Tree service checklists

Before you hire. Certificate of insurance emailed by their agent showing general liability and workers' compensation with current dates. Name of the ISA Certified Arborist on staff, verified in ISA's public directory. Two recent local references. Written estimate. No large upfront deposit — the Insurance Information Institute flags the big-deposit demand as a common post-disaster fraud pattern.

Before you sign. The scope should state exactly which trees and which limbs, whether wood is hauled or left, whether brush is chipped, whether the stump is ground and to what depth, whether grindings are removed and the hole filled, who repairs lawn damage, whether a permit is required and who pulls it, and the total price with payment schedule. Anything not written is not included.

Once a year, in winter. Walk each large tree slowly. Look at the base for mushrooms, cracks, or heaved soil. Look up the trunk for vertical cracks, cavities, and tight V-shaped forks with bark pinched inside. Look at the crown for large dead limbs, especially over the house, driveway, patio or play area. Photograph anything odd so you can compare next year.

After every major storm. Same walk, plus check for hung-up limbs in the canopy and any change in lean. Do not go near anything involving a wire. ISA's guidance after weather damage is direct: hire an ISA Certified Arborist for safe response.

How to choose

Certificate of insurance, from the agent, every time

General liability and workers' compensation, current dates, your address listed. This is non-negotiable in tree work.

Verify the arborist in ISA's directory

Certification is individual. Get the person's name and check it yourself rather than accepting a logo on a truck.

Get the stump terms in writing

Ground or not, to what depth, grindings removed or not, hole filled or not. This is the most common post-job dispute.

No large deposits

III identifies the large-deposit demand as a standard fraud pattern after storms. Tree work has almost no material cost to prepay.

Photograph your trees annually

Year-over-year photos are how you spot a lean that changed or a cavity that grew. Memory is not reliable for this.