Expert Arborist Advice

Tree Care Tips

How Much Does Tree Care Cost?

Price vs Cost in Tree Maintenance

We’re often asked “How much does tree care cost?” for jobs. But it’s usually the wrong question. What most of our customers mean is “What’s the price of this job?”

What is the cost of tree care? Taking care of your trees is an investment in your home, your family, your neighbourhood, and all of our futures. Similarly, there can be big costs to not taking care of your trees.

Costs Go Up

We’re not just talking about inflation (although we’re all familiar with that right now!). If you delay doing work on a tree because it seems too expensive, that $1000 job right now might be a $2500 job next summer or a $5000 or $10,000 job in several years.

Why is this? Trees are living things, so an issue identified early may be an easier fix right now. However, with many tree problems, like a fungal or termite infestation, the problem can get worse over time. A problem may be treated with one or two applications of a fungicide or pesticide now, or removing one or two branches may fix a problem and allow a tree to recover on its own.

If you wait, you may need to remove more of the tree, treat an infection more aggressively or treat something that has spread to a wider area of a tree or other trees on the property.

Similarly, the cost of arborist work can increase if your tree issue gets worse. Identified early, removing all or part of a damaged or dying tree may be a straightforward process. Wait a few years, and the tree will have more deadwood, weaker branches, and other structural issues. This affects how we’re able to take care of your tree.

 

Safety risks increase with more damaged trees. We need to be more careful with climbing large dead or dying trees, which means more time and potentially a larger crew to carefully get into the tree, being attentive to the risks of breaking branches and debris falling.

The longer you wait, the more equipment may be required. We’re able to remove most trees and branches by climbing into the tree, but if a tree becomes too dangerous to climb, other equipment may be required. 

Risks Increase

Broken tree limb after storm on Gladstone Ave

If we haven’t convinced you to worry about the risks to our team, what about the risks to yours? The longer you wait to take care of a tree, the greater risk it can pose to your family and property.

A decaying tree or limb is at greater risk of falling on a person, pet, building or vehicle. These risks can greatly increase during summer or winter storms. Weaker trees and branches have the highest risk of breaking and falling during storms. Storms and high winds can also further weaken damaged trees.

A tree landing on your home, driveway, car or roof can be much more costly to fix if you roll in the cost of repairs, storm damage removal, plus the original tree work. It’s best to fix these issues today to keep your costs lower.

Looking for a Tree Care Bargain? You May Pay the Price

Aside from pruning, tree removals, hedge trimming and tree planting, another job certified arborists are often called for is fixing other people’s mistakes. The quote you get from two guys with saws in a pickup may be cheaper than what an insured professional arborist charges. But if your guy in a pickup doesn’t know what they’re doing, you may find yourself handling aesthetic or structural damage to a tree or hedge.

By hiring a knowledgeable licensed tree care professional, you’re making the best choice for your trees and garden. An arborist will help you choose the right methods to support your trees’ health, making your trees thrive for longer and grow in a healthy pattern. Over time, this will reduce your own costs.

So when you ask us what a job will cost, next time, ask the price. Price can be negotiable — costs can mount over time and through carelessness. If you need a cost-effective tree care professional, contact Vista Tree Management for your quote today.

Let's solve your tree problems!

Vista Tree has quick response times, clear quotes and guaranteed delivery. We’re Certified Arborists, who are as passionate about customer service as we are about tree service! Our expertise is backed up with many years experience delivering  the best outcomes for our clients, their properties and their trees, every time. 

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