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Tree cutting carries more risk than most landscaping work – to the crew doing it, to the property around it, and to whoever is liable if something goes wrong. That makes contractor selection a bigger decision here than it would be for routine lawn care.
A handful of questions separate a contractor equipped to handle that risk from one that has simply bought a chainsaw.
Insurance and Liability Coverage
Before anything else, it’s worth confirming what insurance the contractor carries – for the crew, and for damage to the property or neighbouring structures if something goes wrong mid-job. A licensed tree cutting contractor will have this documentation ready without hesitation; a reluctance to produce it is a reasonable reason to keep looking.
Certified Arborists, Not Just Labour
The presence of an ISA Registered Arborist or similarly certified professional on the team matters more for cutting than for most other landscaping tasks, since the assessment of how a tree will fall, and how to control that, is a technical judgment with real consequences if it’s wrong. Asking who specifically will be assessing the tree, not just who will be operating the saw, is a fair question to ask upfront.
Equipment and Permit Handling
Confined urban plots typically require rigging equipment for sectional dismantling rather than a straightforward felling, so it’s worth asking whether the contractor has that equipment on hand or subcontracts it out. The right contractor should also be able to explain, unprompted, whether the specific tree in question needs NParks approval before work can begin.
Price comparisons are easier once these questions have been answered, since a lower quote that skips insurance, certified assessment, or permit handling is not actually a comparable price. It’s worth arranging to get a site visit from more than one contractor before deciding, specifically to see how each one answers these questions in person.
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