Everyone likes to get a good deal, especially these days. But because your home is your biggest investment, and because some types of maintenance work can actually be dangerous, we wanted to caution you about hiring unlicensed tree trimming individuals to perform this work on your property.

Often these handymen perform a variety of services, and appear to offer lower prices on them. But that’s because they’ve avoided getting licensed by the state… And that might mean they haven’t been properly educated and trained. Unfortunately, that “lower” price could end up being much higher in the end, due to the cost of fixing mistakes or replacing damaged trees.

And, in the absolute worst case scenarios, a limb or entire tree could come down on your house, garage, car, or some other important structure. Someone could get injured, too. Aside from the obvious distress of that situation, you could be looking at a costly claim on your homeowners insurance. In many cases, homeowners insurance policies won’t even cover injuries and damages that occur when you’ve hired an unlicensed contractor, which can leave you vulnerable to a personal lawsuit.

And yes, those scenarios do happen more often than you might think!

So, when does a tree trimming worker need to be licensed? In the state of California, trimming any tree taller than 15 feet will require a license. Contractors are also required to cover their crews with workers compensation insurance, and provide appropriate safety gear and tools.

Homeowners should always obtain a written bid and contract before allowing any tree trimming company to perform work on their property. And, you should check with the state Contractor’s License Board to verify that a particular company is indeed licensed and insured to do the work safely and within requirements of the law.

Give us a call if you have questions about tree trimming work on your property. We are fully licensed and insured, and will be happy to answer any questions that you might have regarding the process.