Selecting a Tree Service Company

Trimming, pruning, or removing large trees in your yard is an enormous task that can only be safely and adequately handled by a professional. Hiring an experienced tree service company will minimize the risk of injury and property damage.

How do you hire the right company for the job?

1. Before making any calls, examine the trees in your yard to determine the type of job you need carried out. Do you need tree trimming services only, or are there some dead trees that need to be removed for safety reasons?
2. Research more than one tree service company in your general vicinity. Also, don't hesitate to ask anyone you know for recommendations. Pay attention to the names of companies you see on trucks working in your neighborhood, or search online or in the Yellow Pages.
3. Ask for quotes from each contractor according to the work you need done. For each contractor, provide the same details of the project and make sure you haven't left anything out.
4. Find out whether or not the companies on the shortlist have insurance coverage. Their policy needs to adequately cover property damage and injuries that could happen on your property.
5. Obtain references from the contractors and check up on them. Ask the references about their level of satisfaction and if anything occurred during the project.
6. Clarify how debris will be handled after the job is complete. Who will remove it and how will it be removed? Is the company experienced in stump grinding and other necessary aspects of the job?
7. Make a final choice taking into account price, experience, and your overall sense of the contractor.
8. Create a contract of work before proceeding with anything. It should lay out all important points, including work to be done, cost, payment schedule, start date, and estimated time of completion. The contract should also specify how debris will be removed from your property.
9. Ask the contractor to tag the trees that require work, so there are no misunderstandings along the way.

Some tips

1. Once you remove a tree, there's no going back, so make sure you really want to go through with the project.
2. If you're trying to save a diseased tree, this may require special expertise. Ask ahead of time if your contractor can handle this type of situation.
3. Clear the work area ahead of time by removing cars and other expensive items out of the way, a safe distance from falling branches.
4. Don't pay too much up front. Instead, create a payment schedule that matches up with the amount of work completed.