Last year, my friend Nikie friend lost an old box elder in a storm. Trees were down all over her St. Louis Park neighborhood and tree service trucks started to roll down her street from as far away as Anoka and Chanhassen.
"Since we're in the neighborhood, we can take care of that tree for you. It will be cheaper in the long run."
Ah, the "neighborhood discount." It always sounds good to the first time homeowner until you discover you've actually been overcharged. We fell for it in 2000. Our old sugar Maple was rotting from the inside out waiting for the perfect opportunity to fall on our neighbor's garage.
We should've solicited bids. We should've asked for more details. We should've gotten a second opinion from a certified arborist. Instead, we went for the "neighborhood discount." We were left with a big pile of wood, a half ground stump and a bill of inflated charges.
Nikie played it smart and did her research. She talked to friends and family. She found several great companies on Angie's list but didn't settle until she found one that matched her price point. In the end, the tree was on her lawn a few extra days, but she found someone to cut down the Box Elder, grind the stump and leave her a nice pile of mulch. There were no surprises on her bill.
Have you been burned by a tree service? What advice would you give first time homeowners? What should you look for in a tree service?
