Top 10 Questions to Ask Tree Service Companies

March 16th, 2022 0 Comments

Top 10 Questions to Ask Tree Service Companies

To help guide your tree service firm research, we put together this worksheet of the key questions you should be asking.

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD THE PRINTABLE SHEET

When you need tree services there are 10 key questions that you should be asking every company you consider. It is critical to know the answers to all of these safety, experience, service, and insurance questions before you decide who to trust with your project. Investing two minutes to read these suggestions can improve your entire tree work experience.

  1. How many years of tree service experience does your company have?
    Depending on the complexity of the project, it is important to know if the company you are hiring has enough direct experience to have an expertise in the area you need.
  2. What services does your company offer?
    If you are having trees removed, it is often helpful if the company also offers stump grinding. A company that understands pruning may also be able to avoid having the tree taken down, or know how to best care for trees and shrubs on your property.
  3. How much insurance does your company carry?
    Tree Service companies are considered underinsured if they have less than $2M of insurance coverage.
  4. Is the entire crew who will be working on my property covered under your worker’s compensation?
    If a team (or member) is not covered under the tree service’s insurance and someone from the crew gets hurt on your property, your home owner’s insurance will most likely be the one the worker will go after for compensation.
  5. Is your insurance specific to tree services?
    If a company is insured as a landscaping company, they do not have proper insurance to do tree work. The insurance is particular to the specialty.
  6. Will you send me a copy of your certificate of insurance (COI)?
    Tree work is high risk. It is incredibly important that the correct types and amounts of insurance are carried by the tree service company you hire. You should not accept a verbal commitment, but ask for a physical copy. You can even follow up by calling the carrier to confirm that policies are in good standing.

  7. How will you protect my driveway, lawn, and structures?
    It is important to understand how the tree service plans to protect your property from potential damage from heavy trucks and equipment.

  8. What annual equipment and comprehensive preventative maintenance inspections are standards for your company?
    Annual equipment inspections are legally required to meet safety standards set by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The safety of your property and everyone working on it relies on the comprehensive preventive maintenance inspections, Dielectric Testing, and DOT Certifications for the equipment that will perform your scope of work.

  9. What sort of education on my trees, shrubs, and plants do you offer – both before the service and afterwards?
    It is important to understand the scope of work you are setting up AND also critical to be educated on how to best maintain trees and plants once the tree services experts leave your property.

  10. Is your office staffed to answer questions for me?
    Find out if the tree service company phone goes to a person ready to answer your questions, or a voicemail that will be returned within 24 hours.

 

Now that you are ready to start researching what company is best for you, start with our Top 10 Questions to Ask worksheet available to print for you >> here.