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Certified Arborists Near Me - How to Save up to 43% on
Last updated: 8 March 2021
Arborists in your area perform a variety of tasks such as tree removal, trimming, and arborist reports, all of which can be expensive.
This article is designed to give some great tricks to saving a ton of money when hiring an arborist near you.
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How much does it cost to hire an arborist?
On average an arborist charges $225 – $4,500. The reason for the large range is the large variety of jobs an arborist can do. From trimming a small Crepe Myrtle to removing a large Oak tree.
Below are a few more details on price ranges for arborist works.

FREE: If you intend to have a tree trimmed, arborists are happy to come out and give free advice with their quote, so an inspection and verbal assessment are free. For written reports, it will cost more.
What do arborists near me do?
Arborists are responsible for maintaining trees in an urban environment. Tasks include:
- Tree removal
- Tree trimming
- Stump grinding
- Arborist reports
- Tree inspections
- Root pruning
Their skills and training are extensive and they can also perform tasks like tree identification, eradication of pests and diseases, and cable bracing, though the most common tasks are listed above.

arborists-vs-tree-doctors-in-my-area
Arborists vs. tree doctors in my area
Local arborist and tree doctors are the same things, we just use different names to describe them. The correct term is arborist, but they also go by tree doctor, tree surgeon, or tree care services.
Most of the time if you are looking for an arborist near you, the best search to perform is tree services, which will bring up all the local companies.
By definition all tree services are arborists, so they will be able to handle any job you throw at them.
How do you find a good arborist?
The fastest and easiest way to get 3 Estimates from the most affordable tree services near you would be by using this FREE service.
GoTreeQuotes helps to match you with the three local tree arborists who have been voted previous users in your area as being quality acts.
- Scroll up to the top of the page and enter your Zip code.
- Fill out the quick 23-second form with details about your tree job.
- Your tree details are forwarded on to the closest three tree services who will bid on your job at a great price.

Types of tree care by arborists near me
There are two types of tree care arborists who both perform very different and specific tasks.
Level 3 Arborist
This is your regular tree arborist services. A level 3 arborist specializes in the removal and trimming of trees in confined spaces. If you do a search on your area for “tree services” 9 times out of 10 you will be calling a level 3 arborist.
These are very well trained and knowledgeable professionals and are great for the physical side of the job.
Level 5 arborist
A level 5 arborist has continued studies in Arboriculture to reach the Diploma level. This normally entails 2 more years of study. A level 5 local arborist is also known as a consulting arborist and specializes in arborist reports, risk assessments, and tree inspections.
Although level 3 arborist can do a very thorough risk and hazard assessment on your tree for the purpose of trimming or removal, it’s the level 5 arborist who has the authority to write reports and recommend to the city that a reed is to be removed or if it should stay.
How to Save Money on Local Arborist Tree Care
Depending on what you need a local arborist for, there are a couple of things you can do to save yourself some money. If it’s for tree removal or pruning, then hiring them in winter is going to automatically save you 20% + straight off the bat.
The reason is arborists are fairly quiet in the winter months.
It’s basic supply and demand. With very little tree work in winter but an abundance of arborists near you, they will need to become more competitive and give cheaper prices for tree removal and trimming.
There are a lot more little tricks to save you money, so please read on.
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Step 1: How to skip the expensive arborists
This hack is super easy and super effective. What you aim to do is avoid all the local arborists and tree surgeons who are spending loads of money on marketing.
The reason is they tend to charge higher prices.
Why? Well because they spend between $2500 and $8000 per month on marketing their business. It works really well for them as they get lots of phone calls, but they need to charge higher prices to recoup that money.
You are essentially paying their marketing bill.
How to avoid them?
Go directly to pages 2 and 3 of Google search. Same for Yellow Pages and yelp. All the companies featured at the top have paid to be there, so going further down the list will net you a great company for a lot less.

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Step 2: Grant good access to the tree
Time is money for tree surgeons, so if you have a tree that is in your backyard and you have no rear-driveway access, this is going to increase your cost by 50% or more.
The clearer access you can give to the tree, the closer the tree specialists will be able to get their equipment and cheaper the price for removal will be.
If they have to lug everything from your backyard to the front to load through their mulching machine, it is going to take longer and cost you more.
Consider talking with your neighbor and removing a panel of fencing to grant better access. Anything you can do to speed up the removal process will help.

