How to Choose the Best Tree Service Company in the Northern Virginia, Maryland, and Washington DC area can be daunting. There are hundreds of tree service companies that are in your area. They range from a one-man operation to a national level organization.
But how do you know who to choose?
Your money, your time, and your property are valuable. We recommend you get at least 2 written proposals by professional tree care companies. Taking a verbal proposal can be a risk to you. Have a written contract before your work begins. This will ensure that the price is legitimate and it won’t suddenly change on your once the work starts.
To Choose the Best Tree Service ask the questions below:
- Do they have a real address and not just a PO Box?
- Do they have a local number and not just a 1-800 number?
- Have you checked them on the web to see if they really exist?
- Do they have a website?
- Do they have a business card with their information and name on it?
- Can they show you proof of insurance (liability and work comp)? If they do not have insurance you may be liable for damages and injuries.
- Can you call their references?
- Do you have to pay upfront? A professional company will bill you upon completion of services.
- Do they ask you to write the check out to them and not a company? This may be a sign of tax evasion.
- Are they are certified arborists? The International Society of Arboriculture has lists of Certified Arborists and Credentials. If they claim to be, check them out at http://www.isa-arbor.com/findanarborist/findanarborist.aspx
- Are they members of the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA) which hold its members accountable for bad tree work? If they claim to be, check them out: https://www.tcia.org/TCIA/MEMBERSHIP/Find_Quality_Tree_Care/TCIA/Directories/FindQualifiedTreeCare.aspx://secure.tcia.org/Consumer/Default.aspx
The Best Tree Service Resources:
It’s important to choose the best tree service for your needs. The Tree Care Industry Association’s website has the best resources to ensure that you receive quality work by professional tree care companies. The Tree Care Industry Association also provides an accreditation process for professional tree care companies. Accreditation is the only business practices and compliance audit program for tree care companies in America.
The TCIA Accreditation program is built on the threefold foundation of ethics, quality, and consumer confidence. Accredited tree care companies employ staff trained in tree biology and the proper methods used to keep trees and shrubs healthy. They can identify diseases and pests that threaten the well-being of trees and shrubs as well as the defects that could cause harm. Sometimes these defects are hidden inside the trunk, root system, or high in the crown. It takes a trained expert to recognize all the possible hazards.
