Everyone tells you when you first buy a house that you'll uncover something that requires more cash than you'd like to part with right away. For us, it was a gnarly, tall, dead, poison ivy covered, rotting tree that in my mind was ready to fall on my car or roof. My experience with A-Alpha clocks in at a 3.5 stars, with some ups and downs, and eventually rounded up for customer service. I was shocked by some initial quotes on just how much it is to not only get a tree down but remove the wood. Shocked. Like $1500/$1600. Gross. We saw the positive reviews from A-Alpha that were totally confirmed when I met with the owner, Calvin. Calvin is super friendly, super responsible and has more reasonable rates. I visited with him and requested a certificate of insurance which he was able to provide for my property faster than I could get the words out -- a great sign. He penciled us in during the busy season (spring) and had a crew out two days later chopping and chipping away. The whole thing was done in an afternoon. Now I have to say, I was bummed when I went outside and saw some massive holes in my yard and a large cracked piece of sidewalk. The crew told me they'd come back and fix that the next day which didn't happen specifically then, but Calvin stayed in frequent contact to make sure they'd make it right. He was a upset with the crew and insisted that this should never happen, that a mistake was made and again that they'd get it handled quickly. They did. They also filled the holes with topsoil and grass seed which I'll have to monitor to get it growing again. It kind of stinks because with the older neighborhood I'm in, the concrete doesn't come close to matching and sticks out like a sore thumb, but really there's nothing anyone can do about that. Spending a ton of money on something like this is never fun, nor is having something go a bit wrong with the project, but when someone makes it right that goes a long way for me. If I hadn't ever heard from them again I'd be livid, but this case was pretty much the opposite. That being said, I hope to hell I never need them again because parting ways with a lot of money to have a tree go bye-bye is not one of life's finer moments! read more

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I contacted the owner Calvin Stevenson and he came and gave me a bid on trimming 2 Oak trees that were in my roof. I explained the situation with homeowner insurance giving me notice of cancellation in 4 weeks if trees not trimmed. He promised he could get it done in that time frame. Had me scheduled for approximately 2 weeks later. Cancelled on me twice because if possibility of rain. It did not rain. It was evident by 8 am it was not going to rain. We were scheduled again and was canceled because " a worker had other plans". I. had to repeatedly contact him to get it rescheduled. He finally told me he was going on vacation and could not get it done. When I asked him about meeting the insurance companies time line he sent a text that said "I can't guarantee anything at this point over a week away. I will call you when I get back, and if you still need it done, I'll be more than happy to take care of you." I ended up signing with another tree company who completed the job in 5 days. Don't waste your time with this company. read more

They are skilled. Very good at hard jobs. Very trustworthy. They've taken down two big trees for me. The best!

Highly recommended. Was so impressed with the level of professionalism used to remove a tall, dead tree within a sloped, confined area between our house and the neighbors. Not only was the tree successfully removed (fascinating to watch), but other trees were trimmed for dead branches. From start to finish was about 2 hours and noted how well the workers assigned to different jobs functioned so well together. From start to finish, everything was professionally done....from installing planks to level the crane, to removing the tree in segments, to picking up fallen branches, and even using a leaf blower to remove fallen leaves and small twigs from the yard. read more

I bought a chipper from this guy and was told that it was in great condition with new blades, had recently been through the shop and that everything was in tip-top shape. I reached out to Calvin because I realized there was no serial number on the machine and I was wanting to add it to the insurance. I was told he didn't have a serial number and that he bought it without one. This is very sketchy and he didn't have a good explanation for why it didn't have a serial number. The first time using the chipper, oil began leaking out of the engine and it blew. I was told that he put new blades on the machine but he wouldn't specify WHEN he put those blades on. Was it right before we bought it or quite a time ago? Based on the condition of the blades, I would say it's been some time since the blades were replaced. When we reached out to talk to Calvin about these issues and see if there was something we could do to resolve everything, he began yelling and cussing us out on the phone and now he will not answer any more phone calls. I'm leaving this review because I want potential customers of Calvin's to know that he is not 100% transparent when he says he is. He has a short fuse and I can only imagine what his relationship with his customers/employees are. read more

