How To Look For a Tree Service
While many people who require landscaping work, look mainly for someone to cut their grass, spread some mulch or dig up roots, some are in desperate need of tree work. Yards must be maintained no matter what, especially in those neighborhoods where it's required and you, as a homeowner, can get a fine for not keeping up the looks.
Alan Barnes, who is a good friend of mine and an Indianapolis tree service company owner, once told me about an elderly couple he was helping. How they were living in this fancy neighborhood and while the house was paid off, they had little to no money. Due to the tree problems, their neighborhood watch fined them for not taking care of the trees without caring about the fact that both of them were over 80 and had close to no income coming in.
Alan went in and was able to remove the tree for the cost of equipment rental, while other companies would have charged triple that amount and probably would've done a worse job. Just goes to show how important it is to find the right professional and once you do, you'll definitely stick with them, and it doesn't even have to be in a tree service related field. Some of the biggest home services who are notorious for having trust issues are HVAC contractors, plumbers and electricians as well as some smaller sized general contractors.
When doing your research, be sure to check out company reviews on Google and BBB while also asking the management for copies of state licensing and insurance information. Did you know that 7 out of 10 people don't actually look for the insurance information, since it's a bit harder to verify? Roughly 70% of people who hire a contractor, do so without checking the insurance info and simply trust their word. Statistics show that 60% of those people get ripped off or even scammed.
Next time your see multiple recent reviews that say "Buyers Beware" steer clear as it is a HUGE red flag!
Another important thing every homeowner should do when hiring any type of contractor, is to supervise the work. Unless you know, like and trust them from previous work they've done for you, be sure to see exactly what they're doing and ensure nothing additional is being done that YOU can be charged for. Also, make it clear to them that YOU must approve any additional work that wasn't a part of the original agreement and if done otherwise, you will not pay for it.
These are some simple ways you can ensure to not get ripped off when hiring someone for the first time and it will also help you find someone reliable for the next time you need servicing.
Alan Barnes, who is a good friend of mine and an Indianapolis tree service company owner, once told me about an elderly couple he was helping. How they were living in this fancy neighborhood and while the house was paid off, they had little to no money. Due to the tree problems, their neighborhood watch fined them for not taking care of the trees without caring about the fact that both of them were over 80 and had close to no income coming in.
Alan went in and was able to remove the tree for the cost of equipment rental, while other companies would have charged triple that amount and probably would've done a worse job. Just goes to show how important it is to find the right professional and once you do, you'll definitely stick with them, and it doesn't even have to be in a tree service related field. Some of the biggest home services who are notorious for having trust issues are HVAC contractors, plumbers and electricians as well as some smaller sized general contractors.
When doing your research, be sure to check out company reviews on Google and BBB while also asking the management for copies of state licensing and insurance information. Did you know that 7 out of 10 people don't actually look for the insurance information, since it's a bit harder to verify? Roughly 70% of people who hire a contractor, do so without checking the insurance info and simply trust their word. Statistics show that 60% of those people get ripped off or even scammed.
Next time your see multiple recent reviews that say "Buyers Beware" steer clear as it is a HUGE red flag!
Another important thing every homeowner should do when hiring any type of contractor, is to supervise the work. Unless you know, like and trust them from previous work they've done for you, be sure to see exactly what they're doing and ensure nothing additional is being done that YOU can be charged for. Also, make it clear to them that YOU must approve any additional work that wasn't a part of the original agreement and if done otherwise, you will not pay for it.
These are some simple ways you can ensure to not get ripped off when hiring someone for the first time and it will also help you find someone reliable for the next time you need servicing.