Chapter 5 How to Hire an Arborist or Tree Care Company
Many homeowners in Montgomery County are familiar with a random knock on the door and an unsolicited offer to do tree work from someone they do not know. Beware. In the State of Maryland, it is illegal for anyone to do work on your trees without being a Licensed Tree Care Expert (LTE). This is the minimum credential that a tree worker should have before accepting payment for work on trees. Typically, reputable tree care professionals do not engage in unsolicited door-to-door sales. The layer of professional credentials that often supplements the LTE designation is the title of Certified Arborist. Those hired to work on trees can and should be both a Certified Arborist and an LTE. At a minimum, a tree care professional must have the LTE designation. Like the LTE, certification from one of several accredited programs, such as the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), indicates a high level of training that is accredited by the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB). Both LTEs and ISA-certified arborists need to be knowledgeable in all aspects of arboriculture and adhere to a professional Code of Ethics. To be licensed in Maryland, an applicant in the Licensed Tree Care Expert (LTE) program must have a related college education, plus one year of experience under a LTE, or three years of experience under an LTE. Before being licensed, the applicant must pass a rigorous exam and be fully insured and bonded. The LTE license expires every two years and is renewable in December. To find a reputable expert to advise and/or work on trees on your private property, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources has a website listing all LTEs with an active license. In addition, each of the certification programs maintain lists of all certified arborists on their websites.
Additional Tips for Hiring a Licensed Tree Care Expert and Certified Arborist Check with friends and neighbors for names of tree care experts they have hired; get references.
Check the license number of the tree professional. Make sure it’s valid.
Get several estimates for the work. You don’t need to accept the lowest bid. It’s better to get a qualified arborist or LTE you trust.
Get an estimate and description of the work in writing.
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