This has to be one of the easiest five star reviews I have ever given! I would happily add even a couple more stars if Yelp allowed me to do so! Just excellent in every way!! Ok, let me get organized and write a cohesive review instead of just writing one liners that make me sound like a 13 year-old girl writing about her new favorite boy band... Service: Absolutely outstanding! The first time I called A-Alpha, I spoke directly to the owner, Calvin. He doesn't even have to try and provide excellent service, it's just in his bones. He offered to come out immediately, even though it was the end of his day, and gave me a free estimate. Throughout our entire dealings with A-Alpha, the service remained top-notched! We always could get through to Calvin if we had questions, or received a call back well with-in a timely manner. A-Alpha always showed up on time and worked with respect to our lawn, home and neighbors. There were NO hidden fees, NO extra cost, just what is quoted. Knowledge: During our initial quote I was given prices on services, but also a very in depth lesson in trees; how they grow, how they die, what happens when the are struck by lighting, warning signs, and how to measure the health of a tree. We knew we had a couple of problem trees that needed a critical eye and some work, but had no idea that the largest tree on our lot, and our favorite, was dying. Calvin showed us the marks indicating a lightning strike and also some very worrisome warning signs. We reluctantly agreed to have it removed (trusting Calvin), and thank God we did!!! The entire middle of the stump is missing. This tree was one stiff wind, fall storm or ice storm away from pretty much destroying our new home! Price: Yes, I may have written the largest check I ever have before this past week, but I'm also know that it could have been larger considering the work we had done. A-Alpha priced us fairly and then offered to prune some trees that needed it. Now I'm not saying that they give away free services willy-nilly, but I am saying you will not be nickeled and dimed to death. If they see a branch that needs removing, and they are already there to remove a tree with a crane, they will just do it. That's amazing! A-Aplha's crew took down trees, pruned branches, cut the wood up and stacked and then loaded up all of the wood not suitable for burning, all of the excess branches and bits of foliage and took it away. Both days they were at my house I came home to trees gone, a wood pile and a freshly raked lawn. We were only asked to pay for the services quoted to us. I could go on and on about A-Alpha!! I learned so much about my trees and how to take care of them. I felt comfortable throughout the entire process and knew I was in good hands. I was treated fairly. If you need anything done in KC involving trees, this is the company you call!!! I know I will only trust A-Aplha and Calvin going forward. Thank you!!!!! read more

A-Alpha Tree Company - Tree we had no idea was even sick. Thank you A-Alpha! - Tree Services Near Me

At this time, I wish I could give this company a negative (-1 star) review. I left the owner a voice msg on Monday. (July 10th). I think I called the correct number but the voice mail just has a generic message. On Wednesday, I decided to contact this business via Yelp. I assumed they were busy or something came up and that's why I never received a callback. Calvin responded on yelp, Wednesday around 8:45a. He was getting back from vacation and his salesperson Russell would call. Russell called at 10:27a. He said he was at the doctors office and had an appt at 10:30a but could meet afterwards. I explained the property is a rental and the drive is 20 minutes one way and I had to be to work by 1p. He wasn't sure when his appt would be complete so we agreed to meet me at the property Thursday at 2p, but he never showed up. Never called to say he wouldn't show up and never returned my msg. Calvin was also called but it went straight to a generic msg, again since I didn't know if I had the correct number, I posted a negative review and that is when he called me back. He left a very accusing voice message. I called him back. I let him know I listened to his voice message and I was angered in the way he treated me as a customer. He told me he wanted me to listen to his side of the story for a few minutes. He went into details about Russell's health conditions. In the end, it was evident, Calvin cared more about the 1 star review than attempting to provide timely, accurate, punctual, responsible and friendly service. Calvin, thanks for removing my phone number and personal address from your original response. After having contacted the BBB due to yours violation of privacy, I'm glad that you understand the seriousness of your unprofessional behavior. read more

A-Alpha Tree Company - Message from owner - Tree Services Near Me

Extremely high quotes for tree removal. Literally about 2 thousand more than several other companies that came out. They were 35 minutes late arriving for the bid as well. I wouldn't go with them unless you just wanted to throw money away. Replying to below comment. I added this comment due to your bid, NOT on service as you correctly said. I am sharing my truthful experience based on your quote. I'm not trying to make you look bad. It's just a fact you were around 2 grand more than others. 2 grand for most people is a lot of money. And being on time is important to people that don't have a lot of time in the first place. read more

I contacted Calvin last year to remove a tree that was in between my house and my neighbors house. It was in a really difficult spot to reach. The biggest branch was directly over our house and one bad move could have destroyed the roof!!! They were able to remove the tree safely and quickly. At the end of bringing the crane down, they accidentally brushed up against the gutter and dented it. No worries though, Calvin called up a few gutter guys and and got the problem fixed and I got a brand new gutter out of it. If you're looking for a fair price, and quality work, give them a call. read more

