How to Choose a Tree Service in Asheboro: 10 Questions to Ask

Insurance: Ask for Proof

1. Can I see your certificate of insurance? Liability insurance covers injury and property damage the company causes, such as a limb through your roof. The NC Department of Justice says not to take a company's word for it. Ask the insurer to send you a copy of the certificate, and check that the dates cover your job.

2. Do you carry workers' compensation? Workers' comp covers a worker who gets hurt on the job. NC State Extension warns that, under some circumstances, homeowners can be held financially responsible if an uninsured worker is hurt on their property. North Carolina generally requires it for businesses with three or more employees, so a small owner-run crew may not need it. Either way, ask how an injury on your job would be handled. The NC Industrial Commission's free Insurance Coverage Search lets you look up a business's coverage.

We carry $1,000,000 in general liability insurance. Ask us about it when we come out for your estimate.

What Should a Tree Service Estimate Include?

3. Will I get the plan and the price in writing? The NC Department of Justice recommends written estimates from more than one company. A clear estimate spells out:

• Which trees and what work, such as removing one pine or trimming dead limbs from two oaks
• Cleanup, and how the yard will look when the crew leaves
• The wood and brush, whether it is hauled off, chipped, or cut up and left for you
• The stump, whether stump grinding is included or the stump stays
• The price, and whether it is per tree or for the whole job
• Permits, if one is needed, and who gets it

Compare what each estimate includes, not just the total, and be skeptical of any price that seems unusually high or low, as the Department of Justice advises. Our estimates are free, and you get the plan and price in writing before planned work begins.

About permits: NC State Extension notes that many North Carolina towns and counties exempt single-family home lots from their tree rules, but rules vary, and your HOA may have its own. Land clearing that disturbs more than one acre needs an approved erosion and sedimentation control plan filed at least 30 days before work starts. Rules change, so check with your city or county planning office.

Who Does the Work, and How?

4. Who will actually do the work? Ask who will be on your property, whether any of the job goes to a subcontractor, and whether that crew is insured too. With us, the owners do the work and are your contact from the first call through cleanup.

5. How will you handle trees near my house or power lines? Ask how the crew will protect your roof, fence and driveway. We fell a tree where there is room and take it down in controlled sections where space is tight.

A tree touching a power line is the utility's job first. Duke Energy says property owners are responsible for keeping trees clear of the service line from the pole to the meter, and will shut that line off at no cost before work around it. Randolph EMC will disconnect a secondary line, such as the line to your house, so a tree service can take down a tree growing into it. A good tree service will send you to the utility before anyone cuts near a wire.

6. Will you top my tree? Topping means cutting big limbs back to stubs to make a tree shorter. NC State Extension explains that the large wounds never seal, so water, insects and fungi get in and rot the wood, and the fast new limbs that grow back tend to break. If a company suggests topping, get another opinion. We never top trees. Proper pruning cuts back to healthy branches, never to stubs.

Does a Tree Service Need a License in North Carolina?

7. Are you licensed? North Carolina does not issue a state license for tree trimming or tree removal. The state's landscape contractor law exempts arboriculture, including consultations on pruning and removing trees, and the NC Forest Service's list of tree care credentials points to ISA certification, not a state license. One exception: anyone who applies pesticides to your trees for pay needs a state pesticide applicator license. Rules change, so check with the state agency if a license matters for your job.

8. Is anyone on your crew ISA certified? The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Arborist credential is voluntary, and ISA says it is not a license. It takes at least three years of full-time tree work (or education plus experience) and an exam on tree biology, pruning, safety and more. Certified arborists must keep up continuing education, or retake the exam, every three years.

Certification belongs to a person, not a company, so ask who holds it and whether they will be on your job. ISA's consumer site, TreesAreGood.org, has free tools to find an arborist and verify a credential. Listing is voluntary, so if a name does not show up, ask to see their digital certificate.

Payment, Reviews and References

9. When do I pay? The NC Department of Justice says not to pay upfront, to be very wary of any request for deposits on tree work, and to pay only when the work is done and you are satisfied, by check or credit card rather than cash.

10. Can I talk to past customers? Ask for local references and look at work the company has done. The Department of Justice also suggests reading online reviews and checking with its Consumer Protection Division and the Better Business Bureau for complaints. Neighbors who have had tree work done are worth asking too.

Storm-Chaser Red Flags

After a big storm, crews sometimes go door to door offering tree work. Some are honest, but the NC Department of Justice warns that out-of-state tree cutters have collected deposits from entire neighborhoods and then disappeared. Be careful with anyone who:

• Knocks on your door uninvited, with no company name on the truck, no uniform and no ID
• Wants a deposit or full payment before any work starts
• Offers a price that is good only now, or pushes you to sign today
• Wants cash, or will not put the job in writing
• Cannot show proof of insurance

If the tree is not on your house or blocking your driveway, the Department of Justice notes you may be better off waiting a few days or weeks to have it removed. North Carolina's price gouging law applies when a state of emergency has been declared. Report concerns to the NC Department of Justice at 1-877-5-NO-SCAM.

Free Estimates in Asheboro and Randolph County

We handle tree removal, tree trimming and emergency tree services in Asheboro and across Randolph County, and we are happy to answer every question on this list. Call or text our main phone at (336) 523-8278 or our alternate phone at (336) 479-4339 for a free estimate.