“There is a big difference between a tree lopper and an arborist. Your tree and property will tell the difference even if you don’t immediately.”

1. SAFETY

• Make sure that the tree surgery company shows you their insurance details before the commencement of the work. If they cause damage to property, cause injury or death and are uninsured you are legally liable.
• Find out whether they have ever damaged a house while they have carried out tree work. If yes what type of damage occurred and what was the outcome? Even if insurance covered the damage, would it be worth the hassle and the inconvenience if the damage could have been avoided in the first place?
• If plants of significance are damaged whilst the tree work is being carried out – would the plants be replaced by the tree surgery company?

2. COST

• Beware cheap quotes! It is not always a good thing to get “more” than you pay for. Contractors who offer cheap quotes usually have higher rates of property damage. Unqualified operators – often known as tree loppers, are more likely to cause damage to roof tiles, pavers, windows, and tarmac.
• Untrained workers can so easily cause large logs, branches and generally large sections of trees to be dropped on houses causing massive damage. We have heard of large portions of trees being dropped.
• Poor Site Clean up. Will the tree surgery company clean up after the job? Don’t be left out of pocket trying to get rid of the mess yourself.
• Make sure the company is reputable and honest. It is not uncommon that an unassuming customer will pay the tree workers before the job has been completed. Left with an unfinished job the customer then has to pay for someone else to come and finish the job properly. We have completed many of these jobs!!
• Avoid companies that ask for cash for payment. This can be open to abuse. You have more control of payments with the use of credit card payments. If you realise after the company has left the site that something was damaged or was not carried out to your satisfaction, you will be able to with hold the payment. This will give you leverage to get the company back to carry out the work to your satisfaction.

3. COMMUNICATION

• Make sure you can communicate fully with the Tree surgery company so that you and they have a clear understanding of what is included in the job. BE WARNED – otherwise half way through the job you may find that there is something unexpected added to your quote.
• It is common that a price may be given on a scrap piece of paper or a business card, with no scope of works- do not fall into this trap. It is wise to have the scope of works clearly written in the form of a written quote before the commencement of the job.

4. SKILL

• Select a company that is affiliated with a recognised arboriculture association such as the ISA, ISSAC. If they are registered this means that the company adheres to certain professional standards.

Choose the right tree surgeon for the right job.
There is a big difference between a tree lopper and an arborist. Your tree and property will tell the difference even if you don’t immediately.