November 27, 2020
This review is long over-due. We had our work done in October 2020.
Nick Simons and his staff were extremely professional from the very first visit to our home through the final payment for his services. Nice to meet a decent, smart, humble business person who is very good at his/ her job. He thinks and does not just bring in big equipment and make a bunch of noise.
Our primary trees for which we needed the work, and soon, were quite large. Four large oak trees were precariously close to our home and on a slanted hill. Three of the four had grown with a lean toward the home. In the winds they twisted (pivoted), and swayed especially in high winds.
For Nick's work that meant planning the positioning of any equipment and order of work very tricky and messy. We had them trim some other trees and also they dropped an older tree that was more or less dead.
The trees were older oak trees, tall, maybe 60-75 feet tall. It required someone with some actual safe and skillful climbing skills and engineering sense.
About his quoting: Nick is one-of-a-kind in his trade, at least for our area and our experiences with tree services. He really gave the project quoting a good amount of on-site time. He then reduced his detail to a written quote, sent it to us as a PDF. The detail was tree by tree with value amounts for the work, for each segment, and also with pictures and detailed comments. The quote pricing was what we paid, albeit for one change of work which we agreed to as he was here and we both adjusted for it.
Written quotes (detailed that is) are hardly ever seen in the generally kind of like it or leave it quoting method for tree trimming / felling business trade in our area. Maybe it is more common elsewhere, but here in Southwest Michigan the tree businesses come in and walk around, look up, and never break out their work as to how they arrive at the values. They just all of a sudden blurt out, "okay - hmmm, if we take it away, complete it will be $______; if we leave it for you to clean-up, $_______." No real detail, no paper work usually is given. We're talking $1,000s of dollars. That's not acceptable, at least not to me.
As far as work ethic, honesty, timeliness, they were great, right on time as they quoted.
Clean-up was a messy job because it rained the days before, during, and after. I knew the ruts from the small loader were going to be there and some of the larger tree cores (felled pieces that is) made some major indentations in the ground. I was kind of surprised they still wanted to work on the days chosen, but it was really important for us to get the trees down, as well as for their own schedule as there was a lot committed to logistically for travel, equipment, and tree debris drop off at a landfill. And it is important to note Hartwood Tree Care did acknowledge and help us with filling in the larger ground indentations.
After the work was all done (in late October early November 2020), just a few days later here in Southwest Michigan, we had very high winds for 36 hours of 30-45mph gusts and sustained winds in the mid 20s. We felt much, much safer as the major tree work had been done.
I do recommend Nick Simons and his staff at Hartwood Tree Care of Elkhart, Indiana for other people's jobs. He normally does not work our area in Benton Harbor, Michigan. I was the one initiating if he could cover our work nearly 45 miles away from Elkhart. Thanks Nick and crew. We wish you well. read more
