How to choose a tree care company in Charlotte
When it comes to choosing a tree care company, Charlotte is overflowing with options. It can be intimidating, and if you've not worked with tree care companies before you may be struggling with how to pick the right one.
We've put together the top 5 things we recommend asking about before engaging with any tree care company. We hope you find these useful when beginning your next project!
ISA Certified Arborist. This is one of those criteria where being certified doesn't guarantee you're good at your job, but not being certified can certainly be a red flag. It represents that someone took things seriously enough to be involved in tree work and/or horticulture for multiple years, saw the value in earning a credential that costs time and money, and studied/got education about the field. Some really good tree workers are not certified arborists, often times they are working along side Arborists either as skilled support or perhaps even pursuing their own certification. This designation is the easiest and fastest way to sift out the bulk of “tree cutters” who might have limited experience, might damage your tree, or bring other liabilities to the table. If no one at the company is a ISA Certified Arborist, you may want to look elsewhere.
Workers Compensation Insurance AND General Liability Insurance. Hopefully it doesn't happen often, but if property is damaged during the job it’s important that the company has general liability insurance to cover the damages. This kind of insurance is surprisingly affordable (as long as you haven’t had a claim) so you should expect any reputable tree care provider to carry it. However, workers compensation insurance is arguably more necessary, more expensive to carry, and sadly less common. This insurance not only protects the workers themselves but the homeowner as well. If a worker not covered by workers compensation insurance is hurt or killed on your property the homeowner and the homeowners insurance can be liable. Respecting all parties involved and protecting everyone's safety and interests is table stakes in this business. If a company is not doing that, don't work with them. (Pro-tip: make them show you proof of the insurance. Someone who doesn't care about their workers enough to protect them wouldn't mind lying to you either.)
Safety gear/PPE (personal protective equipment). While most people call our work dangerous we generally call it hazardous. A firefighter has a dangerous job being the one to willingly run into the dangerous building to save lives. Our job is hazardous, we deal with potentially dangerous situations, but we are able to walk away at any point with no lives at stake. That gives us the opportunity to plan and bring equipment as needed to limit the hazards we will be exposed to. Keeping our job in the hazardous category takes intention, preparation, and planning... and the first step is using PPE. Helmets, hearing protection, eye protection, and chainsaw protective pants are the first step in use making sure a) that we are protected to some degree if an accident happens (helmet, chainsaw pants), b) that long term exposure to noise, dust, and sharp objects flying through the air have limited long term impact on our health (eye and ear protection). PPE is a strong indicator of someone taking the job and its riskiness seriously.
Equipment condition. Some of our favorite equipment has a few years under its belt (our favorite truck was made in 1997!), partially because “they don’t make them like they used to." So we don’t think that everything needs to be brand new, but condition of tools and equipment can tell a lot. If the truck bed is a disorganized mess with everything from pvc pipe to extension cords and shovels with a chainsaw on thrown on top it is likely an indicator of someone doing tree work on the side of their other pursuits or someone who’s disorganization may carry over into their work results. Regardless of age look for trucks and equipment that look reasonably maintained with placards or decals advertising the business. How they treat their equipment is a leading indicator of how they will treat you.
Reviews Reviews Reviews. While it can be a double-edged sword, our access to (hopefully honest) opinions of previous work can make a huge difference in choosing your next Arborist. We are all learning how to sift through the trolls online and often times unreasonable people will self-identify pretty quickly. But if the reviews indicate issues with the previous points above, or reveal a general disdain for customers from the company, that can be a deal killer.
For new homeowners, property managers or even renters choosing a tree care company doesn't have to be intimidating. If you have questions about tree services or would like to talk to a ISA Certified Arborist, give CoolWood a call today! We'd love to hear from you.
