Hiring a tree service is not like hiring a landscaper or a painter. The stakes are higher. A crew working 60 feet up with chainsaws, near your house and power lines, can cause serious property damage or worse if they cut corners. And because the barrier to entry is low, the industry attracts plenty of operators who show up with a truck and a saw but no insurance, no training, and no accountability. Knowing how to tell the difference protects your property, your wallet, and the people doing the work. Here is what actually matters when you hire.
How do I choose a good tree service company?
Choose a tree service by verifying proof of liability insurance and workers' compensation, checking for ISA-Certified Arborists on staff, reading recent reviews, and getting a detailed written estimate. Avoid companies that demand full payment upfront, pressure you to decide immediately, or quote dramatically below everyone else. Proper credentials and a clear written scope matter more than the lowest price.
The one thing you should never skip: insurance
If you check nothing else on this list, check this. A legitimate tree service carries two types of insurance, and both protect you directly:
- General liability insurance covers damage to your property. If a limb drops through your roof or a falling section crushes your fence, this is what pays for it. Without it, you are the one absorbing the cost of any mistake.
- Workers' compensation insurance covers the crew if someone is injured on your property. This one is critical and widely misunderstood. If an uninsured worker is hurt on your property, you can be held liable for their medical costs and lost wages. Tree work has one of the highest injury rates of any trade, so this is not a hypothetical risk.
Ask for a certificate of insurance and do not accept a verbal assurance. A reputable company provides it without hesitation. For a large or complex job, call the insurance company listed on the certificate directly to confirm the policy is active. A company that gets cagey or annoyed when you ask for proof of insurance is telling you something important.
Look for ISA certification
The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) certifies arborists through examination and requires ongoing education to maintain the credential. An ISA-Certified Arborist has demonstrated real knowledge of tree biology, proper pruning technique, disease and pest identification, and safe work practices. This is the difference between a crew that just cuts and a company that understands trees.
Certification matters most when the decision is not obvious. A certified arborist can tell you whether a tree actually needs to come down or whether targeted pruning solves the problem, whether that lean is dangerous or normal, and whether a disease is treatable or terminal. Our post on what an arborist is and what they do explains the credential in more detail, and our breakdown of how arborists decide whether a tree should come down shows the kind of judgment the certification represents.
Read reviews, but read them carefully
Online reviews are useful, but the number of stars matters less than the pattern. Look for:
- Recent reviews. A company's crew and quality can change over time. Reviews from the last year matter more than a stack of five-star ratings from three years ago.
- Specific detail. Reviews that describe the actual job, cleanup, communication, and how problems were handled tell you more than generic praise.
- How they respond to complaints. Every company gets an unhappy customer eventually. How they respond to a negative review tells you a lot about how they will treat you if something goes wrong.
- Local reviews. A company with a track record in your specific area knows the local trees, soil, regulations, and conditions.
Get a detailed written estimate
A real estimate is written, specific, and comes after someone has actually looked at the tree. Be cautious of quotes given over the phone or from photos alone, since access, proximity to structures, and tree condition all significantly affect the real cost and cannot be assessed remotely. Our guide on what tree removal costs explains the variables that go into a legitimate quote.
A good written estimate spells out exactly what is included:
- What work will be performed and on which trees
- Whether stump grinding is included or quoted separately
- What happens to the debris and larger logs
- Whether cleanup is included
- Whether permits will be pulled and by whom
- The total price and payment terms
When you compare estimates, make sure you are comparing the same scope. A lower quote that excludes stump grinding, log removal, or cleanup is not actually cheaper once you add those back in.
Understand why the cheapest quote is often the most expensive
Getting multiple estimates is smart. Automatically taking the lowest one is not. When one quote comes in dramatically below the others, that gap almost always reflects something missing. The usual culprits: no insurance, an untrained crew, an incomplete scope of work, no permit being pulled, or inadequate equipment that leads to a riskier, sloppier job.
The savings on a cut-rate tree job are real right up until something goes wrong, and in tree work, the consequences of something going wrong are severe. A dropped limb through a roof, a worker injury you become liable for, or a botched cut that kills a tree you wanted to keep all cost far more than the few hundred dollars you saved. Our post on why DIY tree removal is riskier than it looks makes the same point about doing it yourself, and the logic applies equally to hiring the cheapest crew available.
Ask the right questions before you hire
A short conversation reveals a lot. Before hiring, ask:
- Are you licensed and insured, and can you provide a certificate of insurance?
- Do you have ISA-Certified Arborists on staff?
- Will you pull any permits my municipality requires?
- Is stump grinding and cleanup included in the quote?
- Can you provide references or recent local reviews?
- What is your plan for protecting my lawn, house, and surrounding plants during the work?
- Is the estimate guaranteed, or can the price change once work begins?
