How to Choose a Tree Service on Grand Island, NY: Questions to Ask, Costs and How to Prepare

Hiring a tree service is a bigger decision than it looks. The work is dangerous, it happens next to your house, and the difference between a good crew and a bad one shows up in damage to your roof, lawn and fence. Here is how to choose on Grand Island, what to ask, what affects cost, and how to get ready.

Questions to ask before you hire

1. Are you insured? Ask for a certificate of insurance, not just a yes. A legitimate company will send one the same day.
2. Will you look at the tree before quoting? Anything more than a rough range over the phone should come after someone has seen the tree and what is under it.
3. Is the quote in writing, and what does it cover? Removal, cleanup, hauling and stump grinding should each be spelled out.
4. How will you take it down? Near a house, fence or line the answer should be climbing and lowering in sections, not just dropping it.
5. Who will be on site? The company you spoke to, or a subcontractor you have not met?
6. Do you top trees? The right answer is no. Topping harms trees and makes them more dangerous.

What affects the cost

• The size and condition of the tree.
• How close it is to the house, a fence, a pool or a power line.
• Whether a truck and chipper can reach it, which on waterfront and wooded Island lots is not always easy.
• Cleanup, hauling and whether you want wood left for firewood.
• Stump grinding, which is cheaper when done at the same visit.

A dead or storm-damaged tree costs more than a healthy one in an open yard because the risk and rigging are higher. Ask for the removal and the stump to be quoted together. See how our tree removal and stump grinding work.

Red flags

• Door-knocking after a storm, or pressure to decide on the spot.
• A price far below every other quote.
• Asking for full payment in cash upfront.
• No insurance paperwork, or reluctance to provide it.
• Spikes on a tree that is meant to be kept. Spikes wound the bark and are only for trees being removed.

How to prepare for the crew

• Move cars out of the driveway and away from the work area.
• Clear a path for the truck and chipper, and open the gates.
• Tell the crew about sprinklers, invisible fences and anything buried.
• Bring pets inside, and keep children away from the work.
• Take down anything fragile on the side of the house nearest the tree.

Remove it or save it? After a storm

A damaged tree is not always a lost tree. In general, a tree may be worth saving if the damage is limited to a few limbs, the trunk is sound and the root plate has not moved. It is usually better to remove a tree that has a split or cracked trunk, lost most of its crown, has a lifted root plate, or is leaning toward the house after the soil has moved. Waterfront and low-lying Grand Island lots, where the soil stays wet, make leaning trees more serious. Call us and we will tell you which category yours is in, and what it will take.

Before the next storm

• Have older maples, willows and cottonwoods checked for deadwood and weak branch unions.
• If an ash is thinning, assume emerald ash borer and plan for it.
• Know who to call: our emergency line is (716) 599-8733, open around the clock.

We are based on Grand Island. See what we do on the Island, or call (716) 599-8733 for a free quote.