I had a scrawny evergreen in my front yard that I want to replace with something else. After a yelp search, I contacted A-1 tree service on a Wednesday morning for a quote. Within a few hours, I received a call from Sy - he was standing in front of my house looking at the tree, and gave me a quote for its removal. I asked if he could check out and quote a shrub in the backyard as well, which he did. The price seemed more than reasonable, and after speaking with my husband, we let him know we wanted to move forward. He said he'd get me scheduled sometime in the next week, or he would give me a call if he was in the neighborhood to see if it would be ok to come by. He called Monday morning to tell me they were in the area and asked if it was ok to come. 30 minutes later both the tree and shrub are gone, and I am a happy customer. read more

Great service and great communication! The crew worked fast and the branches were coming down like feathers! Even took care of a last minute request with no problem. I definitely recommend A-1 to everyone that needs tree service! Thank you to A-1 for coming out and making their visit a pleasant experience! read more

I always use YELP to get advice on companies to use and I was happy to see that A1 Tree Service had such high ratings. I called them up to have a tree removed which was growing between my neighbour and myself. The initial visit from Sy was very positive but because it was on the neighbours side he could not do anything. Totally understandable. I talked to the neighbour and we both agreed to have the tree removed and we were both going to split the cost. I called Sy up again and, I am not sure if he could not understand that I was saying (my British accent) and that the neighbour and I have agreed to have this tree removed or did not want to job, BUT when I said I just need to know if this is something you can do (based on the size of the tree and the way it was angeled) and if not I will look for another service to assist me, he hung up on me. I was rather shocked at the rudeness. It was a fair and poliet question. He saw the tree I was talking about. I wanted so much to use this service due to the high ratings but apparently high ratings makes you rude. If I could give a no star rating I would! I wanted to add to this comment as I now have some information that is actually of value. Statistically not all companies will respond favorablly to everybody so let me give you all some real information. Steve's Stump Removal is part of the same family that runs/owns A-1 Tree Service. I called Steve for an estimate. He was very nice and I was fine with using him as I wasn't holding any grudges. He came over and gave me an estimate to remove the tree. One tree. $600! Since my father always suggested I need three to four estimates before I make a choice I did so. Chicago Tree Service Professionals came over and quoted me $250. That is already a $350 difference! Then Giovanni's Tree Services came over and quoted me $150 (and had insurance paperwork). The next day Sergio's Tree Services came over and quoted me $150 and gave me a copy of his insurance papers too. The point of all of this? I am not holding any ill will toward anybody BUT I would highly suggest you try other services as this family is extremely expensive. So unless they are cutting your tree with a golden axe while you sip on a complimentary glass of 21 year Balverie Single Malt while being fanned by Italian supermodels it is really not worth it! Cheers :-) read more

Was very happy with the service received. Polite, reasonably priced, efficient and communicative. I will be calling them again with my next job. read more

They don't service the south side meaning the black neighborhoods. SMH.... "only north side" she said. WTF. I guess the trees are a harder to cut down on the south side. She just lost tons of business. I need trees cut down all the time for my customers who are about to lose their insurance policies. read more

Echoing all the other 5 star reviews! I called on Monday about the removal of 2 small trees from my backyard. A professional and friendly receptionist took my information and said I would receive a call the next day. Sy called that same evening and said he would come out the next morning to give me an estimate and that I did not need to be home. He did and called later the same day with the quote, which was very reasonable. He and his crew came out today and swiftly got the job done. You would never know they were here or that there used to be two trees in the yard. I highly recommend Sy and A-1 for your tree service needs! read more

Called Sy to cut through some tree roots that halted my garage project. Very quick response. I told him over the phone what needed to be done, he stopped by and looked at the project and gave me a fair estimate and did the job the very next day. After the project was done I had some concerns and he came out and cut back even more of the tree roots. he followed up with me to make sure the project got back on track. Will not hesitate to call him again for tree issues. read more

Sy and his crew were excellent! We got several quotes to take down our massive tree, and A-1 Tree Service has the best price. They were great in terms of communication, and the customer service was wonderful. They took down the tree carefully and grounded up the stump well. We would definitely use A-1 Tree Service again! read more

We just had a very large pine tree removed from our back yard. It broke my heart to take it down, as I had planted it myself over 35 years ago. Unfortunately it had grown so big that it had taken over the yard and was becoming a hazard to the house and patio. Sy and his crew had it down in short order. They did a fabulous job at a reasonable price. I would recommend them to anyone who needs tree work done. read more

Sy and his five-person crew came out and did a speedy job. When we contacted Sy, he came out to give us an estimate just hours later. He and his crew came out a few days later and trimmed our tree and three of our neighbors' trees. They did all four jobs in less than an hour, including a clean-up. Highly recommend! read more

I have not received service from A-1 but I am already impressed. I requested a quote from A-1 and I was expecting to set up a time when I called. Well, no need for the back and forth. By the time I called Sy back, he had already driven by our property and thoroughly assessed the situation. My Ash Tree has "caught the beetle disease" (my words) and is unsalvageable. His price is incredibly reasonable for the work. Now it's a matter of getting it approved by the association. read more

