9 QUESTIONS TO ASK BEFORE HIRING A TREE SERVICE NEAR YOU
FINDING A TREE SERVICE NEAR YOU: WHY THE VETTING MATTERS
Searching for a tree service near me and picking the first result with decent photos is how people end up with a crew that leaves a mess, skips safety steps, and disappears when something goes wrong. Tree work is one of the higher-risk trades a homeowner hires — chainsaws, heavy wood, heights, structures that can be damaged if a fall goes wrong. The difference between a professional crew and someone with a pickup truck and a saw isn’t always obvious from a website.
This guide gives you nine specific questions to ask before signing anything. They’re not gotcha questions — they’re what anyone hiring a tree service in Utah should know the answers to before a chainsaw starts. And yes, the right answers naturally look like what a credentialed, insured, experienced crew looks like.
I’m Gregg Nelson, co-founder of Rent A Monkey Tree Service. I spent years as a line clearance arborist before starting RAM, and I’ve seen what the industry looks like from the inside — both the crews doing it right and the ones cutting corners in ways homeowners can’t see until something goes wrong. These are the questions I’d want answered if I were hiring a tree company I’d never worked with before.
9 QUESTIONS TO ASK ANY TREE SERVICE NEAR YOU
1. ARE YOUR ARBORISTS ISA CERTIFIED?
ISA Certified Arborist is the credential that matters most in this industry. The International Society of Arboriculture exam tests actual tree biology, pruning standards, diagnosis, and safety — it’s not a license you buy online. Arborists with this credential have demonstrated knowledge, and they maintain it through continuing education.
This is different from “certified” as a generic marketing term. Ask specifically: “Do you have ISA Certified Arborists on staff?” and follow up with: “Will a certified arborist be on-site for my job?” A company can have one certified arborist on paper, but send an uncertified crew to your yard.
The ISA maintains a public lookup at isa-arbor.com where you can verify any credential by name.
2. ARE YOU LICENSED AND INSURED — AND CAN I SEE PROOF?
This is non-negotiable. Ask for a certificate of insurance before anyone sets foot on your property. What you need to confirm:
- General liability insurance — covers damage to your property if something goes wrong
- Workers’ compensation — covers crew injuries on your property. Without it, an injured worker can potentially file a claim against your homeowner’s insurance.
A reputable company sends you the certificate without hesitation. If they hedge, change the subject, or tell you to trust them — stop there.
Utah doesn’t require a specific tree service license at the state level, but the company should be a registered Utah business. Ask for their business registration number if you have any doubts.
3. DO THEY FOLLOW ANSI Z133 SAFETY STANDARDS?
ANSI Z133 is the American National Standard for arboricultural operations — it covers everything from chainsaw handling to rigging to what PPE crew members are required to wear. Professional tree companies operate to this standard. It’s what separates legitimate crews from guys doing it without a safety framework.
You don’t need to quiz them on the details. Just ask: “Do you follow ANSI Z133 standards?” The answer tells you something immediately. A company that doesn’t recognize the standard hasn’t trained to it.
4. WILL I GET A WRITTEN ESTIMATE BEFORE WORK STARTS?
Verbal quotes are worthless if there’s a dispute. A written estimate that spells out exactly what’s included — which trees, what work, stump grinding or not, debris removal or cut-and-leave — protects both parties. Read it before you sign.
Pay specific attention to what’s not included. Some companies quote low on the removal itself and charge separately for debris haul, stump grinding, or even the cleanup pass. Ask: “Is full cleanup and debris removal included in this quote?” If it’s not, get the add-ons in writing before agreeing to anything.
A reputable crew will also give you the quote before starting and stick to it. The job cost shouldn’t change at the end without prior discussion of something genuinely unexpected (like discovering internal decay that changes the removal approach). Our free on-site estimates are firm — what we quote before we start is what you’re billed.
5. IS THIS YOUR OWN CREW, OR DO YOU SUBCONTRACT?
Some tree companies are primarily sales operations — they quote the job, take the margin, and send a subcontracted crew you’ve never vetted. The subcontractor may have their own insurance (or may not), their own training standards (or may not), and you have essentially no visibility into who shows up.
Ask directly: “Is the crew that will do this job employed by your company?” If they subcontract, ask for the subcontractor’s insurance certificate separately. A straightforward answer is a good sign. Evasion is not.
6. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING IN THIS AREA?
Local experience matters in ways that aren’t obvious. A crew that’s worked the Salt Lake Valley for years knows which neighborhoods have right-of-way tree restrictions, which soil conditions make root extraction harder, and which HOAs require contractor documentation before allowing work. They also have relationships with Rocky Mountain Power for utility-adjacent jobs, know the city permit process for protected trees, and have seen what Utah’s specific species — cottonwoods, Siberian elms, Gambel oak — do under load.
