Not All Tree Companies Are the Same
If you've ever searched for tree service in the Grand Rapids area, you know there's no shortage of options. Trucks with chainsaws show up on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and at your door after every storm. Some of them do good work. Many of them don't. And the difference between the two often comes down to one thing: whether the person making decisions about your trees actually has the training to make them correctly.
That's where ISA certification comes in. It's not a marketing badge — it's a professional credential that means something specific. Here's what homeowners should know before hiring anyone to work on their trees.
What ISA Certification Actually Means
The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) is the leading professional organization for tree care worldwide. Their Certified Arborist credential requires:
- A qualifying combination of education and experience in arboriculture — you can't just sign up and take the test
- Passing a comprehensive exam covering tree biology, diagnosis, pruning, soil science, safety, risk assessment, and urban forestry
- Ongoing continuing education — certified arborists must earn education credits every three years to maintain their credential
The certification number is verifiable. Anyone can look up a certified arborist on the ISA's public directory at treesaregood.org. If someone claims to be ISA certified, you can confirm it in about 30 seconds.
Our lead arborist, Matthew Bossche, holds ISA credential
MI-4776A. That number is on our trucks, our estimates, and our website — because we want you to verify it.What You Get with a Certified Arborist
The practical difference shows up in the decisions being made about your trees — not just the physical work of cutting them.
Accurate Diagnosis
A certified arborist can identify tree species, recognize disease symptoms, assess structural defects, and evaluate risk. That matters because the diagnosis determines the recommendation. A tree that looks "dead" to an untrained eye might have a treatable condition. A tree that looks fine might have a hidden structural defect that makes it a hazard.
Proper Pruning Standards
ISA-trained arborists follow ANSI A300 pruning standards — the industry benchmark for how pruning cuts should be made. This includes where to cut relative to the branch collar, how much of the canopy can be safely removed, and which branches to target for structural improvement. Improper pruning — topping, lion-tailing, flush cuts — can cause damage that takes years to correct and may permanently compromise the tree's structure.
Honest Recommendations
A qualified arborist doesn't default to removal. Sometimes the right answer is pruning. Sometimes it's cabling and bracing. Sometimes it's monitoring. And sometimes, yes, removal is the safest option. The point is that the recommendation should be based on the tree's actual condition — not on what generates the biggest invoice.
Red Flags When Hiring a Tree Service
We're not here to bad-mouth competitors. But we do see the aftermath of unqualified tree work regularly, and homeowners deserve to know what to watch for:
- No credentials or insurance documentation. Any legitimate tree company should be able to show proof of liability insurance and workers' compensation coverage before work begins. If they can't — or won't — that's your biggest red flag.
- Door-to-door solicitation after storms. Storm chasers show up in neighborhoods after severe weather, offer low prices for cash, do the work fast, and disappear. They're uninsured, unlicensed, and if something goes wrong — a dropped limb on your roof, a worker injury on your property — you're exposed.
- Recommending topping. Topping — cutting main branches back to stubs — is one of the most harmful things you can do to a tree. Any company that recommends it either doesn't know better or doesn't care. ISA standards explicitly advise against topping.
- No written estimate. A professional tree service provides a written scope of work before starting. Verbal agreements and vague descriptions of what they'll do are a recipe for disputes.
- Significantly underpriced. Tree work requires expensive equipment, trained crews, and proper insurance. If a quote seems too good to be true, it usually means corners are being cut — often on insurance, safety, or both.
How to Verify Before You Hire
Before signing a contract with any tree service, we recommend checking three things:
- ISA certification. Ask for their credential number and look it up at treesaregood.org. It takes 30 seconds.
- Insurance. Ask for a certificate of liability insurance and workers' compensation. Call the insurance company to verify it's current — not just a photocopy of an expired policy.
- References or reviews. Check Google reviews, ask for recent job references, or ask neighbors who've had tree work done. Reputation matters in this industry.
The Bottom Line
Your trees are long-term assets. A mature shade tree can add thousands of dollars to your property value, reduce energy costs, and take decades to replace. The person making decisions about those trees — what to cut, where to cut, whether to treat or remove — should have the training to make those calls correctly.
We're not the only certified arborists in Grand Rapids, and we'd never claim to be. But we do think every homeowner deserves to work with one. If you'd like a professional assessment of the trees on your property, reach out for a free estimate or call us at 616-947-4050.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I verify if an arborist is actually ISA certified?
- Visit treesaregood.org/findanarborist and search by name or credential number. The ISA maintains a public directory of all currently certified arborists. If someone claims to be certified but doesn't appear in the directory, their credential may have expired or they may not hold one. You can also ask to see their physical certification card, which includes their credential number and expiration date.
- Is ISA certification required to do tree work in Michigan?
- No — Michigan does not require a license or certification to perform tree work. Anyone with a chainsaw and a truck can legally offer tree services. That's exactly why it's important for homeowners to verify credentials on their own. ISA certification is voluntary, which means the arborists who hold it have made a deliberate investment in their professional knowledge.
- What's the difference between an ISA Certified Arborist and a tree trimmer?
- An ISA Certified Arborist has passed a rigorous exam covering tree biology, pruning science, risk assessment, soil management, and more — and must complete continuing education to maintain the credential. A tree trimmer may have practical cutting experience but not necessarily formal training in how trees grow, respond to cuts, or develop structural problems. The difference shows up most in the quality of the diagnosis and recommendation, not just the physical work.
- Does hiring a certified arborist cost more?
- Not necessarily. Certified arborists often provide more accurate assessments, which can actually save you money — for example, by treating a tree that doesn't need to be removed, or identifying a hazard before it causes property damage. The cost of tree work is driven primarily by the tree's size, location, and complexity of the job, not by the arborist's credentials. We offer free estimates so you can compare — call 616-947-4050 or request a quote online.