We needed a tree trimmed in our condo building's back yard. A-1 not only trimmed the tree but also thought about the future growth of the tree---i.e. taking off a specific branch because it would eventually re-grow and cover our building's "no tow" sign. Communication was super-efficient and when they said they would be here at noon, they were here precisely at noon! When another client canceled last-minute, they were able to get us in and got the job done a week ahead of time. And to top it all off, the price was completely fair. I would recommend the A-1 team in a heartbeat! read more

I can only add one thing to the previous superlative reviews. After Sy and his crew completed their cleanup our next door neighbor shouted from her upstairs window, "Great job. Perfect cleanup." I should also mention that his price was very reasonable and his crew is well trained and courteous. Almost wish I had more diseased trees to remove! read more

Sy did a great job. I just purchased my first home, and there are 2 huge trees on the property. Both had limbs hanging over my house, my garage, as well as my neighbors house. I called 3 people out for estimates. Sy was right in the middle, but upon finding out I was a new homeowner, he dropped the price to meet the lowest estimate. He had the job done 2 days later. I asked him to leave the wood chips so I can use them for landscaping. They did not ask for payment in advance. They did not ask for payment when he did the trimming. They waited until I had time to inspect the work, and be sure I was satisfied. I would highly recommend A-1 Tree Service! (For all the limbs he cut and chipped, there was almost no sawdust or any debris left behind!) Sy - The Tree Whisperer!!! read more

We had a very large tree on our parkway with branches starting to brush against our roof. Called A-1 and left a message. Sy called back and came out for an estimate the same day. He discussed which branches he'd want to trim to prevent the problem from occurring again but leaving as much of the tree in tact as possible. Agreed upon the price and told me he'd get in contact with me in a few weeks to a month. Fast forward a few weeks later (I assume to get the permits in order), Sy and his crew come. Everything was trimmed in an efficient manner and they cleaned up all debris as well. Sy even trimmed some extra branches free of charge which were not included in the estimate after taking a second look. read more

I don't know where to begin. Me and my husband have bought our home in April 2014 and we had a huge tree in our back yard that they built our fence around I called many tree service companies and no one called us back to come out for a quote except A1 I am so glad they did. Not only did they give us a fair price they came out and took the tree out in less then 3 hours! And cleaned up afterwards. They ran into a problem while taking the tree down but didn't charge us extra for the work even though they could have. I would recommend this company to anyone and will be using them again. :) read more

We needed a 40'(?) 'junk' tree our lot line taken down. Sy originally provided an estimate back in 2009 but was willing to come back out and requote. A-1's quote was one of the two lowest. This and their responsiveness lead us to choose them. Sy and crew arrived promptly at the estimated arrival time and set to work immediately. The whole job including grinding the stump was completed and cleaned within 50 minutes. The crew did a great job keeping the branches/debris off our neighbor's yard and even cut the wood small enough to use for our neighbors fireplace/pit. The whole process was surprisingly seamless. We've worked with a number of contractors the past few years due to a home renovation. Sy was great to work with and flexible with us and our neighbor. We highly recommend them. read more

I've never seen a crew of guys work so well and quickly. They took down an overgown mulberry tree near power lines in less than thirty minutes. They removed bushes in less than 15. They also came back when we noticed they missed something- free of charge. Good guys and good work. read more

Sy and his crew were great! First, his estimate was at or under the other services, extremely fair! Second, he and his crew did a quick and thorough job with removal and clean up. Third, Sy is a really nice guy! We were happy to support this family owned and run business. He was a pleasure to work with and we will be using A-1Tree Service in the future. read more

I cannot say enough about A-1 Tree Service! Sy came out and gave us a very competitive quote and was so easy to work with in coordinating with ComEd (because we had to shut off power). They were fast and cleaned up so that it looks like they were never there. Really impressed - and it was fun to watch as well! read more

Excellent in every respect. Sy called us back immediately, and was extremely accommodating in working with our busy work schedules to get his crew out to our house. We have a pair of beautiful 110+ year old basswoods in front of our house. Since the trees hadn't been trimmed in about 20 years, we called Sy and 4 others to come bid on the cleanup. Sy gave us a competitive bid (far better than a couple of big name competitors and directly in line with a couple of others). We ultimately chose Sy because he was extremely responsive and incredibly friendly throughout the process. Then, he and his crew came and did an amazing job with both trees. We are very happy, and couldn't recommend Sy and his crew more. read more

Sy and his team are awesome. Flexible, easy to communicate with, and did a great job for us. Highly recommended.

