Unfortunately due to the limited amount of kit perceived to be needed as a tree surgeon it has always been a business that's attracted what we shall call 'rogue traders' – there are possibly other words you would use to describe these unqualified 'tree workers' however I shall leave that up to you..
Having been working as a tree surgeon for 10 years I've personally witnessed and been called to clean up the messes of these individuals – homeowners have been blindsided by a cheap quote only to later realise their mistake.
There is unfortunately a lot of truth in the statement 'if it seems too good to be true it probably is' when it comes to tree work – these rogue traders will likely have no qualifications and are even less likely to have any insurance. Any reputable tree surgery business will be happy to show you a copy of their Public Liability Insurance – this insurance protects us against any injury to ourselves, the homeowner and any property that could potentially be damaged during the work.
Aside from the insurance issues the lack of qualifications can also be a real concern – personally I spent two years at college learning my trade and have NPTC qualifications including tree climbing, aerial rescue and the safe working and maintenance of a chainsaw and a chipper. There is definitely more to being a tree surgeon than a few ropes and a saw.
Please follow this checklist before considering the quotes
you have received:-
· Are the company happy to provide me with a written quote with a business address?
· Have I seen a copy of their Public Liability Insurance?
· Do they work to the British Standard applicable for tree work? (BS3998)
· Are they able to give me details of their qualifications?
· Can they provide any customer recommendations?
Remember your trees have potentially taken lifetimes to grow and can take many years to recover from bad tree work..don't be sucked into the false economy of amateur tree workers....