I have used A-Alpha Tree Company twice now and have been extremely pleased. Calvin was awesome, and had a great crew. The first time was in late May to take down a tree which had loosened itself from the creek bank with all the rain and leaned a bit too far toward our house. It required him to scale another tree and basically "lasso" the tilted tree before he cut it down so that it would swing away from my house when cut. It was done expertly, plus he trimmed up several of my other trees, and removed dead branches. It was cleaned up completely, which was critical since we had an open house the next day! What I really appreciate was his prompt return of my initial (and subsequent) call, and he got my work in very quickly, working late on a Saturday to do so. The cost was very reasonable for excellent work and service, which is why we have used him a second time, and recommended him to several people already. read more

What a great client experience! I called many other tree service companies before working with Calvin. The difference was his willingness to be helpful, provide options and meet my needs. We moved into our home 14 months ago and the previous owners of 40 years hadn't maintained the landscaping in the front of our home. After cutting back as much as I could I spend 45 min trying to dig up one bush and finally gave up. Other companies wanted to charge me much more because they weren't thinking long term. I realize the job Calvin completed was small compared to what he is capable of but it meant a lot to my wife and I. Because of Calvin's willingness to take on what other saw as a "small" job I will use Calvin for bigger jobs in the future and recommend him to friends and family. Not only can Calvin be trusted to do great work but he also is easy to work with over the phone or by text. In a day where our time is valuable Calvin is very aware of this. Calvin, thank you for the great work and I look forward to working with you in the future! read more

Nice work, Calvin. You took down our big cedar tree as promised in Brookside, MO. I was impressed with your no-nonsense approach and the extra care you took to grind the stump down. Your crew was friendly, professional, and got the job done quickly. Best wishes, Josh read more

Easy to deal with, and did a good job. Reasonably priced and was done in a day, what more could you ask for? I will definitely use them again in the future read more

Wow! This company is top notch one of the best in Kansas City. They came out to our home and removed 5 trees and they were fast, efficient, professional and honest. Calvin, the owner, even went out of his way to make sure our neighbors were happy by cleaning up any mess or debris caused by the tree removal. The entire crew was polite, respectful, and took special care to minimize potential damage when removing our large trees. Calvin is very knowledgeable and educated me on proper tree care. He seems like he truly loves what he does and he works hard to ensure his clients are satisfied. I'm so glad we found him! He will forever be the first person we'll call if we need further tree care in the future. read more

I messaged them on here last week for an estimate. Calvin came out within 24 hours and gave us an estimate for the work we had requested and made great recommendations for other work we might want to consider. He provided a detailed estimate with the reasonable costs included. It's no pressure to have it all completed right now. Less than a week later in spite of the horrible weather, the work is complete. They cleaned up beautifully. The portion of the yard where they worked is better than when they came. I highly recommend Calvin and his crew. read more

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Very professional, pleasant and efficient. Nothing could have made the experience any better. Will use again next year, I am sure. We have many trees on this property. He brought big trucks, a cherry picker, several people and they got the whole job done in one day. The cleanup was amazing. We had two giant elm trees cut down, two medium size ash trees cut down and two more trees pruned and it all happened in one day! If you've read this far now you can see the real reason that I picked him initially. I read his yelp reviews and the only (2) reviews which he received negative feedback he posted a reply on. I liked that. He did a great job. read more

A-Alpha Tree Company - Big tree on the left got some serious pruning. Needed a cherry picker. - Tree Services Near Me

I was so impressed by the professionalism, promptness, and service I received when I called A-Alpha Tree Service. They did an excellent job at a great price and they left the yard in great shape. The owner of the company is easy to work with and very honest. Great company and awesome service! read more

Excellent experience with tree trimming. Calvin responded quickly, provided quote that beat competitive bid, and completed work in less than a week. The team did a nice job and left with all spaces clean. I definitely recommend this service. read more

Calvin is a great guy. He was able to come late in the evening for bids when it was almost dark and started freezing rain. His bids were reasonable. His guys came over exactly on the time they committed . I got two relatively bigger and two mid size trees trimmed in one afternoon. The climber person was super skillful and was able to reach on pretty high heights that I didn't imagine he will be able to get to. The other two guys helped him making sure none of the branches would fall on mine or neighbors houses or decks. They also cleaned up all the debris and chipped all the wood they gathered leaving no dirt behind. On my request, they cut few wooden pieces out of those logs that we are planning to use for decoration. Overall I am quite impressed and satisfied with the work. The only reason I didn't give 5th star is because, I wasn't completely convinced on the result of one of the tree. But I eventually trusted their judgement for safety and looks. read more

