Palm and tree questions
Why are tree removal quotes so different?
Removal quotes for the same tree often cover different work. One may include stump grinding, hauling and same-day cleanup; another may cut the tree and leave the rest, or skip the written reason the tree should come out at all.
Reviewed by Jeff Kaulbars, ISA Certified Arborist FL-10118A, Ptolemy Inc.
What is often left out
Stump grinding. Many quotes cut the stump flush, 1 to 2 inches above grade, and price grinding separately. Deep grinding, hauling away the grindings, topsoil and sod are often separate lines too.
Haul-away and cleanup. Debris out the same day, hardscape blown clean and ruts repaired, or a pile left for later.
What changes the work
Access. A tree next to a building comes down in controlled pieces with climbers, rigging, an aerial lift or a crane, which takes more crew and equipment than a tree in an open lot.
Disease. A palm removed for disease should be hauled away and the tools sterilized between palms. On Fusarium host palms, that matters for the palms left standing.
The part that is not on most quotes
A written reason. Before we cut, an ISA Certified Arborist writes down the inventory ID, the reason and the date. Where the cause is a disease the lab must confirm, such as lethal bronzing, the lab confirms it first. Many palms come down without anyone knowing they had lethal bronzing, and the palm next to it can be next.