Choosing an Arborist
Look for Professional Affiliation
Companies with memberships in professional organizations (ISA) demonstrate their level of competence and their willingness to be current on the latest pruning techniques, safety strategies, and tree management.
Ref: isa-arbor.com
Ask the Number of Years in Operation
You can also ask the size of the company (number of employees). The longer a company has been in operation and the larger it is, the better your chances of getting a high-quality job.
Check if the company is properly insured
In BC tree companies should have personal and property damage insurance as well as WCB coverage. Homeowners could be held responsible for damages or injuries caused by uninsured tree companies.
Job Familiarity
Ask the tree service if they have had experience with similar jobs and if they could give you some examples of similar jobs they have done in the past. You can even visit the referenced sites to see the quality of the work before deciding.
Get Mote Than One Estimate
Try getting two or three detailed estimates from competing tree companies. If you receive more than one bid, do not automatically accept the lowest bid, this may indicate the quality of the work or the completeness of the job. Carefully check the specification of each bid to compare details of how the work will be accomplished, the insurance of each company, and the professionalism you received during the bid process. Always ask if the offer is a quote or an estimate and if an estimate, what the hourly rate is if the job exceeds the estimate.
Note: Insurance rates for arborists are the highest in the green industry so a low bid might also reflect an under-insured or otherwise high-risk bidder.
Ask Questions
If not indicated in the estimate, some questions you might want to ask are:
- How will clean-up of the property be handled?
- What time will the work start and end?
- What happens if there is damage to the property?
Professional Arborists only perform Accepted Practices
A good arborist will only recommend topping a tree in rare circumstances, such as to save the tree after severe physical damage to the crown.
Arborists should never remove excessive amounts of live wood, use climbing spikes on trees not being removed, or remove living trees without just cause. A good arborist will not perform such practices and will explain why.
