Compare tree removal and trimming quotes

Give each company the same starting brief

Identify the tree or group of trees and describe the problem you want solved. Use the same photographs, property information and desired end state when requesting each proposal. If one company visits the property and another gives an early estimate from photographs, label that difference. An initial estimate may still need a site visit before it becomes an agreed price.

Keep your observations factual. “Branch over the parking area” is a useful description; “tree will fall next week” is a prediction the brief cannot establish. Ask for an assessment where the decision depends on tree condition. Record whether the assessment is included, separately charged or outside the quoted work.

Use a comparison worksheet

Make one column for each company and one row for each part of the work. Copy the company’s actual wording where possible. Mark an unanswered item as unknown instead of treating it as included. The blank itself tells you what to ask next.

You can print this guide and annotate the rows. Keep the worksheet with the original proposals so a simplified comparison does not replace the full contract.

Resolve differences before choosing

Suppose one proposal removes the tree and leaves wood in a designated location, while another includes hauling. Those totals do not purchase the same outcome. Ask the first company for a hauling option or ask yourself whether you actually want the wood. Avoid adding an invented allowance to make the numbers appear comparable.

Do the same for access. A proposal based on an open gate may need revision if the usable opening is narrower than expected. Send the correction to every company still under consideration. Keep revised proposals dated so an older total is not accidentally compared with a newer scope.

If a company says an item is “standard,” ask for it to be written into the proposal. A clear answer should survive the handoff from the person quoting to the person supervising the crew.

Keep qualification checks beside the scope

Compare who will assess the tree and who will perform the work. Ask for the names or credential details behind any professional claim and verify them through the issuing organization. Ask about current insurance and how questions can be confirmed with the insurer. The ISA’s consumer brochure recommends these checks alongside written specifications and more than one estimate.

Do not turn the worksheet into an automatic ranking formula. A low price does not answer whether the company understood the site. A long proposal does not by itself prove that the right work is included. Use the comparison to identify questions, then evaluate the answers.

Save the version you actually authorize

Before signing, confirm the final scope, total or price basis, exclusions and method for approving changes. Make sure any clarifications in email are reflected in the agreement or attached to it. Identify the person who can approve additional work and the contact the supervisor should use.

At handover, review the same rows against the result. If a disagreement concerns cleanup or stump material, the written end state is more useful than a memory of what “complete removal” sounded like. Keep permissions, photographs, the signed proposal and invoice together.

For a broader explanation of the decisions around removal, return to the removal planning guide. For local procedures, use the location directory and confirm the rule at the actual property.

Compare confirmed quote totals