The answers matter, but so does the manner. A company that answers these clearly and without defensiveness is showing you how they operate. One that dodges, rushes, or gets irritated is showing you the same thing.
Red flags to walk away from
| Warning sign | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Cannot or will not provide proof of insurance | You become liable for property damage and worker injuries |
| Demands full payment upfront | Legitimate companies bill on or after completion |
| Door-to-door pressure after a storm | Storm-chasers often lack local accountability and credentials |
| No written estimate | Verbal quotes invite disputes and surprise charges |
| Quote far below all others | Usually means missing insurance, permits, or scope |
| Pressure to decide immediately | Reputable companies let you take time to compare |
| Wants to top the tree rather than prune properly | Topping damages trees and signals a lack of training |
| No physical address or unmarked vehicles | Makes accountability difficult if problems arise |
That point about topping is worth expanding. If a company recommends topping a tree, cutting the main branches down to stubs, as a routine solution, it is a strong signal they lack proper training. Topping harms tree health, creates weak regrowth, and is widely rejected by qualified arborists. A trained professional prunes to preserve the tree's structure and health, not just to make it smaller fast.
Be extra careful after a storm
Storms bring out the worst operators. After a major weather event, out-of-town crews flood affected areas going door to door, offering fast cleanup at prices that seem reasonable in the moment. Many are uninsured, unaccountable, and gone before any problem surfaces. Some demand cash upfront and disappear. Others do shoddy, dangerous work and cannot be reached afterward.
The pressure to clear a fallen tree quickly is real, but it is exactly when slowing down matters most. A local, established company with a verifiable address and insurance is worth waiting a little longer for. Our storm damage services team responds quickly to genuine emergencies without the storm-chaser tactics, and we are here before and after the storm, not just during it.
Frequently asked questions
What should I look for when hiring a tree service?
Look for proof of general liability and workers' compensation insurance, ISA-Certified Arborists on staff, recent local reviews, and a detailed written estimate. Verify the insurance certificate directly with the insurer for larger jobs. Avoid any company that demands full payment upfront, pressures you to decide on the spot, or quotes far below every other bid, since those are the most common signs of an uninsured or untrained operator.
Should a tree service be licensed and insured?
Yes, insurance is essential. A tree service should carry both general liability insurance, which covers damage to your property, and workers' compensation, which covers crew injuries. Without workers' comp, you can be held financially responsible if a worker is hurt on your property. Licensing requirements vary by municipality, but insurance is non-negotiable regardless of where you live. Always request a certificate of insurance before work begins.
Why is one tree removal quote so much cheaper than the others?
A dramatically lower quote almost always reflects something missing. Common reasons include no insurance, an untrained or unlicensed crew, an incomplete scope that excludes stump grinding or cleanup, no permit being pulled, or inadequate equipment. The apparent savings disappear quickly if a limb damages your roof, a worker is injured, or the job has to be redone. Compare quotes for identical scope before assuming one company is simply cheaper.
Is it safe to hire someone who knocks on my door after a storm?
Be very cautious. Storm-chasing crews frequently travel from out of the area, often lack proper insurance and credentials, and can be difficult to hold accountable once they leave. Some demand cash upfront and disappear, while others do dangerous or incomplete work. The urgency to clear a fallen tree is understandable, but taking time to verify insurance and hire a local, established company protects you from a bad situation getting worse.
Do I need to be home during tree work?
You do not always need to be present, but it helps to be available at the start to confirm the scope and point out any concerns, such as plants you want protected or specific access instructions. For complex jobs near your home, being reachable during the work allows the crew to check in on any judgment calls. Make sure you have reviewed and agreed to the written estimate before the crew begins regardless of whether you plan to be on site.
What questions should I ask a tree service before hiring?
Ask whether they carry liability and workers' compensation insurance and can provide a certificate, whether they have ISA-Certified Arborists on staff, whether they will pull any required permits, whether stump grinding and cleanup are included, and whether the estimate is guaranteed or subject to change. Also ask how they will protect your lawn, house, and surrounding plants. Clear, confident answers are a good sign; evasiveness is not.
Hiring the right company is the whole job
Get the hiring decision right and everything else tends to follow: the work is done safely, your property is protected, the site is cleaned up, and the tree is handled by people who actually understand what they are doing. Get it wrong and you inherit whatever problems a cheap, uninsured, untrained crew leaves behind. The credentials and questions in this post are not bureaucratic box-checking. They are the difference between a professional job and a gamble with your property.
At Strobert Tree Services, we carry full liability and workers' compensation insurance, staff ISA-Certified Arborists, provide detailed written estimates, and have served Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey for years with a verifiable local track record. When you request an estimate, you get a real assessment from a certified arborist, not a pressure pitch. Call us at 1-800-TREE-SERVICE or request your free estimate online.
