Sarginsons Tree Services

Arborist, Oshawa, Durham Region, Toronto, Kawartha Lakes, York Region, Peterborough & Northumberland County

How to choose an arborist

Professional arborist working

So you are looking for an arborist in Oshawa, Durham Region or another part of the GTA? Choosing the right arborist is an important decision. Trees take a long time to grow so using the wrong company could mean a very long time before your trees recover from the damage – if they ever do. There are lots of other factors to consider when choosing an arborist. So, we’ve put together a checklist about how to choose an arborist. Take the time to research and consider your arborist so you can be confident you have the right team caring for your trees.

Things to consider when choosing an arborist

Advice from Chris Sarginson, arborist, Oshawa & Durham region

Ask the arborist about their equipment & working practices

A professional arborist needs a lot of specialized equipment and it should be well maintained. Ask them about the equipment they have and their working practices, particularly their safety measures. Check that they have the right equipment for your particular job. This is something they should be able to talk about easily.

Care for the environment

Whilst a lot of an arborist’s work will involve removing trees, a sign of a good arborist is a concern for the long term health of the environment. A good arborist is passionate about the health of trees and the natural environment. As professional arborists are experts in tree removal, please make sure you seek guided, professional advice before the removal of any tree. Beware of anyone suggesting too harsh a tree pruning regime. Some trees can be permanently damaged if they are cut back too hard. As a rule of thumb, we don’t recommend pruning more than 25% to 30% of the tree as it can cause harm or irreversible shock.

Attitude to service

Does the arborist have a reputation for good service? Do they answer your inquiries respectfully, patiently and courteously? Your arborist will be working in your home environment and you want to make sure that they will treat it with respect.

Knowledge & Qualifications

Ask them about their qualifications and experience. Are they members of any professional associations? Check they have knowledge of your local area and the particular issues that affect trees in your community.

Check for professional insurance

Also check that any arborist you are planning to hire has the correct level of insurance in place. Make sure you see proper proof of insurance. Sarginson’s Tree Services is fully insured and has had all the required training to ensure the safety of all.

Personal recommendations & references

Does the arborist have testimonials or offer references from previous clients? If you have found an arborist on the internet or on a review site, check them out by following up with recent clients.

Ask the Arborist

Oshawa, Durham Region, Toronto, Kawartha Lakes, York Region, Peterborough & Northumberland County

Do you have a question about the care of your trees? Not sure what you should be doing to keep your trees healthy? Are you worried that your trees may be showing signs of decay or disease? Have you seen signs of an insect infestation or are worried about whether a tree might be dangerous? We get lots of questions like this from our customers. Have a look at our Frequently Asked Questions page to see if we have answered your question. If you can’t find the answer you are looking for, send us a mail and we will try to help.

Ask the Arborist

Before the arborist starts work

Before your chosen arborist starts work on your trees make sure you have a detailed, written quote. This should include full details of the job and what is included or excluded from the quote. Check what it says about clean up after the work, removal of branches, trimmings and debris from the site and whether wood chipping is included. Make sure you are clear about the time the work will take, access needs, site preparation and any permits or paperwork that need to be in place. You may want to warn your neighbors that you are planning to have work carried out. Even if this is not a legal requirement, it can be noisy work and it always helps to have happy neighbors. We provide all our clients with courtesy notes that they can pop around to their neighbors warning them when we will be carrying out tree work in their yard.

Commercial Tree Services

Arborist consultancy, tree maintenance contracts, golf course services, vehicle & operative hire, lot clearance

Our service area

Sarginson’s is an arborist company in Oshawa, serving the communities of Durham Region, Kawartha Lakes, Toronto, York Region & Northumberland County. We are specialists in tree pruning and tree removal, particularly dangerous or hazardous trees. We also offer a 24/7 emergency storm damage service.

Tree Care Advice & Information

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Your Questions Answered

The final price of your treework will depend on a lot of factors – the size and position of the tree, its proximity to powerlines or other buildings, and the nature of the task – whether it is regular tree maintenance work or a tree removal. If specialist equipment is needed or if there are safety issues to manage, for example, the tree is unstable or the terrain is tricky then the work will be more expensive.

A professional arborist should have a good level of commercial general liability insurance. Check both the insurance and the level of cover that their insurance provides.

This really depends on the level of strorm damage you have. If you are removing trees or using dangerous equipment it is always best to hire a professional than take risks with your safety or risk the safety of other people, or your property.