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Around here, you’ve probably seen signs calling for you to Shop Local! all around town.
Why should you shop local?Support Your Friends One of the biggest reasons to shop local businesses is simply to support the people running them. You know them; they’re your friends, your family, and your neighbors, all bravely navigating the tumultuous world of entrepreneurship. It can be a scary venture, and by choosing to buy something from them, you’ll really encourage them on their journey.
Small, local businesses wouldn’t be able to stay in business if not for your business. By shopping local and choosing to buy from someone in your community, you’re ensuring the continuation of their job, and by extension, their livelihood. When you choose Classic City Arborists, you’re not just supporting Scott and Rebekah and their little family of four. You are also supporting his team of four men and their families as well. Stimulate Your Economy On a larger scale, shopping local also keeps the exchange of money local and better stimulates the economy of your area. Small business owners are also more likely to shop local themselves, which means the money they get from you will likely go to supporting another small business.  Think of it like this: if you buy a necklace from Wal-Mart, then that money goes to the Wal-Mart corporation. It may or may not ever make its way back to the Athens area. If you buy a necklace from your friend who makes her own glass beads, then the money you pay for that jewelry is going to directly sustain your friend, who will probably use it when she goes out to eat next week. Since she understands the struggle of owning a small business, she decides to go to the local burger joint rather than a mass chain, and your money is now in the hands of a family-owned restaurant, where it will directly support the cost of education for their kids. At Classic City Arborists, we try to shop local as much as possible. As members of the Oconee Chamber of Commerce, we understand how vital it is to support up-and-coming businesses, as well as supporting long-standing local service providers. Impact Your Community In addition to stimulating your local economy, shopping local can help benefit your community; small business owners are more likely to support charities and change initiatives that directly impact their area rather than the nation at large. This means your support to a local business could in turn support the homeless population in Athens, or help fund an animal shelter downtown to save more lives. Classic City Arborists personally supports charities local to the Athens and Watkinsville areas, such as City of Hope Athens, and ESP of Watkinsville. We send our donations to the local GoodWill (and shop there, too!). We also partner with local businesses when we get a job that needs more equipment than we’ve got; if we ever need a crane for a large tree removal, we call a local crane operator. What do you get out of it?While all the things we’ve mentioned here are great reasons to shop local, customer experience is still a huge factor in deciding where you direct your patronage.
At Classic City Arborists, we do our best to give every single customer the attention and care they deserve. The phone numbers you see on our website are our personal phone numbers. With our free estimates, Scott (our certified arborist) will come out to your property, spend as much time as needed to evaluate the work you’re thinking you’d like done, and help you decide what to do. Once you’re on our schedule, Rebekah will send you a weekly email to update you on any delays due to weather or unforeseen circumstances. At the end of the day, choosing to shop local is a great way to not only support your friends and family with their dream, but to also stimulate your local economy and influence your local community. Plus, you get personalized service on top of it! What’s not to love? Have your family call our family! AuthorEmily Casuccio is sister and sister-in-law to Rebekah and Scott Rushing, and has over half a decade of experience in copywriting, copyediting, proofreading, and developmental storyboarding. She's worked with both published and undiscovered authors on both fiction and nonfiction, and takes pride in supporting local businesses. Her passion lies in the written word and helping authors of all capacities realize their dreams and achieve their fullest potential. To learn more about her, read samples of her work, or contact her, visit her online portfolio.
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While Classic City Arborists was “officially” born in 2014, our story actually begins ten years prior, as a little firewood company operating out of Bishop, Georgia. In 2005, while working on his bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Education from the University of Georgia (go Dawgs!), our owner and Certified Arborist Scott Rushing starts working for a small business called Classic City Firewood. As the name suggests, this little operation provides firewood deliveries to the Watkinsville and Athens areas during the fall. They also provide firewood for some of the restaurants in the area during the off season.
In 2011, the owner of Classic City Firewood, an avid entrepreneur, had started branching out into other businesses, so Scott steps in to keep things going, growing the company’s client base, streamlining processes to be more efficient and effective, and generally devoting his time and effort trying to turn this side job into something more permanent.
The next few years bring exponential growth. Scott purchases additional equipment and gear to allow him to perform more technical, difficult tree removals, and further expand the business’s capabilities. Peyton Mitchell, who has worked off and on with Classic City Firewood since its inception, becomes an invaluable member of the team and Scott’s right-hand man, helping with every job and supporting the vision Scott has for the company. In 2014, the owner of Classic City Firewood starts a family and is ready to move on to other ventures. After countless discussions and lots of prayer, Scott and Rebekah decide to purchase the business Scott has invested so much of his time and effort into. With a few signatures and a grand leap of faith, Scott and Rebekah officially become small business owners, and come up with a new operational name: Classic City Arborists.
