The certified crew costs less than the cheap one.
Not on the invoice, necessarily — over the life of your tree. Here's what an ISA Certified Arborist actually changes, in plain English.
What "certified" means — and why you should care
An ISA Certified Arborist has passed the International Society of Arboriculture's exam on tree biology, safe rigging, and correct pruning — and has to keep re-certifying. It's the credential that separates a tree expert from a guy with a chainsaw and a truck.
It matters because trees don't forgive bad cuts. A wrong cut today shows up in three years as rot, weak limbs, or a tree you now have to remove. Certification is how you know the person in your canopy knows where — and where not — to cut.
The cheap bid vs. the certified crew
Unlicensed truck-and-trailer
- No proof of training — you're trusting a promise
- Often uninsured — one accident becomes your liability
- Topping and over-pruning that damages the tree
- Cash price today, bigger removal bill later
- Voicemail when something goes wrong
Chad's Chippers
- ISA Certified Arborist supervising every job
- Insured to $2,000,000 — verified, not claimed
- Cuts made to ANSI A300 so the tree stays healthy
- Written price-beat guarantee against licensed crews
- An owner answers the phone
The standards we're held to
These aren't marketing badges — they're the published national standards certified arborists are tested and audited on.
Safe climbing & rigging
The national safety standard for how tree work is performed — climbing, rigging, and equipment. It's what keeps our crew, your property, and your family safe on the job.
Correct pruning
The national standard for how to prune without harming the tree — which branches, which cuts, how much. It's the difference between a tree that thrives and one that declines.
How we work a job
Free walk-through
A certified arborist looks at the actual trees, not a photo, and tells you what they need — and what they don't.
Plain written estimate
Within 24 hours: what we'll do, the standard we'll do it to, and a firm price. Find a lower written quote from a licensed crew and we'll beat it.
Arborist-supervised work
An owner runs the job to ANSI Z133 and A300, geared up, insured, and cleaning as we go.
Yard left better than we found it
Full cleanup and haul-away. You get your yard back — and a tree that's set up to last.
Compare us to your lowest bid.
Get a free written estimate and hold it up against the cheap one. We're confident which one you'll keep.