Hiring a Certified Arborist in Colorado: What You Need to Know

Is winter weather taking a toll on your trees? Harsh Colorado weather, no matter the season, can be a big factor in why your trees need some professional TLC. If your trees are struggling after a recent storm or heat wave, you need to hire a certified arborist as soon as possible.

During the regular spring growing season, it’s natural for Coloradans to be planning care and service for their landscaping. Spring brings beautiful flowers, green shrubs and blooming trees. Your property is valuable and an arborist’s services are important in maintaining optimal tree health, and avoiding the risks that can come with tree care. Hiring a certified arborist will ensure that your property is being cared for by top-quality professionals.

Tree work will include trimming, felling, and/or the removal of trees. Regardless of the project, it can involve operating from great heights, rigging and climbing trees, all while using portable power tools. Accordingly, safety procedures should be in place during all certified arborist services.

Follow our guide below to learn why you should, and how to select a high-quality, trustworthy, certified arborist in Denver.

What’s a Certified Arborist?

A certified arborist is a highly trained individual that is knowledgeable in the art and science of caring for, and maintaining trees. Because certified arborists are the experts in tree care, they are up to date on the latest techniques, and adhere to a code of ethics. Additionally, they have studied and understand the Colorado climate to provide the correct care for your trees, year-round.

For example, a peach tree and a spruce tree have very different, species-specific issues and ongoing care needs. They also need different care depending on the time of year in Colorado. Even though they are both trees, they have specific treatment requirements which you can explore with a certified arborist.

The Difference Between Someone Licensed to Trim Trees and a Certified Arborist

ISA-certified arborists are accredited by The International Society of Arboriculture, a nonprofit organization supporting tree care research around the world. Certified arborists are trained in an array of specialty services such as:

  • tree worker practices (heading 3)
  • tree climbing skills
  • applied sciences
  • risk management 
  • utility safety 
  • response in emergency situations
  • aerial rescues

Certified arborists are often lovingly and unofficially called “tree doctors.” You wouldn’t hire just anybody to do major surgery, would you? Just because someone claims to be a doctor doesn’t mean they’re the right type of doctor. A dentist may know how to replace a crown, but they’d do a terrible job on a knee replacement.

Proof of Credentials

Continuing with the doctor analogy, you also wouldn’t assume any doctor is a good doctor until you get to know them and see their work.

Not only do all certified arborists have credentials and licensure, but you should ask to see them. You can look up a certified arborist on the ISA website utilizing their certification ID. Any certified arborist should be able to provide this ID number upon request. According to the Denver Parks and Recreation Department, Division IV of Denver’s Vegetation Ordinance (Chapter 57) requires that anyone performing tree care services, including pruning and removing, is licensed as a “Tree Service Company.”

For the same reason, when requesting services, you can ask to see evidence of license. Denver recognizes two classifications of tree services: a general license enabling its holder to perform services to any sized tree, and an ornamental license allowing its holder to perform services to small vegetation only.

Proof of Insurance

When hiring a certified arborist, possession of adequate insurance should be a primary consideration. Before any work is done to your trees, request to see certificates of liability and workman’s compensation insurance, and check that they are current. Specifically, you can check here for the details on what the City of Denver requires of active tree service providers.

Our team of certified arborists are fully bonded, licensed, and insured for your peace of mind. Our insurance coverage means you’re not liable for injuries or damages that may happen during our work. 

Additional Considerations in Hiring a Certified Arborist

Cost

Unlike untrained professionals, a reputable company with certified arborists will provide you with a detailed, written estimate for services. The estimate should itemize each service and its associated price separately. Even more, this will help you stay on budget and avoid any hidden costs or surprises at the end of the project.

At Fielding Tree Care, our consultations are always complimentary and provide you with a comprehensive list of recommendations that will help you plan and prioritize our project.

Guarantee

Before hiring an arborist, it’s critical that you get a clear understanding of exactly what you’re getting for your money. To put it differently, a general estimate is not always enough to get the customer and tree company on the same page. You wouldn’t go to a salon and just say “give me a haircut” without getting the details settled first!

For example, maybe you need a tree and stump removed. The company considers the project complete and departs – leaving the wood behind for you to deal with. In short, this is not what you were imagining, which is why shared expectations are key for success. One way to avoid disappointment is to find a tree company who guarantees their work.

For that reason, at Fielding Tree Care, we offer a 100% client satisfaction guarantee. Our promise is that our team will not be satisfied unless your project is done the right way.

Experience

We are proud of the incredible amount of tree care experience we have on our team. Not only do we know Colorado trees, but we know our city and our neighbors well. Consequently, we are Denver’s favorite certified arborist because we’ve proven you can count on us. Our customers know their hiring a Colorado front range company with a pristine reputation.

Our Denver certified arborists are tree care professionals who can give comprehensive consultations regarding tree health, disease management, structural tree risks, and more. At Fielding Tree Care we do more than just trim trees, we offer complete, ongoing tree health care.

We also have a reputation for putting safety first. Undoubtedly, the integrity of our work is built on training, routines and best practices that keep our work sites and arborists safe. 

Make Sure You’re in The Right Hands

We know you have a choice when hiring a service provider. Our certified arborists are the team you can trust with the experience and expertise appropriate for your tree care project. We hope that this guide will help solidify your decision to work with our licensed and insured, top-quality tree care professionals.