All the time and effort this new machine saves allows Scott and his team to complete nearly twice as much work in the same amount of time, helping spur the business forward by leaps and bounds.
As Abigail gets older, Rebekah begins to take over more and more of these responsibilities, until in 2017, she officially becomes the Operations Manager, handling everything from payroll to marketing to scheduling. With the efficiency of the Miniature Skid-Steer, and with Rebekah as the Operations Manager, Scott has more time to devote to giving estimates and working in the field. The workload has doubled, thus doubling the revenue. In 2017, Scott is able to purchase a Chipper and a Dump Truck. Instead of taking load after load of limbs and logs to the dump, most everything can be run through the chipper at the job site. On many occasions, the customer will even choose to keep the wood chips, which saves time hauling the chips away.
A lift is similar to a bucket truck, in that it has an extendable arm with a bucket attached that, as the name suggests, lifts Scott directly to the point of interest on the tree. However, this lift is not part of a truck; it is a separate piece of equipment. Just like the Miniature Skid Steer, the Lift runs on tracks is compact enough to fit through your front door, thus allowing Scott to easily access backyards and tight spots.
And that brings us to 2020, where Classic City Arborists operates with a simple four-man team; Scott runs and performs the more technical jobs, but leaves Peyton, the official foreman and second-in-command, in charge while he travels around to perform free estimates for potential customers. Scott handles all the official documents, like estimates, invoices, and pricing. He orders equipment and replacement parts or maintenance supplies as needed and ensures all the tools for the job are in perfect working order. In the mornings, when Scott leaves for work, Abigail has to have "a hug and a kiss, daddy" and Elijah blows him exaggerated kisses. In the evenings, Abigail races to get the first kiss while Elijah toddles behind her, happily calling out "it's da-da". Abigail tells "my daddy" all about her day while Elijah helps unload daddy's lunch box. With the rapid growth of the last few years, Rebekah now dedicates more of her time to the endless array of administrative and operational tasks. She wears many, many hats, including things like customer service (answering the phones, responding to emails, scheduling estimates), human resources (hiring employees, processing payroll), accounting (managing expenses, bills, keeping licensing and insurance up to date, accounts receivable and accounts payable), and marketing (designing and up-keeping the website, planning and executing marketing strategies). What started as a side gig to help pay for college has turned into a life-long career. Scott and Rebekah are proud to own a small, local business, and can’t wait to see what God has planned for their family and for Classic City Arborists. No matter what the future holds, Classic City Arborists will always approach each job with the same integrity we’ve had since day one:
And most of all, we believe in that age-old adage: “Leave it better than you found it.” Whether we’re talking about a job site, a customer’s mood, or our Earth as a whole, at Classic City Arborists, we are on a mission to do what we can to make a positive impact on the lives of everyone we encounter. AuthorEmily Casuccio is sister and sister-in-law to Rebekah and Scott Rushing, and has over half a decade of experience in copywriting, copyediting, proofreading, and developmental storyboarding. She's worked with both published and undiscovered authors on both fiction and nonfiction, and takes pride in supporting local businesses. Her passion lies in the written word and helping authors of all capacities realize their dreams and achieve their fullest potential. To learn more about her, read samples of her work, or contact her, visit her online portfolio. Classic City Arborists is proud to be both Licensed and Insured. We spend a lot of time and effort ensuring we remain in compliance with those two statuses at all times, for your protection as much as ours. But what do those two things actually mean? What is “Licensed”?Being “Licensed” means obtaining a business license and any additional licensing required for you to legally operate a business in your county. Having a business license means that your business is registered with the appropriate authorities and in compliance with the local regulations. Certain businesses are required to obtain additional licenses; for example, a liquor store has to have a license to sell liquor, and a sales tax license to be able to collect taxes on sales. Licensed businesses can file taxes as a business, which makes them eligible for the tax benefits and breaks associated with business costs. Licensing is also required before a company is allowed to purchase any kind of insurance, liability or otherwise. Additionally, you can register with the Better Business Bureau, or the BBB. Registering with the BBB adds some accountability to business owners, as any customer of theirs can file a complaint that will then be displayed on the company’s profile on the BBB’s website. Businesses cannot take down these complaints, but they can respond to them. The dialogue between an unhappy customer and the business, as well as the measures the business takes to help right the wrong, can tell you a lot about a company, and highly influences a lot of customer decisions. You can view the Classic City Arborists profile on the Better Business Bureau by clicking here. Finally, licensing gives your company more credibility to your customers. In our free market, there are an endless number of companies, giving customers an endless array of choices of where to take their business. Having a license says to the customer that you are serious about what you do, and gives you a leg up on companies that have not done so. What is "Insured"?Being “Insured” means obtaining insurance that is either required or necessary for your type of business. Business insurance comes in many different forms, but all are designed to protect the business, the employees, and the customers in any