Do Tree Services Give Free Quotes?
Summary
Most tree companies will give you a free quote, but free isn’t the same as unbiased — a company that profits from doing the work has a reason to recommend it. If you want the least biased opinion, a paid assessment from an independent arborist consultant is worth considering instead.
The vast majority of tree service companies do give free quotes.
That can be a bit of a problem though.
What if you don’t need a quote? What if you think a tree should be pruned for health and safety but it doesn’t really need anything? What if a tree looks like it is compromised but it isn’t really compromised?
Do you still want a quote to get that work done?
There are many more “what if” examples I could give because to me, they aren’t “what if’s.” I have met with thousands of homeowners over the years and there are many times when a tree service will give a quote for work that does not need to be done.
There is an old expression, “you get what you pay for.” When the price is free, sometimes what you are getting in return is really bad advice. Not always, but you should be aware of that.
“Are there ever times when I should get a free quote?”
Absolutely.
If you know exactly what needs to be completed, get a free quote. If your tree is brushing up against a house and it needs to be pruned, get a free quote. If a tree is dead and needs to be removed, get a free quote. If a stump is in the way of your new driveway, get a free quote.
Sometimes, if the scope of work is small enough and straight forward enough, companies can even give you an accurate price without stepping foot on your yard through a combination of Google Streetview and pictures/videos.
One exception: if the tree came down in a storm and you’re dealing with an insurance claim, sort that out first — see our guide to insurance and trees for what comes before any quote.
“What is the alternative to a free quote?”
Some people will call it a paid consultation but I prefer to use the word assessment.
If you aren’t sure what you should do with your tree(s) and you want the least biased opinion on the tree then I recommend you get a paid assessment completed — often written up as an arborist report. It is likely (although not always the case) that you will get a better assessment if you reach out to an independent arborist consultant. You have the option to do an advanced search through our website to exclusively find arborist consultants.
The benefit of a consulting arborist is that they usually won’t push one product or service because they can make more money by doing so. Instead, they are paid just to show up and give the correct advice. If the advice is to remove the tree or to keep the tree, it doesn’t change the amount of money that shows up in their pocket.
The other benefit of consultants is that they can offer a full range of options for your tree. Some complex treatments for a tree may not be available to some tree service companies so they may be less inclined to make this suggestion to the client. This isn’t the case with an arborist consultant.
And if the work involves removing a protected or boundary tree, check your city’s own rules first — see our guide to Ontario’s tree bylaws.
The most important thing of all, whether working with a tree company or an arborist consultant, is that you find a reputable company. We invite you to scan through our list of companies to find exactly the one that you are looking for.