Hiring an arborist

Hire an arborist as if your tree's life depends on it.

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If you cannot prune your tree with both feet on the ground, stay safe by hiring an expert and avoiding the ladder!

Improper tree work can cause serious damage and may end up costing you significant time and money, so hire a tree care company as if your tree's life depends on it.

When a tree is maintained with proper pruning and care, it will extend the life of the tree, which increases the many benefits it provides to our community like cleaner air, cooler temperatures, higher property values, and healthier neighborhoods.

The Sacramento Tree Foundation does not endorse any private arborists, tree care companies, or consultants.

Ensuring the best care for your mature tree

What is an ISA Certified Arborist?

ISA Certified Arborists are specially trained in tree care and carry an active certification number that you can look up from the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA).

An ISA Certified Arborist can help you understand your tree's needs and perform the work required to keep it healthy.

What is a consulting arborist?

Consulting arborists are authorities in matters related to trees and can provide objective appraisals, evaluations, and diagnostics.

Many consulting arborists do not perform tree work themselves. Instead, a they can give a valuable second opinion if you have a complex tree issue or potential costly treatment. This additional opinion can help you decide on a course of action before hiring a tree service to do the work.

Consulting arborists can also provide expert recommendations for protecting trees in construction zones or legal advice and testimony in court.

When hiring a tree care company:
  • Remember, a business license alone does not guarantee quality work or proper insurance.
  • Check their references. Speak with previous clients and ask for the location of trees they have worked on recently to give you a visual of their work.
  • Get more than one bid and examine the bid specifications to make sure you are comfortable with the details.

Before hiring a professional

Check with your city or county to see if a permit is needed for pruning or removal.

Questions to ask

Request a proposal

You can provide specifications for the work you want or ask what they recommend. Either way, request a written proposal giving details on how the work will be done.

Always request a proposal from more than one company.

Be sure to clarify:

  • Absolutely no topping of live branches or lion-tailing
  • Absolutely no climbing spikes will be used unless the tree is being removed
  • Pruning cuts will follow ANSI A300 Standards
  • No more than 25% of live tree canopy will be removed at one time —removing too much foliage can stress your tree and result in unwanted and unattractive growth

Important information to know before work begins

A well-pruned tree, like a good haircut, may appear as if no work was done at all. It's not about how much foliage is removed, it's about removing only the right foliage from the tree.

Be sure to clearly define the objective before work begins. Examples: reduce risk of tree or branch breakage, provide clearance, maintain tree health, improve appearance, etc.

Terms to understand