situation. Probably the most widely recognized form of business insurance is Worker’s Compensation (or Worker’s Comp). This insurance is designed to protect employees who are injured while doing their job. Though this insurance is required by the state of Georgia, it is especially important to us at Classic City Arborists, as we value each and every individual in our employ, and the work we perform can be extremely dangerous. We are, of course, certified and trained to do what we do, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t risks, and that doesn’t mean things can’t go wrong. Worker’s Comp helps protect our employees in the event of an accident or unforeseen incident, and also protects our customers from any and all liability should an employee be injured on their property. Another important business insurance to have is General Liability Insurance. This blanket policy protects our customers from any kind of incident that can happen on a job, from a tree falling on your house to the destruction of a small fence. While safety is always our top priority, and we do everything we can to prevent these kinds of incidents, accidents do happen. That is why we proudly maintain our General Liability Policy to protect our customers from any potential incidents that could occur. Classic City Arborists also maintains Auto Insurance – not only on our vehicles, but also on the equipment and trailers that we are towing. If any of our equipment or vehicles cause damage at a job site or while traveling to and from jobs, our auto policy covers that. What about Bonding?You might have heard the phrase “Licensed, Bonded, and Insured” coming from other businesses. A Bond is additional insurance that a company can purchase to cover circumstances beyond the general liability insurance. The bond is similar to a certified check - it guarantees that a certain amount of funds is available to cover an incident. It is similar to using PayPal to pay for your transactions. The bonding company (PayPal, in this analogy) pays the customer the insurance money and then works with the service company to collect payment. Bonds are more popular when it comes to construction companies, where work is scheduled to be completed over a long period of time, and you want a guarantee that they are going to finish everything they were contracted to do. They are also more popular for companies that are working in the home such as a carpet installer; this additional insurance covers if an employee damages something inside your home. At Classic City Arborists, we are not bonded, as we do not enter our customers’ homes, and our contracts are generally completed in one day’s time. We do have an Umbrella Policy to cover any incidents not covered by the General Liability; this policy is for $1,000,000 of Umbrella coverage, and is required by the state of Georgia in order to do work for state entities. We obtained this policy and were subsequently able to do work for the University of Georgia and for the University of North Georgia in the last year. What does all this mean?We have put extra effort (and lots of money) into keeping our Business License up to date, and maintaining our Worker’s Compensation Policy, our General Liability Policy, our Auto Insurance Policy, and our Umbrella Policy. We choose to maintain these policies for the protection of our customers and of our employees. Whenever you select a tree service company (even if you don’t choose us), we strongly recommend you pick a business that is licensed and insured for your protection. Don’t be afraid to ask for a copy of their license and insurance policy! AuthorRebekah Rushing is a mother of two under four and the co-owner of Classic City Arborists. When she isn't dealing with snotty noses and dirty diapers, she manages customer service, accounting & finance, marketing & advertising, and human resources. If you have worked with us on a project, then you have undoubtedly spoken with her on the phone at least once! Check out our website, which she designed, or give us a call to speak with her directly. EditorEmily Casuccio is sister and sister-in-law to Rebekah and Scott Rushing, and has over half a decade of contract experience in copy editing, proofreading, and developmental story boarding. She's worked with both published and undiscovered authors on both fiction and nonfiction, and takes pride in supporting local businesses. Her passion lies in the written word and helping authors of all capacities realize their dreams and achieve their fullest potential. To learn more about her, read samples of her work, or contact her, visit her online portfolio. When you go to the doctor because you don’t feel well, how do you know you’re in good hands? Maybe someone you know and trust recommended this doctor. Maybe you went to a clinic and just got the first doctor available. Either way, you still trust the doctor to take care of you. Why is that? Doctors, by nature of their profession, hold some kind of degree in their field. They have years of experience learning and subsequently proving their proficiency, and years of experience treating patients. You trust the “M.D.” to mean this person is qualified to do their job, and do it well. So when you hire a tree service, how do you know that your trees and other flora are in good hands? The ISA, or International Society of Arboriculture, offers a variety of credentials and certification programs that serve a similar purpose of your doctor’s medical degree. Certified arborists have taken the time to learn about their field, prove their proficiency through examinations and rigorous course work, and have years of experience to back up their qualifications. Your trees deserve the same care and attention you’d want for yourself. When you hire a tree service, choosing someone certified in tree care is like choosing a medical professional who has been to med school—someone you can trust. What is the ISA Certification?The ISA began the arboreal certification program in the 1980s to improve the standard of the tree care profession. Creating this qualification established a baseline of knowledge for all tree care professionals, which in turn enhanced the spread of proper tree care across the nation. Who is an ISA-Certified Arborist?
