How to Select a Tree Care Professional

Your tree care needs might be a one-time job, such as taking down a tree, or the long-term maintenance of the trees, shrubs and woody plants that live in your landscape. Hiring a professional tree care company is the best way to ensure that the job gets done correctly and efficiently.

There are several ways you could approach the process for selecting a tree care company:

  • Price comparison – does price affect your decision?
  • Informational inquiry – do you need more in-depth information than you were able to find online on your own?
  • Direct purchase – do you need to react quickly (i.e.: storm damage cleanup), or do you just want to know that the job gets done and want to trust the team that does it?

Regardless of your reasons for hiring a tree care company and how you approach the process, we recommend that you start by finding a qualified tree care company in your area. Professional arborists have the knowledge, training and equipment necessary to handle even the most dangerous tree care tasks, and can work with you to determine the best solutions for keeping your trees, shrubs and landscape healthy.

Things you may consider when hiring an arborist:

  • Do you need to shop around? This is quite common – only you know what your budget is,
    unless you decide to share this information with the tree care company (or companies) you’re considering.
  • Are they open to answering your questions? Just like your teacher always said, there’s no such thing as a stupid question. It’s okay to ask the experts! Arborists want to help you
    maintain a safe and beautiful landscape.
  •  Are they insured? If you do a zip code search, any tree care company that shows up on the list of results will have the appropriate insurance.
  • Do they have certifications, credentials and industry memberships listed on their website? 

Proper tree work requires specific knowledge and training, just like any other profession. Remember… you get what you pay for! When it comes to the tough stuff, you
should feel confident in the crew that you’re hiring.

Use TCIA’s search tool to hire a professional arborist or tree care company.


17 thoughts on “How to Select a Tree Care Professional

  • January 24, 2018 at 10:59 am
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    I found it helpful how you pointed that I ought to look for a tree care service that has proper certifications and credentials backing up their work. What kind of certifications should I look out for? I’d be curious to know since I’m looking to hire someone to trim my trees once spring rolls around.

    Reply
    • February 3, 2018 at 7:41 pm
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      Depending on your area there may be a local or state license requirement. We do not have that requirement here in Texas so I always recommend that people look for a company that has an ISA Certified Arborist on staff. They should have insurance and be willing to provide you with a Certificate of Insurance naming you as an additional insured on their insurance. Worker’s Compensation insurance is particularly important as well. This protects the property owner from being liable for any injuries, or worse, that may occur while the tree work is being completed.

      Reply
  • August 8, 2018 at 10:07 am
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    I totally agree that there is no such thing as a stupid question, so it is a good idea to try and find a tree care specialist that will answer all of your questions. My brother has a lot of trees in his yard, and I know that he would love to know the entire process of how they chop down all of the trees. I will be sure to tell my brother that he should look for someone who is willing to answer all of his questions!

    Reply
  • August 20, 2018 at 7:40 pm
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    I found this article quite informative as I am getting into the tree service industry in a way. It gave me a lot of ideas to think about as a I research and build a business. The last question about arborists and certifications was something I forgot about a bit.

    Thanks for the info!

    Reply
  • August 30, 2018 at 6:50 pm
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    Great tips! I find that one of the most common things people do is not ask enough questions – then they end up wondering why something was done and/or unhappy with a result. This also falls back on the company to explain everything of course, but either way there should always be as much communication as possible.

    Reply
  • August 31, 2021 at 4:09 pm
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    Wonderful post, very informative. Most people find it difficult to select a good tree care professional, these tips would really help them a lot.

    Reply
  • July 6, 2022 at 10:25 am
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    We are looking for an arborist to assist us with the tree moving project we have on our yard; I’m glad I came across this article and learned tips when looking for a tree service company.

    I like how you mentioned the importance of knowing if they are licensed and experienced in tree service so you would know how good they are in the industry.

    I will share this with my husband and see how it can help us who and where to reach out to a tree removal service company.

    Reply

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