Frequently Asked Questions About Hiring an Arborist

What should I look for when hiring an arborist? It is important to validate the claims of your arborist. If they say they are licensed, bonded, and insured and have been in business for 10 years verify that by visiting the CCB website. Also, verify their International Society of Arboriculture Certification by visiting their website. Here at Urban Forest Professionals, our staff are all either ISA Certified or ISA Board Certified Master Arborists. If you can get a referral from a friend, that is really the best way to find a reliable arborist. If you cannot get a personal referral to explore the company's online reputation. The best firms encourage their happy customers to share their feelings online. Beware of not-for-profit websites featuring arborists because these spots are obtained through donations, not an excellent reputation.

I got a few bids why do the prices vary so much? It might seem like the prices vary a lot, but usually, there is a reason behind the discrepancy. These are the most common reasons:

• One of the tree services is underinsured lowering their overhead and therefore their price. Obtain an insurance certificate from your tree service show they have at least $1M in liability insurance, $10,000 bond, and workmen's comp coverage (if they do not have workmen's comp because they use subcontractors you will need to get the insurance certificates of each subcontractor).
• An inexperienced arborist has underestimated the amount of work needed to prune the tree. To truly prune a tree correctly it takes a 1,000 small cuts (this takes time), but for an ill-trained arborist or someone who has not updated their skill to current techniques they may make 100 larger cuts and call it good (weakening not strengthening the tree in winter storms). In most cases, you are better off holding on to your money until you can afford to have it done right then taking a bargain pruning price.
• You are not comparing apples to apples. These difference are in the details such as: is the wood being taken away, is the stump being ground out, are they taking precautions to protect my landscaping, if the wood is being left is it being cut up, are they obtaining the permits, does the pruning include cabling should my tree need it, and so on and so forth.

Certified Arborists at Urban Forest Pro

Formal arborist reports can only be written by arborists who have been certified by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA). The certification process consists of not only rigorous testing but yearly continuing education requirements.

All the arborists at Urban Forest Pro are certified by the ISA. Certification matters because it provides property owners and homeowners with the peace of mind that comes with knowing that your own personal tree canopy will be cherished and protected by the best and most experienced and knowledgeable professionals in the business.

Urban Forest Pro sends an ISA-certified arborist to every job site. In fact, we’re one of the only Portland tree service companies to make that guarantee and we also have some Board Certified Master Arborists on hand as well so that you can rest assured you are in expert hands. We offer a full suite of tree services, including tree pruning, tree planting, tree removal, stump grinding, and of course certified arborist reports.

Contact Urban Forest Pro today with any questions. We look forward to partnering with you to keep the Portland area’s urban tree canopy strong and healthy for many generations to come!

Arborist Reports

Arborist reports are used for a variety of purposes. You might be wondering, what would a certified arborist write in their report? The most common reason for an arborist report is to obtain a permit for the pruning or removal of a tree.

Other uses for an arborist report include (but are certainly not limited to:)

• Personal injury lawsuits
• Property development plans
• Property purchase negotiations
• Neighbor dispute resolution.
• Insurance claims
• Municipal condemnation of hazardous trees.

A certified arborist report must contain the name, signature, and certification number of the arborist issuing the report. Urban Forest Pro provides arborist reports for a fee, but the price is often waived if reports are commissioned alongside other tree services.

We have many certified arborists on staff, so turnaround for arborist reports is fast — often the same day! Our arborist report costs start at $500, and homeowners have found these reports well worth it. Call Urban Forest Pro now for some free advice on whether an arborist report is necessary for your particular situation.

Consulting Arborists

Consulting arborists are registered through the American Society of Consulting Arborists (ASCA). This oversight means your arborist report will have been drafted by someone who is an authoritative tree expert. As the ASCA documents, a consulting arborist can provide the following services:

• Contract preparation
• Diagnosis of tree problems
• Diagnosis of landscape problems
• Expert witness and litigation
• Forensic investigations
• Tree risk assessments
• Municipal ordinance development
• Training and education
• And more!

If you need an arborist report, partner with the certified arborists at Urban Forest Pro! Our workers will make sure that any work you contract us to provide for you will be done properly. More importantly, our crews will treat your trees and the rest of your property as if they were their own. Finally, our certified arborist reports will be carefully written and delivered to you as soon as possible.

Check us out on the Oregon Construction Contractors Board (CCB) website here. Also be sure to look over the city of Portland’s website, where you’ll find Urban Forest Pro listed as a “Local Tree Care Provider.” That means we’ve completed the city’s tree care workshop, have an active Portland business license, and have zero documented tree code violations within the past year.

Contact Urban Forest Pro today!

Check out what Alexander had to say about us on Google.

"The initial quote went very smoothly. The arborist was extremely knowledgeable about all of my trees and knew exactly what needed to be done for each of them. The two men who came to perform the pruning did a great job. They not only pruned, but they also cleaned up the yard amazingly well; super professional and quick the whole time. My overgrown Japanese maple tree looks like a whole new plant after a few years of the previous owners not minding it."

5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
(March 15, 2020)