What does it take to become an ISA-Certified Arborist?To begin this certification process, you must first hold a degree in arboriculture, horticulture, landscape architecture, or forestry from an accredited university, and secondly, you must have three or more years of “full-time, eligible, practical” experience in arboriculture. Scott Rushing proudly holds a Bachelor’s in Agricultural Education from the University of Georgia and has worked in arboriculture in the Athens-Oconee area since 2008. The certification track itself includes written and practical training and examinations, ensuring that every individual who goes through the process is well-versed in all aspects of arboriculture, including (but not limited to): “basic tree biology, tree identification and selection, tree-soil-water relations, tree nutrition and fertilization, tree planting and establishment, pruning concepts and techniques, cabling, bracing and lightning protection, problem diagnosis and management, tree preservation on construction sites, climbing and safe work practices, and tree risk assessment.” The final written examination features approximately 200 questions on all of these subjects.
Continuing Education Units come in a variety of forms, including things such as college courses, workshops, conferences, webinars, safety trainings, online learning modules, and other opportunities approved by the ISA. Why choose a certified arborist?Certified arborists are trained in how to assess any given trees health, potential for failure, and livelihood, and is also qualified to offer courses of action to mitigate potential failure, reduce risk, and remove trees entirely. They are also well-versed in the proper vocabulary to accurately describe tree-related situations; arboriculture is an increasingly scientific field that is, day by day, becoming less dependent on vague language and ambiguous practice and more dependent on factual, measurable components. This ensures that both the arborist and the customer are confident that both parties understand the necessity and potential ramifications of any given treatment. What happens after certification?In addition to education, training, and testing, ISA certifications come with a Code of Ethics that all credential-holders must abide by to ensure the credibility and reliability of the tree care service profession. The Code sets minimum standards for work quality, but also establishes the level of honesty, integrity, and honor that all certified arborists are expected to live by. What does certification mean to us?
If you’re interested in learning more about the services we provide, please check out our website, or contact us directly for more information or to schedule a free estimate! AuthorEmily Casuccio is sister and sister-in-law to Rebekah and Scott Rushing, and has over half a decade of experience in copywriting, copyediting, proofreading, and developmental storyboarding. She's worked with both published and undiscovered authors on both fiction and nonfiction, and takes pride in supporting local businesses. Her passion lies in the written word and helping authors of all capacities realize their dreams and achieve their fullest potential. To learn more about her, read samples of her work, or contact her, visit her online portfolio. “Free estimate” can mean a lot of different things, and as you might expect, every company has its own standards on what a free estimate entails. Generally speaking, free estimates include a company representative coming out to your property, assessing the work you’d like done, and offering an estimated cost for that work. Sometimes, that free estimate includes anything and everything you’d like evaluated, and sometimes it can only include one evaluation of one tree. Sometimes it can be twenty minutes long, and other times, it might take over an hour. And sometimes, “free” doesn’t really mean “free,” and you might end up paying for extra time, extra assessments, or other hidden costs. So what do our free estimates include?At Classic City Arborists, when we say “free estimate,” we mean a completely free estimate. No time limit, no maximum number of trees we’ll look at, and no hidden costs.
Estimate lengths are hard to pin down, because each and every one is different. When you schedule, your appointment will likely be scheduled for a range of time (like between 2pm and 4pm, or from 10am to 12pm).