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Step 3: Short cut - Use this FREE service
GoTreeQuotes helps to match you with the best-priced tree services.
The reason local arborists like to hear from customers through us is, they don’t like to spend a lot on advertising. Plus they don’t have a lot of work on at the moment.
This is a win-win for you. Firstly they are going to be cheaper because they aren’t busy and need to win some work to keep their business ticking over, and secondly, they don’t have a lot of overheads with marketing.
They are likely to charge you 50% less than other local tree doctors.
Just go to the top of this page, enter your Zip code, and a few details about your tree job.
Certified arborist near you then reach out to arrange a time to quote your job.

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What to ask a local arborist
As mentioned above the tree service industry is full of fraudsters who are in it for a quick buck, so you need to be sure the guy or gal standing in front of you is legit. The best way to do that is to ask for the following.
- A copy of their arboriculture credentials (Certificate/ Diploma)
- A copy of their public liability insurance
- How long they have been in business
Don’t be shy about asking the above questions. Arborists are used to getting the third degree and the “real ones” are happy to prove they’re legitimate and should carry around copies of the above ready to hand them out upon request.
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Hiring a tree expert near me
Once you have sorted out who is legitimate and who is not with the above questions, you need to dig a little deeper.
Even though they are all qualified and insured, there are still going to be some who are better than others.
Here are a few things to look out for when trying to snag a local gem.
1. Tree Experts Past Experience
Arborist tree care requires highly trained and skilled professionals, so you don’t want to hire a “greenhorn”. A bit of experience goes a long way, so getting an arborist with a minimum of 3 years of experience is going to net you a better result.
Tree work being as dangerous as it is, it’s always a good idea to choose someone with experience.
2. Itemized quotation from the local tree specialist
If you ask for an estimate and they just hand you a price written on the back of a card or just tell you, they probably aren’t that professional. If you are getting tree trimming work done, you can run into trouble if the number of branches being removed is not itemized on the quotation.
In some cases, 3 or 4 weeks might pass between them giving you the quote and you book them in. It is easy to forget what their quote includes.
So you don’t get any nasty surprises, make sure the quote is detailed.

