After many years in the industry, we at Rick’s Tree Service have found that our best customers are educated customers. With that being said, we have put together short list of some industry terms that you may find on your proposal. The following information is designed to help you understand exactly what should be expected from our services.
Tree Pruning Objectives:
- Crown Thinning or Cleaning- The selective removal of one of the following items: dead, dying, or diseased branches, weak branches and water sprouts. (sometimes referred to as sucker growth)
- Crown Raising or Elevating- The removal of the lower branches to provide clearance from the ground or structure.
- Crown Reduction or Shaping- To decrease the actual height or spread of a tree. (Consideration should be given to the ability of the species of the tree to sustain this type of pruning)
- Hazardous Reduction Pruning (HRP) – To remove only branches that are decayed or declining, and are posing imminent danger. An example may be a tree with many dead branches over a park bench.
Tree Removal Objectives:
- Tree Takedown with Stump Cut Low- This would consist of a full take down of the said tree and leaving the stump cut as low as reasonably possible without damage to our equipment. This would include the logs and chips removed from the premises unless other instructions are noted on the proposal.
- Tree Takedown with Stump Grinding- Same as above except in this case the stump of the tree will be ground approximately 12 inches below the surface. Surface roots within 3ft of the stump will also be ground. All grinds will be backfilled into the hole where the tree used to be. There may be a mound of chips depending on the size of the stump.
- Complete Removal with All Stump Mulch Removed- All of the above work as described, however the stump mulch will be dug out to ground level so that one could install topsoil and seed afterwards.
- All Wood to Remain on Premises- When this is requested, all of the larger tree sections will be left on site in uncut lengths. You can request the logs to be relocated to a specific location on the property by use of our tractors. We still assume to haul and dispose of the wood chips from the job unless it is noted on the proposal.
- Logs to be Cut to Firewood Length- When the customer opts for wood to be cut into firewood lengths, the logs will be cut into approximately 18” pieces. They will still be in round form. This does not mean split and fireplace ready. You will still have to split and season the wood.
Other Important Terms:
- Tree Topping- Rick’s Tree Service does not top trees. It is a frowned upon practice in the tree industry, a proven way to send a tree into decline. We will not trim the canopy of a tree more than 20% of its overall height or spread. Note: only certain species of trees can handle trimming of this magnitude.
- Extending Surface Roots- Roots that extend more than 3 feet from the trunk of the tree and are above the ground level.
- Hidden Elements in Trees- Hidden elements can be anything from concrete, metal hardware, to fence posts. These are items that our equipment is not designed to reasonably cut through.
- Underground Utilities- Underground utilities are items such as septic tanks or fields, invisible dog fences, sprinkler systems, buried phone, electric, gas, or cable TV lines. It is very important that you mark these prior to commencement of work on your property.
If after reading this you still have questions about the terminology on your proposal, please do not hesitate to ask for further explanation. Our goal is to make sure you are fully satisfied with the outcome of your job.
