Frequently Asked Questions

Grateful Tree Service was founded in June 2020.

Yes, quotes are always free.

When a climbing arborist accesses a tree for work, they use ropes and sometimes spurs, which have spikes, referred to as graff, located on the insides of both feet. An arborist uses the spurs to grip and step up a tree by stabbing the graffs into the tree. Trees that are being trimmed or pruned should not suffer additional wounds from the use of spurs. Although some tree species may be able to tolerate the use of spurs and continue to be healthy afterward, it’s an outdated and unprofessional practice. Furthermore, some species of trees, such as Willow, Pin Oak, or Water Oak, can easily become infected with a fatal disease like oak wilt from the use of spurs. At Grateful Tree Service, we love trees and use ropes or lifts exclusively to access them while trimming or pruning. We also sanitize our cutting tools prior to executing trimming or pruning to reduce the spread of pathogens and maximize the health of our client’s trees. Regardless of whether you hire us or not, we strongly recommend you only hire other professional tree services that practice spikeless trimming and pruning.

First, we come out to your site to look at the trees in need of care and discuss your goals for the job and the unique situation of your trees. Then, we issue a written bid, usually on the spot, for review. After you’ve had an opportunity to review our proposal and decide to execute the work, we will use the written proposal from the initial quote to create a binding digital contact via hellosign and send it to you via email. Once you sign the contract, we schedule and execute the work. Payment is due upon completion when you are satisfied with the final result.

Yes, we use Hellosign to create a binding contract, which functions the same way as a paper contract.

We service all of Hampton Roads, Virginia. Most of our work is in Portsmouth, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Smithfield, and Isle of Wight.

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Yes. Our lead Arborist Garrett Forest is both ISA Arborist and TRAQ (Tree Risk Assessment Qualification) Certified.

General Liability covers property damage from work performance. For example, let’s say a tree company drops a tree on someone’s house. Workers’ Compensation covers the injury or death of a person on the job and protects the property owner from lawsuits. It’s common for small or unscrupulous contractors to carry liability insurance but not Workers’ Compensation insurance while advertising as being “fully insured.” Workers’ Compensation is far and away the most expensive type of insurance coverage for a business or contractor. Hiring a contractor or company without Workers’ Compensation insurance could potentially leave a client vulnerable to being sued for an injury occurring on their property. Grateful Tree Service carries full liability and Workers’ Compensation insurance. Furthermore, if a client wants air-tight protection as far as insurance goes, they can request a Certificate of Bonding directly from a contractor’s insurance company issued to the client. To request a Certificate of Bonding for Grateful Tree Service, please contact our insurance agent, Terry Gallagher, at 703-728-7061.

Tree work is dangerous and requires a high degree of skill and risk mitigation to execute the job safely. The Bureau of Labor Statistics ranks loggers at number 2, roofers at number 4, and ground workers at number 10 on the list of the most dangerous occupations per capita, placing tree work solidly in the top 10 most dangerous trades. It is costly to obtain a license, carry proper liability and Workers’ Compensation insurance, hire, train, and retain skilled and passionate workers, and obtain the necessary equipment to execute the work. Grateful Tree Service takes pride in providing high-quality work at a competitive price. With Grateful Tree Service, our clients can rest easy knowing that we are committed to taking care of their tree needs and making a positive difference in the community.

In a way… We take major credit cards with an additional cost of a 3.5% convenience charge. We will also entertain barter offers, including cryptocurrency.

Generally speaking, Conifers, Maple, Birch, and Walnut may be trimmed all year. Hardwoods should not be trimmed during the summer unless it’s necessary, such as removing a broken limb. Oak trees should never be trimmed during the summer months; doing so may result in the tree becoming infected with fatal oak wilt. Check out this explanation from Davey.