This isn’t just a feel-good question. Local tenure correlates with accountability. A company that plans to be in business here for years cares about its reputation. A transient crew doesn’t.
7. CAN I SEE RECENT WORK — REVIEWS, REFERENCES, OR JOB PHOTOS?
Before-and-after photos tell you about cleanup standards and job quality. Reviews tell you about communication, reliability, and whether the crew did what they said they’d do. Ask for both.
Look for reviews that mention specific crews, job types, or situations similar to yours. Five-star reviews that say “great service!” with no specifics are less useful than reviews that describe the actual experience. Check Google and Yelp, not just whatever the company puts on their own site.
Our project gallery shows real jobs across the Wasatch Front. Our reviews page has unedited customer feedback. Both are there to look at before you call.
8. WHAT DOES THE CLEANUP INCLUDE?
“We handle cleanup” can mean very different things. Some companies remove the main trunk sections and leave everything else — branches, wood chips, sawdust — for you to deal with. Some haul the large wood but leave a layer of debris across your lawn. Ask specifically:
- Do you chip and haul all branches?
- Are trunk sections removed, or cut-and-left?
- What does the yard look like when you’re done?
A crew that’s proud of its cleanup process will answer this without hesitation. One that hedges is telling you something.
Our standard jobs include a full haul away of all material. The cut-and-leave option is offered explicitly as an alternative that saves money — not something that happens by default and gets billed at the full removal rate. You choose before work starts.
9. WHAT’S YOUR PROCESS IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG?
This is the question most homeowners skip, and it’s the one that matters most if you ever need it. Trees near structures, fences, and vehicles carry some inherent risk even when a crew does everything right. Ask: “What’s your process if a limb damages a fence or structure during the job?” and watch how they respond.
A well-insured, professional company has a clear process: document the damage, file a claim, and make it right. They’re not defensive about the question because they’re confident in their coverage and their track record. Evasion or “that won’t happen” is a red flag.
Get the company’s insurance carrier name and claims contact information before work starts — not after.
HOW RENT A MONKEY ANSWERS THESE QUESTIONS
We’re not going to be subtle about it: all nine of these questions were designed to favor a crew that operates the way we do, because they’re the right questions to ask any tree company.
ISA certification: We have ISA Certified Arborists on staff. Insurance: Fully licensed and insured — certificate available on request. ANSI Z133: Yes, we train to it. Written estimates: Always, before work starts, and we stick to them. Own crew: Yes — the people we send are Rent A Monkey employees, not subcontractors. Local experience: We’ve been in Salt Lake County and Utah County for years. Real work you can review: Gallery and reviews are both public. Cleanup: Full chip-and-haul standard; cut-and-leave available as an explicit option. If something goes wrong: We’re insured, we have a process, and we handle it.
More on who we are and how we operate on our About Us page.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT CHOOSING A TREE SERVICE
HOW DO I FIND A RELIABLE TREE SERVICE NEAR ME IN UTAH?
Start with credentials: ISA certification and verified insurance are the two non-negotiables. Then check reviews on Google — look for volume (a company with 200 reviews is harder to fake than one with 12) and specificity (reviews that describe real situations). Get at least two written estimates before deciding, and compare what’s included in each, not just the total price.
We serve Sandy, Salt Lake City, Provo, Park City, and the full Wasatch Front and Utah County — free on-site estimate, no commitment required.
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN ARBORIST AND A TREE TRIMMER?
“Tree trimmer” is a general term for anyone who cuts trees. An arborist is a trained specialist in tree biology, health, and structural assessment — someone who can tell you not just how to remove a branch but whether it should be removed, and what the effects will be on the tree’s long-term health. An ISA Certified Arborist has passed a standardized exam and maintains certification through ongoing education. For any job beyond basic cleanup, having a certified arborist assess the work — not just perform it — is worth asking about. See the ISA’s find an arborist tool to search certified arborists in your area.
HOW MUCH SHOULD A TREE SERVICE ESTIMATE COST?
A reputable tree company provides estimates for free. If a company charges for an estimate, that’s unusual in the Utah market and worth questioning. The estimate visit serves both parties — we see the job, you see us, and we both decide if it’s a fit. For a detailed breakdown of what the actual tree work costs, see our Utah tree removal cost guide. Our FAQ page covers other common questions about how we work.
CONCLUSION
Hiring a tree service near you in Utah doesn’t have to be a gamble. The nine questions above take about ten minutes to ask and eliminate the vast majority of crews that aren’t worth your time or your yard. The right company answers all of them clearly, without hesitation, and puts the key terms in writing.
If you want to skip the vetting and work with a crew that’s already passed the checklist — ISA-certified, fully insured, veteran-owned, local to the Wasatch Front, with hundreds of documented jobs — we’re a call or contact form away.
Contact us for a free on-site estimate — no obligation, no pressure.