Hands up if you find household maintenance overwhelming?
If your hand is up, don’t worry, you’re not alone.
When you’re a homeowner, it’s up to you to care for the many elements that make up your home, including the garden and vegetation. The good news is that there are tree removal service experts who can lighten the load.
It’s important to ask these questions before hiring a tree service company. Keep reading for 7 key questions to ask before hiring a tree service company.
Why Do You Need Expert Tree Service?
An expert tree service may not be a service you thought about much while you rented an apartment. But when you own a house with surrounding trees and vegetation, a tree service becomes increasingly necessary.
Trees, as beautiful and important as they are, can pose a rather large risk to your house. Along with this, many trees require pruning and special care to keep them from leaning or posing any other risk to you, your family, or your property. In most cases, it simply isn’t possible for you to do this kind of pruning or cutting of branches alone.
This is where a professional tree service comes in. A specialized team trained to deal with a range of trees and plant life will be prepared to deal with a variety of issues relating to trees, their care, and their removal.
If you’re a new homeowner or you didn’t have much garden space to landscape before now, you’ve come to the right place. Your first step should be to do your research. Who can you entrust this rather dangerous job to? Which company will do the best job possible?
After all, trees are an incredible and important feature of any garden. We need to save as many trees as possible, which is what a good tree service company will work to do.
Questions to Ask a Tree Service Company
Do you have a certified arborist on board?
An arborist is specially trained to provide proper tree care. You’ll want an arborist that is International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) trained. These tree experts undergo ongoing, specialized training in the field and guarantee the highest standards of tree care.
1. How many jobs have you completed like this?
You’re calling in the professionals for a reason. Otherwise, you do it yourself. What you don’t want is a team who isn’t experienced in the specific services you require for the job.
You need to find out if the team has completed something in the same vein as what you have going on. For example, most tree companies are more than experienced in tree pruning, trimming, and stump grinding. But if you require disease mitigation or lot clearing, you’ll need to select a team who can properly handle the specific situation.
2. Can I see your proof of insurance for tree care?
Tree felling and removal can be complex, dangerous work. You’ll want to select a company who has comprehensive personal and property damage insurance specifically for high-risk tree work. This will offer you the broadest protection.
3. Can you supply a written scope of work?
It’s a good idea to ask to see a company’s written proposal. This should include detailed personal references, a schedule of the work to be performed, and before/after pictures. The more detailed the proposal, the better.
4. What are your safety regulations?
Tree care work is one of the most high-risk jobs out there. In some cases, employees will be at the top of massive trees armed with only an ax. Sounds scary? That’s because it is.
Be sure that the tree care provider you select is in full compliance with all local and national safety regulations. It’s essential that they take every step and precaution to ensure that their employees are working under safe conditions. If they don’t take the necessary steps to minimize risk and injury, you should not select them.
5. Will this work require a permit?
This point requires you to do some background work. In many cases, you’ll be required to have permits and clearance from your homeowner’s association before work begins.
Keep in mind that fines for unpermitted work can be pretty hefty. Ensure that you find out about the requirements in your area, and ask the company if they have applied for the necessary permits.
6. How long will you honor a quote?
Remember, you have the right to protect yourself. It’s your home, your money, and your time at stake. If a company insists you act immediately, keep going with the search.
You have the right you explore costs and compare quotes. Find out how long each company you interview will honor your quote. High-pressure sales tactics simply won’t cut it.
7. How does cleanup work?
If you have specific requirements about the cleanup, make sure an agreement is stipulated in the contract from the start. Some companies leave debris, others will leave nothing. Perhaps you’d like the tree branches cut up and ready for firewood. Or maybe you want pieces of the tree mulched for your garden. It’s helpful to be clear about your expectations from the beginning.
The clean up after these kinds of projects can be pretty huge. It’s usually a good idea to have the tree service company do the work on your behalf. You don’t want to be left with massive pieces of a tree on the ground that you can’t move around yourself.
The Next Steps
After reading this article, it’s clear that tree care is more than just a bit of pruning and trimming here and there. You have to do your research and find out the facts before selecting a company to do this kind of work for you.
In cases where a large tree needs to be removed, it’s even more imperative to do extensive research. The risk of something going wrong, like a tree damaging your home or vehicle, simply isn’t worth it.
What may at first seem like simple tree removal can turn out to be extremely costly if the damage is done by a tree service company. Don’t be afraid to ask plenty of questions and take advice from family and friends.
So, what are the next steps?
For more information about accessing responsible, high-quality tree care from experts you can trust, please contact us.