customer and arborist shake hands

How to Find and Choose The Right Tree Service for Your Needs

If you have trees on your property, you might be wondering how to choose a tree care service. You have plenty of options for local tree service companies, but how can you find the one that is right for your needs?

The last thing that you want is to get stuck with a company that either falls short of what you’re looking for, or even worse, wasn’t qualified for the work you needed. There’s nothing more frustrating than paying for a service but not being satisfied when the work is done.

In this article, we’ll talk about some of the things that you should be looking for when you want to find a good tree service. 

There are some key considerations that you need to keep in mind.

How to Find a Good Tree Service

The key to finding a good tree service is understanding what to look for. Anytime that you’re trying to evaluate service providers, you have to understand what separates one from another.

tree removal crew in lift bucket

While we don’t expect you to become an expert in the field in order to choose a tree care service, you can improve your chances of being satisfied with the results if you spend some time on the front-end doing your research.

Here are a few important things to understand as you do that.

Identifying Your Tree Care Needs

Before we start talking about how to evaluate companies, you should take a moment to consider your tree care needs. 

What tree care services do you require? 

Tree care is a vast field and not all companies handle all facets. 

Before you choose a tree care service, you should consider what they offer…and what you actually need.

tree removal team cuts down tree

Most local tree service companies offer standard tree care services like tree pruning, stump removal, and tree removal. However, not all companies delve into services like tree fertilization, pest control, tree disease management, and more. 

At Seacoast Tree Care, we’re in the business of preserving trees whenever we can, which is why these additional services are pretty vital. We offer services that will protect the health of trees so that you can keep enjoying them for many years to come. 

Of course, sometimes tree removal is necessary, so we offer that, too.

Before you hire any tree service, make sure that they can cover the full gamut of your tree care needs. You might even have a variety of needs and you want a company that can handle them all. While there might be a tree on your property that you need removed, there could be others that need pruning and general tree health care. It helps to find a company that can take care of everything.

Seek Local Tree Service Companies with the Right Expertise and Qualifications

One of the most important factors in choosing a tree care service is making sure they’re qualified. 

But how can you evaluate a company’s qualifications?

For one, we recommend looking for companies that employ Certified Arborists. These are individuals who are not only trained but are certified in the field. When you choose a company that has professionals like this on staff, you know they’re committed to offering high-quality work and implementing best practices.

tree service crew climber prepares to climb tree

Another really important factor is whether they are properly insured for this type of work. Tree care activities are complex and sometimes outright dangerous. Accidents happen, even with professionals. 

If something unfortunate does happen, you do not want to be responsible for the liability and costs because you chose a tree care service that did not have the proper insurance. 

When you choose a tree care service, be sure to ask them if they have a license and insurance. It should be a huge red flag if they can’t prove this. 


Finally, you can also get a sense of whether a company is qualified by looking at customer reviews. Reviews can tell you a great deal about a company you’re considering. 

You’ll get a good sense of whether or not customers are generally happy with their services. 

If there are questionable online reviews, this is another red flag. While every company is going to have a bad review from time to time (sometimes they’re not even justified or real), if a company has a lot of them, that could be concerning.

Be Cautious About Shopping on Price

We know that cost is always a consideration when hiring any service and it is no different when you are trying to choose a tree care service. 

However, it’s always important to keep in mind that there are reasons why one company might cost more than another. If you get multiple quotes for a tree care job, you should be wary of just choosing the lowest. 

There are reasons why some companies charge less that could ultimately work against you. 

tree removal company puts limbs in wood chipper

It could be that they don’t invest in high-quality equipment or train their people. Or, in a worst-case scenario, it could be that they’re cutting corners or don’t have proper coverage (such as not being up-to-date with insurance). 

If you’re comparing the costs of local tree service companies, don’t be afraid to ask why their price is different.

Making Your Wise Choice in Tree Care Service Companies in New England

Hopefully, this article has given you some sense of how to compare tree services and ultimately find a company that is right for your needs.

Start the process with a list and then spend some time doing a little research and narrowing it down. With the Internet at our disposal, this is easier than ever. Even just spending time on tree care companies’ websites will give you a much better sense of what they’re all about. 

Even so, you shouldn’t hesitate to reach out to any company that you’re considering and ask them questions. 

At Seacoast Tree Care, serving Northeastern Massachusetts, Southern NH, and Southern Maine, we’d love to be considered as you do your research. We offer a comprehensive range of tree care services including tree pruning, tree removal, and general tree care. We even have a sister company, Seacoast Turf Care, that offers lawn care services. This allows us to truly take over your property’s key needs. In the end, that should mean less worries and more enjoyment for you.

Ready for safer and healthier trees at your Southern NH, ME, or MA home? Request your consultation and get a free quote for tree pruning services. We service properties in and around Stratham, NH, Kittery, ME, and Haverhill, MA. By making a wise choice, you’ll know your trees are in good hands.

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