I cannot speculate on the actual quality of work but I will say I'm very impressed with the owner of this company, Calvin. I called several tree companies today with and he talked with me right away and answered my questions. Within speaking to him over the phone for 10 minutes he got my address and drove to me. He spent an hour at my house answering my questions. He wrote up an estimate and said he would be in touch and take care of me. I was very impressed. I feel like most places don't give this kind of treatment. I would highly recommend this company based on the care I received today. read more

Awesome experience with Calvin & his crew! Just a great honest hardworking group! They took out a huge Sycamore for us in July. They were so well equipped it only took about 3hrs & not one single dent was put in our lawn....the tree was huge! Calvin mentioned that they would come back later & trim out a Green Ash that had a lot of deadwood in it. OMG! what a difference the trimming made & he stayed true to the quote given back in July! The crew cleaned up so good you'd never have known they had been there if it wasn't for the obvious change in the tree! I won't use anyone else! read more

I used A-Alpha tree service recently to have 5 trees removed and trim several others. The same day I called, the owner, Calvin, showed up and gave a detailed written estimate for each tree which explained what needed to be done and why. I took almost all his recommendations and he threw in several things for free (like grinding old tree stumps on the property). The prices were less than other places I called. When he was done, everything looked great and wasn't completely broke despite a large amount of work being done!! Definitely recommend! read more

For the quick readers.... Yes, they are legit. Yes, they are thorough, insured and knowledgable. Yes, they are a great price. I would highly recommend Calvin and his team at A-Alpha Tree Co. If you're looking for a "get the job done right, on a budget and a timely manner" search nowhere else. Do it, give them a call. For the researchers that need a "little more information"..... First off, my previous tree guy, although he got the job done right took weeks to get back to me and get scheduled. I called Calvin, he told me he'd be out after the job he was on was finished, came to my house on time and shot me straight. Mind you, I didn't have any full tree removal but I did have 3 trees that needed some MASSIVE de-limbing. After he and I came to an agreement on price he had noticed (being the observant and thorough business man that he is) that I had a stump in the front yard that had not been removed from my previous tree guy. We agreed on the price for my job and he said, "Let's get that stump out of here in the front yard, I've got the grinder on the back of my truck." Took care of it, no problem... COMPLETELY INCLUDED in the previous cost. Now once his team got to the house,which was the SAME DAY he came for the estimate, they were in and out in under an hour and a half. Ground up all of the branches, raked the yard, leaf blew off the deck and landscaping. I'm telling you, the whole nine yards. And to top it off, once I handed payment over to Russell, the lead man, his first response was, "Was there anything you saw that we needed to take care of or did we clean everything up to your liking?" DONE. Someone who cares about getting the job done right before taking payment is a company I will do business with time and time again. Bottom Line: There have been absurd reviews here on YELP that have given A-Alpha Tree Co a bad rap. That's simply not true. I enjoy a business that's run on Christian values, is concerned about a job well done and is appreciative of the average Joe (someone like Me) and doesn't gouge the customer. Give them a call, it's worth your time! read more

I was very pleased with Calvin's professionalism and helpfulness in providing recommendations for trimming/pruning 11 trees on our property and working with us to coordinate his work with concurrent house repairs we had a separate contractor doing at the same time. I was also impressed by his conscientiousness about the environment as he attempted to give us incentive to save 4 trees we were wanting to remove. His crew worked expeditiously in completing this job as promised, trimmed the trees as anticipated, and left the property as they found it. A very good experience! read more

Calvin was extremely professional and prompt with providing a quote. Pricing was very reasonable, especially because it included clean up and complete removal of wood (he removed two elms and a mulberry - not exactly burning wood). He even took care of a medium sized spruce with the original quote - so appreciated!!! I'm thrilled with the trimming performed on the remaining trees - my service lines and house are now free and clear of limbs, but there's plenty of shade and leafy beauty remaining. I highly recommend others to hire A-Alpha Co. read more

Highly professional company. Calvin was wonderful to work with. Showed up when he said he would. Gave a very reasonable bid on the spot. The work was done based upon only what we agreed upon. His crew did an excellent job cleaning up loose leaves/branches when they were done. No one else I would consider using!!!!! read more

