Raffi S. says, "I needed a professional, licensed, and bonded tree trimmer to remove two codominant sycamore trees down to the stumps, grind out the stumps, and trim two other sycamore trees on my property. So I did what you're supposed to do and got three bids. Tino (Celestino) came in slightly higher than the highest bid—but I hired him anyway. Here's why.
I wanted someone who would take the time to analyze my unique situation. The codominant trees had become dangerous. Thank God there was no damage and no one was hurt, but they were dropping branches and had something seeping from them. One was leaning over my garage; the other was leaning over my driveway. I wanted someone to explain how they would approach the climbing and cutting, what their process would be, and how they would ensure nothing got damaged.
Tino did all of that and more. He even warned me that some plants in the area might get damaged, and if anything else was affected—like a drip line or water pipe—they would fix it. He also told me he would have his insurance company send me a Certificate of Insurance with my property address on it for peace of mind.
I value promptness and cleanliness. I don't want people on my property who won't respect it. Tino and his crew went above and beyond my expectations. When the job required access to my neighbor's driveway, Tino approached my neighbor and politely requested permission. My awesome neighbor immediately agreed. But this meant a mess would be left behind on both driveways. Without me saying a word, Tino's crew jumped on it—they cleaned up my neighbor's driveway, and when they noticed dust and wood chips on my neighbor's roof, one of the crew members climbed up with blowers and left it spotless. Then he did the same for my roof and cleaned my driveway as well.
This was a two-day job. The trees were massive and complicated to cut, requiring them to work piece by piece, saw everything into smaller sections, and carry it all down a long driveway to the dump bin. They covered the driveway with a tarp just in case. They came with eight guys to do the job. When the climber finished, the rest of the crew immediately got to work putting everything back the way it was. During grinding, they broke a pipe coupling—which was expected given how tight the space was—and they went and got the part to fix it. They also replaced a drip line they had to cut before grinding. Both repairs were done perfectly. The place was spotless when they were done.
They came back a few days later to trim the other two sycamore trees, which took only a couple of hours. Once again, the property was left immaculate.
Here's my advice after this whole experience: hire someone who, when they come out to give you a bid, is professional, personable, and explains the details of what they're going to do. You may encounter people who show up only to see if you'll accept their number. Before fully understanding your needs, they just want to talk broad strokes, throw out a bid, and gauge your reaction. If the owner of the company doesn't show care in the work, imagine the culture among the employees—they'll care even less. I want clear communication, detailed explanations, and a seamless process. You certainly don't want someone to give you a low bid and then stop mid-job to say, "I didn't foresee this issue—that's going to cost another $XXXX."
If the bid is done right, it requires the vendor to spend time on your property, talk to you, uncover your needs, and discuss the details. That's exactly what Tino did—with respect and professionalism. Yes, his bid was higher, but it was worth every penny. I got exactly what I wanted, and nothing we discussed was deviated from.
So if you have a tree trimming or tree and stump removal need, definitely get bids—but make sure Tino is your last bid. See what he has to say before you decide. Check out some of the before, mid-process, and after pictures. Hope this helps. God bless!"See more