3. Do they know tree care in-depth?
A certified arborist near you is worth their salt will be able to go that extra mile when explaining things about your tree and the requirements for the task.
To start with they should instantly know the tree’s common name and botanical name.
Local arborists always love sharing their wealth of knowledge of trees, so if they don’t have that much to share other than muttering a price at you, then maybe give them a miss.
It is important you ask questions about the job and the tree to see if they can comfortably answer them.
It should be easy enough to spot a fraud.
4. Online reviews
Most companies these days have an online presence with reviews on several different sources such as Google business, Facebook, and Yelp.
Reviews can be hit and miss sometimes as a lot of people just get their friends to leave positive reviews to prop them up. I would have a browse through and pay close attention to the negative ones.
Take note of what the negative review is for. If it’s something as fickle as “he didn’t return my call”, then you can probably let it slide, but if it is more along the lines of “I paid them and they did not finish the job” you need to keep looking.
Should the arborist near me be licensed?
In most cities and states, licenses are issued to local certified tree arborists before they are legally allowed to work on trees in the area.
This adds an extra layer of consumer protection to try and discourage fly-by-night-companies trying to pass themselves off as certified arborists just to make a quick buck.
This is another “qualification” you can ask for during the quotation process.
Think of getting quotations for tree work as a job interview. You are about to engage in a short term contract with a local business to carry out work on your property. Make sure you cross all your t’s and dot you I’s before proceeding.
what-is-an-local-ISA-certified-arborist?
What is an local ISA certified arborist?
ISA stands for the International Society of Arboriculture. This is probably the most well-known training institute, but probably also the most expensive. ISA arborist certification does not make them a better arborist than another other certification.
list-of-arborist-associations-by-state
List of arborist tree care associations by state
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How to check the credentials of a tree doctor near you
If you have a few local tree arborists in mind and would like to further check their credentials you can run their arborist certification number through a database to double-check their credentials are legitimate.
Visit https://www.treesaregood.org/findanarborist/verify to start your search. You can either search by certification number or by name.
FAQ’s
This will depend on the service. Arborist performs tasks like tree removal, trimming, and stump removal. Removing a large tree will cost a lot more than trimming the same tree. There are other factors that contribute to the cost of an arborist, and you can find more info here.
Arborists are capable of performing a range of tasks like tree removal, tree trimming, arborist reports, stump removal and general health inspections of trees. Arborists have extensive training in arboriculture which focuses on the management of trees in an urban environment.
These skills differ from traditional forestry work as arborists are training in the trimming and removal of trees in confined spaces. They are also trained to spot structural defects in trees that can become a future hazard.
A level 5 arborist also known as a “consulting arborist” refers to an arborist who has completed their Certificate V or diploma in arboriculture.
While a Certificate/ level 3 arborist will focus on tree trimming and removal, a consulting/ level 5 arborist do tree reports, inspections, risk and hazard assessments, and liaise with the council on removal permissions. Although a level 5 arborist has done the same training as a level 3 arborist, they tend to just stick to the consulting side of things as giving approval for a tree to be removed and doing the removal yourself can be seen as a conflict of interest.
When submitting an application for tree removal or the county or city, they may ask that you accompany the application with an arborist report. This is a written document provided by an arborist after an extensive inspection of the tree in question.
They look to write unbiased fact-based reports on the health and vigor of the tree. They take into account the age of the tree, species, local significance, and any defects it might have.
Towards the end of the report, they will comment on their personal recommendation on whether the tree has reached the end of its safe and useful life expectancy and should be removed, or whether the tree should be retained.
ISA stands for The International Society of Arboriculture and is one of the largest training facilities for arboriculture in the world. They have a great reputation in the industry. This however does not mean the training is any better than any other institution, just they are one of the older and well-known societies.
For very small hedging jobs or even very small shrub removals you are best getting a lawn care maintenance company in to do the job. They will not need the higher skills that come with being an arborist to do these tasks.
If the tree is larger, however, anything greater than a single-story house, I suggest you get a qualified arborist for the job.
This work can be dangerous and you should hire a qualified arborist who is insured and adheres to the highest of safety standards.
While the cost involved in hiring an arborist will vary depending on the task that he needs to do, most will charge anywhere between $70 and $200 per hour. The total charges an arborist will ask will depend on many factors such as the equipment they need to do the task, the number of contractors required for the job, and the job level of difficulty. For example, hiring a tree removal service to remove tree branches can be costly because it involves using a lift truck.
There are essential factors you need to consider when looking for a good arborist that will meet your needs. The most important aspect you should consider when hiring a professional arborist is the level of training, certification, and years of experience in the field.
The main difference between a surgeon and an arborist is education. An individual would need to enroll in the certification program and testing to become a certified arborist. The International Society of Arboriculture gives trained individuals the distinction of being called a Certified Arborist. On the other hand, individuals may be referred to as a tree surgeon without necessarily undergoing any training. Some surgeons are very skilled and have efficient equipment needed to do the task.
Most often, a professional arborist does not expect tips. Their job may be labor-intensive, but most of them enjoy doing their work. An arborist is usually paid hourly or by the job. Thus, prices will depend on the type of job you need him to execute. So, it will be upon the homeowner to find if it is necessary to tip an arborist after the service.
You will need the service of an arborist every time you have issues related to trees. You don’t need to wait until it’s too late to hire an arborist if the nature of trees poses a risk to your life. Consult certified tree service providers to carry out visual, internal, and cellular inspection of the trees systematically and quantitatively.
Yes! Tree removal service involves cutting down trees and removing them where necessary. Perhaps it is what the arborist in a tree business does when carrying out tree removal service. The trees that are too huge and bulky or affected by disease pose a risk to lives and property. Therefore, hiring an arborist can help you remove by cutting them down.
Hiring an arborist to inspect a tree that requires immediate care is among the most popular service provided by professional arborists. Tree inspection is vital as it gives information about different aspects related to your trees.
The cost to have a professional arborist looks at a tree that will have varying prices depending on factors such as the number of trees to be inspected, conditions of trees area, and report evaluations. However, keep in mind that the cost may vary depending on circumstances.
The United States government predicts that the demand for arborists continues to grow at a rate of 18 percent. Perhaps this rate is faster than the average for all other occupations. The main reason for the demand for an arborist is the increasing rate of greener space, where many towns and cities are planting more trees.
A professional arborist will have public and employers liability insurance. This basic liability policy is essential for any arborist as it covers liability risks related to tree removal service. The most common incidents covered by liability insurance include bodily injury resulting from an accident and property damage caused while removing trees, performing tree care, or driving to and from the job site. If an arborist cannot provide and prove their insurances, it will be wise to reject this contractor.
Author: Ben McInerney – Ben is a qualified arborist with 15 plus years of industry experience in Arboriculture. He ran a successful tree service before turning to writing and publishing. Ben is dedicated to providing users with the most accurate up-to-date information on everything trees.
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