Palm and tree questions
What should an HOA ask before hiring a palm and tree company?
Ask who the ISA Certified Arborist is, whether the company is a licensed Florida pest control business, whether it tests before calling a disease, whether it will bid to a written standard you can compare, and whether a second-opinion visit is covered. Then ask what the board will receive after each visit.
Reviewed by Jeff Kaulbars, ISA Certified Arborist FL-10118A, Ptolemy Inc.
Five questions for any vendor
Who is your ISA Certified Arborist, and what is the number?
Are you a licensed Florida pest control business (FDACS)?
Do you test before you call a disease?
Will you bid to a written standard we can compare?
Is a second-opinion visit covered, or billed?
What the board should receive
A report after every visit, written to forward as is. A quarterly report: inventory, condition against last quarter, and a watch list. A findings update whenever a lab result comes back. A yearly review of what was done, what changed and what is next.
How to compare proposals
Put every proposal on one written standard: the same palm and tree count, the same pruning line, the same rule for removals. Different species need different care, so a proposal should name them. Then compare price.
Ask each company for proof of general liability and workers’ compensation insurance. Ptolemy carries general liability, workers’ compensation and auto.