Published May 22, 2026
Every year in the Greenville area, homeowners pay thousands to have tree damage repaired after hiring uninsured tree crews who damaged a fence, broke a gutter, or put a section through a porch roof. The verification steps take 10 minutes and cost nothing. The cost of skipping them can be thousands of dollars with no insurance to cover it.
Check 1: Verify ISA Credentials
Any company claiming ISA certification should provide a certification number that verifies at treesaregood.org/findanarborist. Enter the name or number. The result shows whether the certification is current. An expired or non-existent certification number means the claim is false. ISA credentials matter most for: work near structures (rigging decisions), permit applications (signed reports required), risk assessments, and any job where the consequences of a bad decision are significant.
Check 2: Verify Insurance — Get the Certificate
Asking whether a company is insured is not verification. The only verification is a current Certificate of Insurance (COI) listing your address as the certificate holder. The COI must show: commercial general liability (not just personal auto), workers' compensation for all employees, and current effective dates. Call the insurance company listed on the certificate to confirm the policy is active. Workers' compensation matters specifically because if an uninsured worker is injured on your property, you can be held liable for their medical costs in some states.
Check 3: Get a Written Estimate
A written estimate is a contract. It specifies what's being done, what's included (debris haul-off, stump grinding or not), what the price is, and when payment is due. Verbal estimates are legally worthless when there's a dispute. Red flags in estimates: unusually low price for a complex job (often reflects no insurance overhead), price that requires immediate signature ("I can give you this price today only"), and no specific description of scope (just "tree removal — $X").
Red Flags That Signal an Unqualified Company
Door-to-door solicitation after a storm: legitimate companies have more work than they can handle after a storm event — they don't need to knock doors. Payment required before work is complete: a partial deposit (25–30%) is standard; full payment before the job is not. No physical business address (only a phone number): no local accountability. Recommendation to top the tree: this is not a legitimate arboricultural practice and signals a company operating without professional standards. No ISA credentials or inability to provide a certification number on request.
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