ARBOR SPIRIT TREE CARE · Choosing tree care
9 Critical Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Tree Service Company
The right questions can tell you more than a price alone. Use this guide to compare tree services and understand what your estimate includes.
What tree care training do they have?
Ask who will assess your trees and recommend the work. An ISA Certified Arborist has demonstrated knowledge of tree care through an examination and maintains the credential through continuing education.
Ask for the individual’s name and credential, and confirm who will be involved in your project. Certification is one useful consideration alongside experience, references and the proposed work.
How will they protect the crew and your property?
A professional crew should arrive with equipment suited to the job. Ask about head, eye and hearing protection, chainsaw protection where appropriate, and how the work area will be kept clear.
Discuss nearby buildings, fences, vehicles, planting beds and overhead lines before work begins.
How is the team trained to work together?
Climbing, pruning and removing trees require coordination. Ask who will supervise the work, what training the crew receives, and how climbers and ground workers communicate.
For a complex removal, ask the company to explain the approach in terms you understand.
Will you receive a clear written estimate?
The estimate should identify the trees, describe the work, and say what is included in the price. Confirm debris removal, stump work, access arrangements and cleanup rather than assuming they are included.
Compare the scope as well as the price. A much lower bid may cover different work. Resolve questions before signing a contract.
Can they provide current proof of insurance?
Ask about liability insurance and workers’ compensation coverage for the people doing the work. Request current documentation and verify it with the insurer if needed.
Make sure the company named on the paperwork is the company you are hiring.
Which licenses apply to this work?
Ask the contractor which licenses are required for the proposed scope and request the relevant license information. Requirements depend on the work; a license and an arborist certification are different things.
For work in Hawaiʻi, use the Hawaiʻi DCCA license search to check any professional or vocational license presented to you.
Who will confirm permits and approvals?
Before removal or major work, ask whether permits, property-owner permission or other approvals apply to the tree and site. Confirm requirements with the relevant local authority or property manager.
The written agreement should make clear who will obtain any required approvals before work starts.
Can you speak with recent customers?
Ask for references from comparable projects. Find out whether the crew arrived as agreed, protected the property, completed the promised work and left the site clean.
Ask how the company handled questions or concerns as well as how the trees looked afterward.
Do you have time to make an informed choice?
Be cautious of unsolicited storm-cleanup bargains or pressure to commit immediately. Verify the company’s identity, insurance and written scope before agreeing to work.
If storm damage creates an immediate concern, keep people away from the area and seek qualified help.
YOUR TREES. OUR CARE.
Care that starts with a conversation.
Tell us about your trees and the work you have in mind.
More tree care guides.
A closer look at tree risk
Changes in the canopy, trunk, roots or surrounding site that are worth bringing to an arborist’s attention.
Tree pests & insects
Recognize common signs of feeding damage and learn why identifying the cause comes before choosing a treatment.