I requested a quote and I received a call back within 15 mins and they were out the same day. I had contacted several companies and they had the lowest quote so I went with it. I had requested 2 large over grown trees to be trimmed and a old rotten stump to be ground out. To my surprise they actually trimmed off way more than I was expecting which I was very pleased with. This was my first time using a tree service so I wasn't sure what to expect. I would definitely recommend them. read more

I highly DO NOT RECOMMEND! NO CALL/ NO SHOW/NO CALL/ NO SHOW BEWARE!!! BE WARNED!!! HIRE SOMEONE ELSE ! BEWARE owner argues & attacks when people post negative comments. After a promising consultation, I decided to book Calvin/A-alpha for tree removal. I should've known when I followed up with him Monday, when he couldn't remember the prices he quoted on Saturday, that there'd be an issue but, he gave his "Christian" business spiel and I booked him for Wednesday 9:30am. No call/no show!! After calling him to get ETA he casually explained he sent a TEXT at 8:30pm yesterday that he'd need to reschedule (as if, that's ok ), HE DIDN'T. He claims he sent it to the wrong person, which doesn't matter BC he didn't follow up this morning with a phone call like a professional. He proceeds to give me "small biz owner woes" as his reason for not being able to deliver as promised. He constantly called me Diana, I'm Robin BTW not even close. He couldn't guarantee when the job would be done. And even told me I should find some one else to the job. I agreed. read more

I hired this company to cut down some trees in my yard and grind the stumps after they cut down the trees. Calvin told me his stump grinder was broken and he would be back the next weekend to grind the stumps. In good faith I paid him and he has never been back. That was in January every time I have contacted him to come back to finish the work he gives excuses my stump grinder isn't fixed the weather is too cold etc etc. I wouldn't recommend them to anyone. I guess I have learned a lesson to never trust anyone and never pay until the work is 100% completed. read more

Updated because talked with Calvin and it was miscommunication between us. Can't complain about someone who is willing to make it right. Thanks for that. read more

Based on the reviews in Yelp, we emailed A-Alpha Tree company for a quote on Friday morning. By Friday afternoon, Calvin was at our house giving us a quote. Once we made our decision to go with A-Alpha, we asked Calvin to take down 2 dead trees, 1 of which was in the middle of a flower garden. Calvin's crew did a fantastic job! Very minimal damages done to the flowers. The crew was fast, efficient, and safe. We are very happy with the results and wholeheartedly recommend this tree service. read more

Just like Devon S. review, we paid before the work was finished and it's been a headache ever since. Delays, excuses, equipment failure, labor problems.....we've heard it all.....we've had to have friends and family come finish the job. DO NOT PAY IN ADVANCE. Turned over to VISA legal department. Enough said. read more

Very happy with my experience - wouldn't hesitate to hire A-Alpha again! Highly recommend!

Had Calvin out to look at some tree work that needed to be done. After getting his bid, I followed back up a couple months later to get it scheduled. While talking with him, I asked him if he might know anyone that could also install mulch. He said he could do it and when I told him the price another person had quoted me, he agreed to do it. I told him that I needed brown or java brown. Calvin showed up on a Saturday and we did a final walk around the yard with his crew to go over what we wanted done on the trees. After we finished we then ended up back at his truck to where I noticed the mulch he had shown up with was black. He said the guy that he got it from told him it was coffee brown. After talking with Calvin, we went to the garage to compare it to what I had put down the year before and what was in the beds. You could tell it was more of a black mulch. Was talking with Calvin trying to figure out a solution, but let him know that what he had wasn't going to work. Calvin then put out his hand and said he was out a lot of money (I think he had maybe 2 cubic yards of mulch) and time and that they were going to call it a day. I asked him if we was going to still do the tree work and he said No. He said when my wife and I made up our minds on what we wanted to do, to call him. He and his crew then loaded up and took off. I was truly speechless as I have never had something like that happen before when hiring contractors to do work around my house. Within the hour I sent Calvin an email letting him know that I felt I had communicated with him on what we needed for mulch, but maybe I could have done a better job as I am not looking to add headaches or added expenses to anyone's plate. Never heard back from him. The whole thing was just odd. On his bid I believe his company slogan is "Customer Satisfaction is our #1 Priority" yet when this incident took place, he basically just took off because somehow this was all my fault. Not sure really what to think of it. At the end of the day, my experience with Calvin and A-Alpha was just disappointing. read more