Top 10 Questions to Ask When Hiring a Tree Service
Tree care is not always a walk in the park, pouring water, and talking to it with love. Some tasks are too risky to be handled by an average property owner and require assistance from professional tree service. If you don’t have the proper equipment and the required experience to operate with them, you should leave the job to the pro. Dealing with power lines, homes, and other hazardous variables require training and expertise to get the job done safely. Hiring a professional tree service has its risks, but they are more manageable and are significantly reduced. You want to make sure you are hiring the best men for your tree care needs, which is why it is crucial to ask them the following questions and make sure you are okay with their response.
People usually hire a tree service when they need to take care of some “sick” tree, or even remove it because it’s dry and it’s damaging the other plants around. It may seem like a nice and cheap idea to try to do that by yourself, but some chemicals can be hazardous, causing all the vegetation around to dry and die, and also contaminating the soil. These methods can be very dangerous if not performed by a professional. But, even when you hire a trusted and licensed service, you may need to ask a few questions, such as:
1. Can they provide a recent certificate of insurance and a written copy of the contract?
Insurance should be a non-negotiable variable when hiring a tree service company. You want to make sure you will not be responsible for legal and financial liability, in case of accidents. Professionals won’t have a problem providing this information to their clients, because they know that a good and trustworthy business is always built on trust. If they are avoiding to give you a written contract, you have the whole right to be suspicious, and not signing a deal with them.
2. What are their credentials?
If it’s possible, hire a company that’s accredited by the International Society of Arboriculture, Tree Care Industry Association, and employs certified arborists. That’s the only way you can know you are paying for professional care for your yard.
3. Do they have references?
A reputable company will be happy to provide you with a list of their previous customers that you can contact for a recommendation. Also, they usually have Facebook pages and other social media presence, and never try to hide their past and reputation. You can always google them, so you can find relevant user experience, that will help you decide whether to hire them or not. Trustworthy companies never hide the information from their official pages.
4. Can they offer you a detailed quote?
Acquire at least three estimates from different tree services to get a good comparison of the cost, scope of the job, and other details of the service. If you don’t do this, you may end up with the most expensive company, and you will be very sorry or nervous if you find a better deal when the job is done.
5. What approach and equipment will they use?
Make sure that the equipment they will use will not cause damage to your lawn. They should inspect the site and locate the sprinkler heads and other things that may be harmed. They should be careful with both the tools and chemicals they use. Also, ask them how they plan to go about the clean-up once the work is done.
6. How much time do they need for the project?
It depends on the company you’re hiring. Some can take three days to complete it, while others can do it in a few hours. This is why having the estimate is important because this information will be stated here. Many people are having an unpleasant experience with this type of service because they need a lot of time to finish a simple job, but they make it look difficult, so they can charge them more working hours.
7. Do they look professional?
Check their company truck and see if it’s well-maintained or not. A quality company keeps their equipment in top condition because they know how important they are for the job. Do they a company website? If they have good content and professional-looking site, they might be the right company you are looking for. Also, pay attention to the contractor and the people who need to work. We’ve always learned not to judge the people by their looks, but when it comes to your money, you have the whole right to do that.
8. Do they use spikes to climb trees?
Spikes should only be utilized when taking down a tree and never for pruning because it can cause severe damage to the tree. So, be careful, because you don’t want to pay for a service that will leave your yard damaged.
9. Do they perform “topping”?
Professional tree experts, like treeserviceschattanooga.com, never recommend topping. It is a poor practice that can be harmful, especially to hardwood trees. The only case this is good to be done is when the tops are pretty dry and they stop the young branches to grow. But, again, be careful with that, especially if the tree is completely healthy and there is no need for any cutting.
10. Do they use personal protective gear while doing the task?
A trustworthy company makes sure its employees are safe by making sure they’re wearing protective gear while performing the job. This is a must, no exceptions. You must check this thing before you hire any company because no one wants accidents in their yard due to an unprofessional approach.
You should be wise in choosing a tree company because it can be dangerous. You should treat tree care as an investment because it is better to spend on professional arborists than on house repair. So, follow our instructions and pay attention to every question we mentioned in this article. You can even write them down so you can never forget why you should ask before hiring them.