I would recommend Sy and his crew to anyone on the north side or in the northern suburbs. Sy gave me the best price of all the places I called. They were in and out in an hour--trees cut, stumps chipped, mess cleaned, logs piled for firewood. #ftw read more

We had a large branch of an old catalpa snap in one of the storms. It was resting on another branch and every day I walked by it knowing I had to do something about it - but dreading getting estimates and dealing in an area I am not familiar with. Sy from A-1 showed up two hours after my initial call - gave me his word on a price that was right in line with other estimates I received - and showed up the following week when he said he would to do a great job! The branch and all debris were gone when I got home from work. Sy even called an offered to cut it up and leave it for firewood. Nice guy! I highly recommend Sy and his guys at A-1. read more

A-1 did a great job removing a tree and six bushes from my front yard. Sy is polite and prompt; he kept his word about when he'd perform estimates and services, and he always answers the phone. (This is not the case with many contractors!) read more

A1- service was great, Sy is excellent in returning customer call, answering questions.they removed a big old tree right in front of the house, didn't destroy any of my plants, did extra job per my request, cut tree log for me to use as benchs even though I asked him the last minute, didn't charge for those jobs. I do recommend A1 service, best tree removal service, great personality. read more

Professional and great work. Checked with me repeatedly to make sure I was happy with their work. Competitively priced

Im managing a property and had a problem with tree limbs coming into the neighbors yard. Sy responded quick got the job done and was very easy to deal with. I will definitely use him again. read more

Great experience with Sy and crew. Easy, straightforward quote. Arrived when planned. Crew was quick and thorough. Cleaned up well afterwards. Recommend highly. read more

just had Sy and crew out to trim down two large trees away from our condo building on north side. I have to say, Sy's follow through was short of miraculous...my crazy schedule resulted in some difficulty in getting the job scheduled, but Sy kept up with the follow up and on the day we landed on, the crew was there. Sy was around for the job and trimming trees can be a bit scary as you don't want a hatchet job, but he took care of the desired end state and checked in with me along the way. Clean up was spot on. I can't say enough good things about this experience. Highly recommend. read more

Our yard was overrun with unwanted trees and stumps from trees the previous home owners had removed. After being stood up by another tree service company we gave Sy a call. He was punctual, honest, and straightforward. He removed all the trees and stumps and trimmed the trees in the parkway, all for a very competitive price. Job well done A-1! read more

Prompt, professional, easy to deal with. Every review that says this is correct. Plus, Sy underbid one of the more prominent tree services working in Oak Park by 22%. Bid on the job the day after my request; Did the job in a week; Came when he said he would read more

Sy and his team were the most professional tree people with whom I have dealt. I have huge old trees. The finished a major and high trim 3 stories up for three trees in an hour. Amazing to watch and extremely nice guys. 100% recommendation to use them read more

If I could give less stars I would. They broke a table dragging it instead of picking it up. They put a chair in front of a door. If you want unthoughtful and disrespectful assholes around your house use them. If you value your property and ability to enter and exit a door, I would not use them. read more

We called A1 Tree Service to get a parkway tree trimmed after waiting for more than a year for the city to take some action. The experience was terrific from start to finish! The price they quoted was very reasonable. Sy was exceptionally responsive and easy to work with. He arrived on time to discuss the estimate & followed up several times to let me know about the progress of the city permit. The crew was efficient, fast and did a great clean up job as well. I felt we were in good hands with a true professional. My neighbors and I were very happy with the results and I would highly recommend A1 Tree Service to anyone. read more

I'm going to echo what other reviewers have said about Sy and his team: They are hands-down the best tree trimmers we've ever hired (and we've hired a few). They arrived with professional equipment (including a cherry picker), making their work efficient, fast and safe. Any yard items (furniture, planters, etc.) were carefully moved out of their work area and were then replaced afterwards with care. The cleanup of debris (wood chips, dust, branches, etc.) was incredibly thorough, as well. As far as the actual tree trimming was concerned, Sy went above and beyond expectations. Not only did he remove the limbs we'd discussed, but he trimmed a few extra branches hanging over our deck and did all of it in a way that left us with an aesthetically pleasing tree. Hardworking doesn't describe Sy and his team enough: They are truly talented at what they do. read more

They do a great job an do it right they were here an when it rained they waited until the ground dried finish the job and cleaned up great job on two great big trees read more

They did a wonderful job quickly for nearly half the price of their competitors in my area. Were even kind enough to move my kids' play-set in order to get the job done. You need a tree removed? Call A-1. read more

Sy and his crew are the best! This is the second time we have used them and they just never disappoint! We had a few bushes and a small tree in our backyard that needed to come down. Sy came over within a day of my call to give us an estimate. When he came back to do the work, the crew worked so quickly and cleanly. They had to take our super rickety, terribly gate of the hinges to the the equipment through. Our gate was like super sad. It was falling apart. The bottom was scraping on our concrete, making a terrible sound every time we opened the gate. When they finished working, Sy and his crew FIXED OUR GATE for us. Just like that. They just did it! Are you kidding me?! They do amazing work and just go above and beyond without thinking twice. So awesome! read more

Had a magnolia trimmed by Sy and his team. Super easy to work with and did a great job. We are very happy with the results. Definitely will recommend to friends and family. read more