Duane's is actually Dee's Tree Removal and Landscaping Service. We used Dee's to remove a very tall tree that was growing at an angle in the middle of a wooded area and surrounded by other trees. Our experience was mixed.
The good: They were highly responsive and prompt. Julie returned our call within an hour on a Sunday and had someone out the next day. They brought a tree climber who was clearly experienced. They roped the top of the tree and took it down, piece by piece. They had the main part of the tree top and trunk down in almost no time. They took the rest down by cutting, roping, and pulling away from the house, missing all the other large trees around it. In all this, they did a fabulous job, and we couldn't be happier (unless the price was lower). The bill came in at $1500. That included hauling the wood away. We did not have them remove the stump. That wasn't included in the quote, and we didn't care.
The questionable: The morning before they arrived, Julie texted, asking for a cash payment. I offered a check instead, and she wanted to know where we bank so she could cash the check immediately. I asked how big the crew was, and she said "3 people". Turns out they brought 2 actual workers, and Julie took video of them working. Not exactly what I asked... Although other companies have typically sent 3-4 workers out, Dee's was able to do the job with just the two. That's fine, but I do appreciate people answering the actual question asked. This all seems really shady and non-professional. Also, we scheduled the appointment for 3:30 pm. They showed up at 12:30 pm. I have no idea why. No one does that.
The bad: Our house sits on the edge of dense woods with trees growing through the deck. We periodically need to have tree branches trimmed back off the roof, and they asked if we wanted this done as well, for another $300. Since they were already there, I said sure. At that point, they started taking down the large tree, per the original call, and I went inside. That was my big mistake. While I was busy on a video call with work, they stopped working on the big tree and went to trim the deck trees back from the roof. Instead of TRIMMING the branches, they cut them off entirely, removing all the lower branches that were part of the tree canopy which provided the shade for the deck and back of the house. I know full well that they knew what "trim" means because when I spoke with Julie, she asked how far we wanted the trees cut back on the corner of the house. Why in the world they went ahead and cut the branches entirely off on the deck tree without asking is beyond me. At that point, I told them to stop, finish the big tree and leave.
Bottom line: these guys do a good job, but do not rely on verbal instructions. You MUST supervise them when doing the work if you don't want to lose trees or branches you value. That means you need to not just be home. You need to stop everything you are doing and stand watch over them. read more