Unless you were specifically looking for me, you probably came across this site while searching for tree trimming, pruning, arborist, or some other tag words, and along the way have seen or may see sites for dozens of so-called arborists.\u00a0 My oh my, how ever does one choose?<\/p>\n
There are lots of variables that can help you find a competent person to provide tree care for you, but I’ll start with the word “arborist”.\u00a0 It may surprise you to know that unlike “doctor” or “lawyer”, there isn’t any sanctified definition of this title, or the use of it- anyone with a chainsaw and a ladder can call his or herself one.\u00a0 So that can be a clue right there- anyone stating or implying that they are “licensed” by the state (of Texas) to perform tree care<\/em> is, as politicians love to say, being disingenuous.<\/p>\n Yet there is such a thing as a Certified Arborist<\/strong>.\u00a0 The certifying organization is the International Society of Arboriculture.\u00a0 They have had a national certification program in place since around 1991.\u00a0 In Texas, the first I.S.A. Certified Arborist exam was given in 1992.\u00a0\u00a0 I was among the small number who took and passed that test<\/em>, and I have maintained my certification ever since.\u00a0 Renewal requires acquiring only 30 CEU’s over a three year period;\u00a0 I have totalled over 700.\u00a0 In fact, I am hired by ISA and the Texas Forest Service and other agencies to teach\u00a0<\/strong> many of these CEU classes.<\/p>\n It is important to remember that passing the Certified Arborist exam does not make one the be-all-end-all of tree knowledge.\u00a0 It is a test of the most basic knowledge one needs for tree care, and the prerequisites for being able to take the exam could include having planted flowers for a living (not that anything is wrong with that).\u00a0 So there are some very smart people with pretty much no tree care experience who have passed the exam, and a lot of not-so-smart ones with lots of experience doing tree care really poorly.\u00a0 So don’t let this be your only qualifier.<\/p>\n It is also important to know that most tree services in Austin do not<\/strong> have Certified Arborists actually performing the work they sell.\u00a0 Often a company has a Certified Arborist as its owner,\u00a0 salesperson or foreman, and the people actually doing the work were digging ditches the month before (not that anything is wrong with that).\u00a0 You’re better off hiring a company in which Certified Arborists actually do the work, like mine.\u00a0\u00a0 And don’t be confused by the Certified Tree Worker designation (which I also have).\u00a0 This certification\u00a0 focuses more on basic climbing skills, not arboricultural knowledge.\u00a0 While it is admirable for a company to certify its employees, it is by no means an assurance that the consumer will receive quality work.<\/p>\n It’s important to make sure that persons working on your property have an adequate amount of quality<\/strong> experience<\/strong><\/em> to back up their certification.\u00a0 I recommend a minimum of 20 years for the owner or manager of your account and 7 years for those actually doing the work.\u00a0 Yes, there are many with less experience that are quite competent, but the chances of getting an incompetent one (or worse) are higher with less experience.\u00a0 However, there are also unfortunately many with more experience who are incompetent or even outright dishonest.<\/p>\n Insurance is another factor to consider.\u00a0 All competent tree services in Austin carry appropriate insurance.\u00a0 This means general liability insurance, personal injury insurance for owners and workers compensation for employees.\u00a0 It may surprise you to know that none of these are required<\/strong> by law in the state of Texas.\u00a0 Just to be clear, remember that having these insurances is not<\/strong> a guarantee of quality work.<\/p>\n But any company that does carry insurance will be happy to show you proof.\u00a0 Just remember, you should verify that the policy is in force.\u00a0 We had a case in Austin some years ago where the city hired a tree company that actually provided a completely bogus insurance certificate<\/strong> to the city, which the city never verified until after the work was done.\u00a0 Despite this and the fact that the work did not meet industry standards, the company was still paid.\u00a0 Your tax dollars at work…<\/p>\n Be especially wary of memberships<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0 My personal experience is that the more prominently a company advertises memberships,\u00a0 in the Better Business Bureau for example, the less likely they are to be a quality operation.\u00a0 The BBB has absolutely no enforcement power, and has little incentive to punish businesses who pay a fee to be members.\u00a0 Likewise, memberships in tree associations like I.S.A. or T.C.I.A., without accompanying certifications or accreditation<\/em>, mean nothing more than that someone paid an annual fee to use the group’s logo.\u00a0 I have seen several tree companies in Austin over the years advertise membership in organizations that don’t even exist!<\/p>\n Finally, check the arborist’s work.\u00a0 You can become familiar with what proper tree care is by reading about pruning on my website, and ask for and verify references<\/strong>.\u00a0 Obviously, a company isn’t going to tell you about people who have been dissatisfied with their work, and internet referral sites are laden with misinformation<\/em> (both pro and con), but if you take the time to become familiar with what a properly pruned tree should look like (it’s not rocket science), you can look at a few dozen trees and tell whether they have been pruned well or not.<\/p>\n Or just make it easy on yourself.\u00a0 Hire Guy LeBlanc!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u00a9\u00a0 2012-2019\u00a0 Guy LeBlanc\u00a0 all rights reserved Unless you were specifically looking for me, you probably came across this site while searching for tree trimming, pruning, arborist, or some other tag words, and along the way have seen or may … Continue reading