insurance to work with trees. Be careful who you hire, especially with the biggest and most dangerous trees. Most professional and reputable tree companies provide services related to trees or landscaping, such as emergency tree service, tree removal, tree pruning, grinding tree stumps, tree fertilization, tree planting, conservation trees, landscaping, garden maintenance, snow removal, etc. .
10 – Recycle wood and debris
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten a phone call from a customer or municipality saying, “Can you come give me a price to haul debris that a contractor left on the sidewalk?” Yes, a random tree cutter cut down a tree and didn’t include transportation of the wood and debris with the price of it, but he didn’t tell the owner, that’s why the price was so good! Now the homeowner has to deal with debris removal because the city or county will not pick up debris left by a contractor. Make sure that transporting or leaving the wood and debris is clearly written in the proposal.