With the crazy storms Oklahoma has, I wanted to make sure that my beautiful Silver Maple is healthy…read moreand safe. I definitely don't want a branch to fall on my neighbor's fence or my roof, so I set out to find someone to trim my tree.
When I had the tree inspected before purchasing the house, the guy that came out said he could do it for $600 once the leaves had fallen off, so I knew that it would be a little up there. I got bids from 5 people, ranging from $100 to $700.
There were several reasons that I went with Urban Arborist over the cheaper guys.
He didn't suggest that I top the tree which can be very bad for it, not to mention ugly. He has 2 million in liability insurance and worker's comp, he is licensed in Nichols Hills (the only place in the metro area required to have one), has an education in trees, and is a member of the International Society of Arbor Culture.
The owner, Dustin Bean, was incredibly friendly, responsive, and knowledgeable. While he and his assistant were working, they both wore hardhats (safety is important!) though only Dustin got up in the tree, and he didn't use those tree grabber shoes, which can hurt it.
They were at work for about 3 hours which included taking out all of the dead limbs, removing the suckers and infected branches, picking up the sticks and cleaning up the front yard out to where ever the mess had scattered on this windy day, stacked any usable firewood, and answered all of my questions.
His minimum is $200, but his knowledge is definitely worth it. Afterwards, I asked him when I could next expect to need to trim the tree again, and while every tree is different, he said most Maples need it about every three years. He'll definitely be my only call the next time my tree needs trimmed.
