The cost of cutting a tree in a professional manner may seem expensive, but getting it wrong by using a ‘bogus’ tree surgeon could cost you more than money. There are many good articles on this subject, but the one from www.tree-care.info is a good one which is summarised below…..

Why choose a professional Arborist?

Tree work is a dangerous and highly skilled operation. Choosing an arborist or tree surgeon is something that must be done with great care if disaster is to be avoided.
Picking the wrong arborist could lead to:
• Injury to people,
• Damage to property,
• Irrevocable damage to your trees that have taken many years to grow...
Tree work operations (arboriculture) require a high degree of technical competence, supported by training and experience. For these reasons tree work should only be undertaken by well trained, competent arborists who hold adequate insurance.

Genuine or not?

Anyone can call themselves a tree surgeon (arborist) and place an advert in Yellow Pages or on the internet and offer a service. An advert alone does not guarantee quality of work or that it will be carried out safely.
Competent arborists will have certificates which show that they have been trained and assessed. They will often have other academic qualifications in arboriculture and will use safety equipment to protect you, your property and themselves.
Reputable tree care companies will be pleased to furnish copies of their insurance, qualifications and professional membership certificates and will work to nationally recognised standards.

Questions you should ask an arborist

Stage 1: Asking for a quote
(a reputable arborist will always give a positive response)

1. Are you insured?
If yes, please show evidence of insurance - Employers Liability and Public Liability (recommended min £5 million). Casey Tree Care has £10m Employer, £5m Public and £0.5m Professional Indemnity with Trust Insurance Services Ltd.
2. Do you work to a British Standard?
If yes, which one? Should be BS3998
3. What qualifications do you and your staff hold?
You should ask to see copies of certificates. At Casey Tree Care we are very proud of our qualifications and will be happy to show you copies.
Compulsory: Must have NPTC certificates for chainsaw use. NPTC is a national organisation that assesses competence of people using chainsaws and other arboricultural equipment. Competent arborists will be able to show you either an A4 sized certificate or a plastic id card.
Recommended: Certificates for other skills and machines. Arboricultural knowledge e.g. National Certificates and Diplomas.
4. Will you provide a written quotation?
If no reject this contractor.
5. Are you a member of a professional organisation?
Membership does not guarantee work standards but does show a degree of commitment.
6. Can you provide me with the phone number of a referee who can show me some of your work?
If yes, follow up the lead.
Stage 2: Choosing the quote that suits you
When you receive your quotations check they include the following before deciding which one to accept:
• The name, address and land-line telephone number of the company.
• Reference to the British Standard for tree work, BS 3998
• Clear and full details of the work to be undertaken
• What will happen to the debris
• Whether VAT is included in the price
• If the trees are protected, who will be responsible for obtaining permission for the work
• What steps will be taken to protect you and your property
Things to avoid
If you find any of these points it is likely that you are not dealing with a reputable tree surgery company:
• Soliciting work door to door
• Advertising "topping" as a service - topping is harmful to trees and good arborists will not carry it out
• Uses only a mobile phone number or can not be traced to a permanent address
Remember too that tree surgery is a very specialised area. Companies that also offer drive laying, fencing or general garden maintenance may be very good at these things, but probably don't have the necessary expertise to undertake tree work safely and competently. Casey Tree Care offer tree work and landscaping and have relevant skills for this.
Contacts and further information
This information on this page is based on a leaflet produced by the following industry organisations with the help and co-operation of the Health and Safety Executive.

Arboricultural Association
Ullenwood Court
Ullenwood
Cheltenham
Gloucestershire GL53 9QS
Tel. 01242 522152

Forestry Contracting Association
Dalfling
Blairdaff
Inverurie
Aberdeenshire
AB51 5LA
Tel: 01467 651368

Health and Safety Executive
HSE Infoline
Caerphilly Business Park
Caerphilly CF83 3GG
Tel: 08701 545500
Institute of Chartered Foresters
7A St Colme Street
Edinburgh
EH3 6AA
Tel: 0131 225 2705

International Society of Arboriculture
148 Hydes Road, Wednesbury
West Midlands WS10 0DR
Tel: 0121 556 8302