How to Hire a Tree Removal Company in Gilbert: What to Check Before You Say Yes

Tree removal is a job where you often cannot judge the work until something goes wrong. A crew has to be trained, insured and honest, and none of those shows up on a price tag. The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension publishes a plain-language guide to hiring a tree expert. This is our walk-through of it, with the Arizona-specific parts pointed out.

Start with a credential you can actually verify

Extension’s advice is to look at certifications, licenses, education, experience and references together. On certification, the guide is realistic about what it proves. ISA Certified Arborists have passed exams on tree care, which shows a baseline of knowledge and a commitment to the field. It does not guarantee good work. What it does give you is something checkable: the International Society of Arboriculture lets you confirm a credential online, by name, through its Verify a Credential tool.

Heartwood Tree Care’s arborist is ISA Certified Arborist #WE-11505A. Look it up. We would rather you check than take our word for it.

Insurance: ask for proof, then confirm it

This is the item most homeowners skip, and Extension spends the most words on it. Ask the company for proof of insurance, then confirm with the insurance company that the policy is still current. That call is free for both sides. The reason it matters: under some circumstances you can be held financially responsible if an uninsured worker is hurt on your property or damage is done to a neighbor’s property.

A reputable arborist carries personal and property damage insurance and workers’ compensation. Extension points out that the Industrial Commission of Arizona can tell you whether a firm carries workers’ compensation, and the Arizona Department of Revenue can confirm that a company is legal and paying proper taxes.

References, and more than one estimate

Ask for local references and actually call a couple. Better still, look at finished work that is similar to your job. Extension also recommends getting estimates from more than one company, and adds a line worth remembering: an arborist’s skill and professionalism may matter more than a low bid. Virginia Tech’s extension guide adds a warning that applies here too: if one quote comes in considerably lower than the others, the arborist may not fully understand the job or what you expect from it.

Watch what they want to do to the tree

You can learn a lot from how a company talks about the tree before any work starts.

• Topping. If the goal is to reduce a tree’s height, Extension says a good arborist uses drop crotching or crown reduction. A good arborist does not chop the top off at a chosen height.
• Climbing spikes. They should not be used on a tree that is staying in the landscape, except in emergencies.
• Eagerness to remove. The guide tells you to beware of an arborist who is eager to take out a living tree, and says removal should be the last resort. Yes, this is advice for a tree company, from a university, telling you to be skeptical of tree companies. It is good advice. If you are told a tree has to come down and you are not sure, a second opinion from an arborist is worth having. Our arborist consultation is one way to get that second opinion.

What the written estimate should say

Extension’s contract checklist is the most useful part of the guide. A good estimate for tree work spells out:

1. The date work will start and finish.
2. Exactly what will be done, in specific terms. For pruning, the guide’s example is to prune all dead, dying, diseased and weak branches over a stated diameter.
3. That the work follows the current ANSI tree care standards, including the A300 pruning standard and the Z133 safety standard.
4. What cleanup is included and when it happens.
5. Who gets the wood, and in what form.
6. Whether removal includes grinding out the stump and surface roots, filling with topsoil, and planting. (More on this in our guide to stump grinding vs. stump removal.)
7. The total dollar amount, with no room for confusion about whether it is per tree or for the whole job. If the work is hourly, the guide says to add the words “but not to exceed.”

An estimate that says “tree removal” and a number tells you almost nothing. Two of those can be far apart in price and cover completely different jobs.

Red flags

• Someone knocks on your door offering tree work, especially after a storm, and has no identification on the truck, uniform or ID card. Extension specifically calls out the post-storm quick-money crowd.
• The company cannot or will not show proof of insurance.
• The plan involves topping, or the crew wants to remove a tree that looks healthy without explaining why.
• The estimate is vague about scope, cleanup or the final price.

Six questions to ask on the phone

1. Is there an ISA Certified Arborist on the job, and what is the certification number?
2. Can you send proof of insurance and workers’ compensation?
3. Will the estimate be in writing, with the total price?
4. Does the price include cleanup and hauling, and what about the stump?
5. Can you give me two local references for similar work?
6. Will the work follow ANSI A300 and Z133?

How Heartwood fits this list

We are family owned, licensed and insured, and our estimates are free and done on site. If a tree can be saved with proper trimming, we will say so. If it has to come down, our tree removal service covers the whole job, including crane-assisted removal where access is tight. We work in Gilbert, Mesa, Chandler and Queen Creek. Hold us to the same list: request a free estimate or call (480) 269-5636.

If your tree came down in a storm, start with our guide to saving or removing a storm-damaged tree.

Sources

• University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, How to Hire a Tree Expert (AZ1003)
• International Society of Arboriculture, Verify a Credential
• Virginia Tech Cooperative Extension, Hiring an Arborist to Care for Your Landscape Trees (ANR-131)
• Industrial Commission of Arizona, azica.gov