TREE SERVICES

Tree Services
An arborist, tree surgeon, or arboriculturist, is a professional in the practice of arboriculture, which is the cultivation, management, and study of individual trees, shrubs, vines, and other perennial woody plants in dendrology and horticulture.

Arborist V Tree Surgeon
A certified arborist must earn additional educational credits every year to maintain his/her license. A tree surgeon doesn’t. That’s not to say a tree surgeon is not qualified. Tree surgeons are highly skilled in safely felling, pruning, stumping and removing trees. Meanwhile arborists concentrate more on the quality of life of the tree. They take into account diseases, how to maintain trees and plants in various conditions and even the soil in which they live.

Tree surgeons concentrate on emergency tree care, stump grinding, felling, pruning and clearance of trees as well as overall site clearance.

Arborists will concentrate on treating trees for damage caused by poor environmental conditions, they carry out professional tree inspections and provide appropriate management advice.

What to look for in your trees
Are the branches dying from the tips back or on top of the tree? Are mushrooms growing out from the trunks? Does the tree go straight down into the ground or does it flare out at the bottoms? These can all be signs of decaying or dead trees.

Are you worried your trees are touching or even close to touching overhead power lines?
If in doubt – get your utility company out! Some electricity supply companies such as PG&E have trained arborists who will visit your home and may decide certain trees are a health and safety risk and will order them to be trimmed or even removed. This may be free. PG&E can be contacted on 1800 743 5000. Always check with your own utility company.

Pricing
Tree surgeons and arborists like many other skilled trades have on and off seasons and their price is reflected in such. November and December are their quiet months and rates can drop considerably. When posting your bids, ask for an on and off-season price. If your home improvement project is not time-sensitive you will save money by waiting.

Tree-topping
Recent science say tree-topping is the worst thing you can do to your tree as it can drastically reduce its lifespan.

Certification
Apart from having to be state licensed, the international standard for arborism is the International Society of Arborism. Membership of the ISA is earned and more details can be found here.

When posting your project, take pictures of your trees, try to estimate the height and describe your problem in as much detail as possible. If you just want a tree trimmed or felled, try take your picture from an angle that includes your home. This way your contractor can decide how tall your tree is by the size of your home. If you feel your trees are rotting or dying, explain why and include close up photos of rot or fungus. If you want new trees for shading or decoration explain your requirements. Your contractor will be able to advise and give you a more detailed bid. Remember too to get bids for on and off-season. If your project is not critical you may save money by waiting till November or December.

Hiring anyone to carry work in your home can be daunting. Letting strangers into your home is even more scary. While many homeowners may go into detail about pricing and materials and quality of work – they rarely ask their contractor for their license details and never ask about their possible criminal background or if their staff are felons.

For your peace of mind, contractors featured on 23HourBids.com have been background checked for your safety and security. Don't let anyone into your home without the 23HourBids.com seal of safety and security.

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