Trees - Tree Care Professionals

Tree Care Professionals

There are occasions when you may need to hire a tree care professional. For instance:

Limbs may need to be removed to increase vehicle clearance
Entire mature trees may need to be removed
Storm damage may occur which needs to be promptly corrected to save the tree
Pruning or removal of the trees may be a potential hazard to people or buildings

Finding a certified, insured, and reputable tree care professional is essential. You may find names and some information by searching in the yellow pages under "Tree Service". Tree care professionals can provide many services to you that should only be performed by trained arborists. The following are considerations when hiring arborists:

Tree care professionals should be certified with organizations such as the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), or belong to professional organizations. This demonstrates that a professional is kept informed of the latest techniques and shows dedication to the industry.

It is essential that a tree care professional be insured. A professional should provide proof of personal and property damage insurance and workers compensation insurance. Homeowners have had to pay for damages when they unknowingly hired uninsured arborists.

Reputation is a very important reason for choosing a tree care professional. Don't hesitate to ask for references and feel free to contact those individuals or examine the work done on properties similar to your situation.

Unless you have a preference toward a certain tree care professional, it is often wise to obtain more than one estimate. Don't always accept the lowest bid though - check for credentials and written specifications of the work to be done.

Hiring a tree care professional is a serious task that should be well researched. For more information, contact your local Extension office. For a list of ISA Certified Arborist in Minnesota, contact the Minnesota Society of Arboriculture, at 115 Green Hall , 1530 Cleveland Avenue North in St Paul Minnesota 55108.

Title:	Hiring a Tree Care Professional	Number:	548
Script writer:	Ben Johnson	Source:	U of MN Dept. of Forest Resources
Date:	1999/2004	Reviewer:	Gary Johnson

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