Story Published:
Dec 19, 2006 at 12:50 PM PST
Story Updated:
Dec 19, 2006 at 12:50 PM PST
SEATTLE - A tree care service is unlike any other company you will ever hire. Choose the wrong company and you could have some big problems. After all, you don't want that giant hemlock falling on top of your house.
And remember, much of what a tree service does is irreversible. Once a tree is topped, it's topped. There are no second chances here.
That's why it's so important to get a number of estimates and to check references. You want a firm that will do the job right and charge you a reasonable price. And prices vary greatly.
For its Summer/Fall 2006 issue, Puget Sound Consumers' Checkbook magazine compared bids for various projects. They found that some companies charge nearly twice as much as their competitors for the same job. Two examples:
Checkbook got bids for removing seven fir trees and one cedar tree, grinding the stumps, hauling away the debris, and cutting the wood into fireplace-length pieces. Prices for this job ranged from $3,000 to $6,400.
Price quotes to remove one cottonwood tree, cut the stump to grade level, haul away the debris, and leave fireplace-length cut wood ranged from $500 to $1,200.
You don't have to stay home and wait for the estimator. You do need to make sure each firm is bidding on the exact same job. Just leave an envelope with instructions. You might want to include a little sketch of your property that shows the location of the trees you want cared for.
"Then make sure whatever you agree to is written into a contract," says Checkbook's President, Robert Krughoff.
That contract should include if the company is going to haul away the debris, if the wood is going to be cut up for use in the fireplace, and if the stump will be removed.
"All those details need to be covered," Krughoff says, "because if they're not in the contract, more than likely you are going to be paying for them separately."
Tree trimming and removal is dangerous work. That's why it's important to make sure the company you are about to hire has both liability and worker's compensation insurance.
You also want to find out about the company's payment policy. In most cases, you don't need to pay until the job is done. "Holding payment until then gives you leverage to ensure that the work is carried out properly and on time," Krughoff says.
Checkbook collected customer ratings for 45 tree services in the Puget Sound area. Based on this survey information, the magazine gives the following companies a top rating for quality:
- A-1 Tree Service Eastside, Woodinville
- Bushman Tree Service, Renton
- Canzler Tree Service, Tacoma
- Custom Tree Service, Edmonds
- Darrel Emel's Tree Service, Silverdale
- Field & Forest Services, Kingston
- Four Seasons Tree Care, Kenmore
- Gentle Ben's Tree Service. Redmond
- Mike's Affordable Tree Service, Lake Stevens
- Pete's Spray Service, Milton
- Smith Brothers Tree Service, Seattle
- Southend Tree Service, Maple Valley
- Timberwolf Tree Service, Roy
- Trees for Life, Bothell
- Trelstad Tree. Seattle
You'll find the complete list of ratings in the Summer/Fall issue of Puget Sound Consumers' Checkbook magazine (www.checkbook.org), a subscription publication.
