I contacted 5 tree services with either 5 star or BBB A- or better ratings. Three returned my calls and came out for quotes. I was looking for an arborist that would educate me about how to keep the trees healthy, when they should be trimmed, and how they should be trimmed.
The first company to quote was expensive, not very knowledgeable and wanted to top my trees and make a lot of firewood to haul off. He was the most expensive. The second was cheaper, was an arborist and was very knowledgeable, but I didn't get the sense he understood our priorities.
David, at Harper's tree service was busy, and we had some difficulty arranging a time to meet. I didn't tell him about the other quotes or what the others had told me. I let him know that our priority was the long term health of the trees and asked what he recommended. He gave the same answers as the certified arborist, but explained the how, why and when of the trimming, and told me what I could do with some smaller trees that he wasn't quoting. He explained why topping the trees might kill them, and how lifting the canopy would help our lawn and the trees. He explained in detail what thinning he would do, and what was healthy and not healthy about our trees.
To save money, I told him that if he got the limbs out of the trees, we would cut them and take them to the street. In the end, his quote turned out to be the cheapest, and he was the only one that wasn't going to drive a bucket truck in my yard. Even if his quote would have been the "middle" quote, I would have selected him.
On the morning of the appointment it rained, so David and his crew showed up right after the rain stopped. They were all very friendly, and very diligent. He said they would be happy to haul off the limbs they trimmed - which they did.
I was happy with how they did the work, how they related to me and my family while they were at my house, how they DIDN'T damage my fence or anything else in the yard.
This is one of the rare times that I am 100% satisfied with a service I paid for. He said the trees should be fine for 5 years or so. He'll be the first one I call when it is time to do it again. read more