Hi Guys, when a windstorm took down half of my favorite jumbo red maple in my backyard, I was bummed. Visions of my wife and I swinging in a hammock with the kiddo were crushed. But with half the tree down, i didn't want the remainder coming crashing down on the Pad. Ol' Shady had to come down, which made me sad.
Enter the tree services. I called about twenty-five chosen from Checkbook.org. About 5 didn't return the phone call or show up to give estimates -- too busy. I was reminded that this is a tough business, with more than a few untrained workers with no long-term stake in doing a good job.
About 5 came out and said they didn't have the small grinder necessary to get thru the gates to my back yard. And the remaining 10 left quotes which were unprofessional and did not inspire confidence ("remove on back house and cut close to the ground level and haul away everithing (sic) and clean the area we work") or an unreasonable inside the beltway price.
Tim, the Arborist owner, came out, gave an understandable and very reasonable estimate via email, discussed the issue with me via phone in a professional manner, and pointed me to his very good website. As a law enforcement/military guy, I liked the fact that he's a volunteer fireman- I didn't want a bunch of unsafe wahoos destroying my yard or anyone becoming a quadriplegic on my behalf. Firemen understand the need for safety, do things by the book, know to use the right equipment, and understand the need for insurance. His guys showed up on time, did a neat and professional job, ground the stump well below grade, and were very reasonable on the price. I am sorry and still bummed that Ol' Shady is gone. It takes 70 or 80 years to grow a tree that big. But I'm glad that Tim got it done and that it didn't come crashing down on my house. If/when you need some tree work done, you should call him! read more