Once Scott gets there, it becomes your show! Since you’re the one who knows what kind of work you’re looking to have done, which trees you’re concerned about, what foliage you’d like removed, etc, Scott will look to you to show him around. He’ll follow you from tree to tree on your property and listen to your thoughts, asking a lot of questions and taking detailed notes as you go. He’ll give you rough estimates of how much what you’re wanting will cost, and offer his expert advice. Some examples of work you might ask about includes things like “I need this tree removed so I can put a pool here,” or “this tree is too close to our house, and it drops nuts and twigs on our roof,” or “I think this tree is dead, and I don’t want it to fall on my fence.” The length of time your estimate takes depends on how many issues you want addressed, and how much discussion each one takes. Here at Classic City Arborists, we pride ourselves on our informative, honest treatment of our customers. Scott isn’t there to try and sell you extra work, or scam you into giving us more money; we believe in explaining to our customers exactly how much a job will cost them, if that job is necessary, or if there’s other work that needs to be done for safety or to accomplish what the customer is looking for.
This is one of the reasons we believe it’s extremely important that Scott is ISA-certified; not only can he do the work you want done, but he can tell you if it’s necessary or if there’s more work that needs to be done for you, your home, and your family to be safe.
Keeping in line with our policy of honesty and transparency, we always encourage customers to get more than one estimate on the work they want done. This helps you to get a real feel for the market cost of this kind of work, and allows you to meet other professionals in this field that might have different opinions, suggestions, and/or recommendations. We want you to get the work you need done, at the price you can afford – even if that’s not with us. If you do choose to move forward with us, yay! We will get your work scheduled and be in touch with you on a weekly basis until the work is completed. If you choose to work with a different company, however, then kudos for doing your research and making an informed decision. We do, however, recommend that no matter what company you choose to work with, you find someone that is insured, preferably with automobile insurance, general liability insurance, and worker’s compensation coverage. These things will add some cost to your work, but they protect you from liability in the event of an accident. Whatever your decision, we’re honored that you chose us for an estimate, and appreciate your business no matter its capacity. Click Here to schedule your free estimate today! AuthorEmily Casuccio is sister and sister-in-law to Rebekah and Scott Rushing, and has over half a decade of experience in copywriting, copyediting, proofreading, and developmental storyboarding. She's worked with both published and undiscovered authors on both fiction and nonfiction, and takes pride in supporting local businesses. Her passion lies in the written word and helping authors of all capacities realize their dreams and achieve their fullest potential. To learn more about her, read samples of her work, or contact her, visit her online portfolio. This isn’t Walmart. This isn’t your favorite coffee shop. This is a small business located right in your neighborhood. We shop at the same grocery store as you. We go to your church and our children go to school with your children. Family is just as important to us as it is to you, which is why we went into business for ourselves. While this business requires lots of dedication and hard work, it allows us to spend more uninterrupted time with our children and our family. When you give us a call, you won’t have to deal with a machine that has you press number after number to reach a customer service representative. You will be calling my personal number, and If you don’t reach me directly, rest assured that my phone is always on me in case my children do something picture worthy (which is all the time). If you reach my voicemail, please leave a detailed message. This isn’t an over-full inbox checked by a bunch of different workers. Your voicemail will be in my personal inbox, right next to the ones from my mother-in-law asking when she can come visit. The minute I see it (which is pretty quick, considering my mother-in-law likes to worry), I’ve flagged it as important and I will follow up as soon as I have a moment without crying children in the background. That could take up to 24 hours because children are unpredictable (and there’s only so much coffee you can drink in a day). When you schedule an appointment with us, you won’t be meeting with a disgruntled worker. You will be meeting directly with my husband, a Certified Arborist and co-owner of our business. He won’t rush through your conversation trying to get to the next client, because your business is important to us. We take extra time to ensure that we are all on the same page and we’ve answered all of your questions (don’t worry, there’s no way you could ask more questions than our 3-year-old does on a daily basis!). My husband personally arrives at appointments to give estimates, and runs point on almost all of our jobs. Sometimes, appointments require additional time, jobs run longer than expected, or sick children require some attention. Please be patient with us if your appointment is delayed or needs to be rescheduled. We do our absolute best to keep you updated on any conflicts and ensure we get to you in a timely manner. When you look at your estimate, you won’t see a bunch of legal jargon disguising endless fees. You will see a line-by-line detailed explanation of the work to be done, exactly as it was discussed during the appointment. Each line has an item number correlating to the marked trees on an aerial screenshot of your yard. If you want to remove trees from your estimate, it’s clear and easy to see which line items pertain to that tree and the pricing to go with it. If anything on the estimate seems to be incorrect or you have any questions or concerns, please don’t throw the estimate in the trash! Give us a call and we will be more than happy to review everything with you and even schedule an additional appointment if need be. When you accept your estimate, you won’t be placed on an endless waiting list. You will be placed on our next available scheduling date, which is usually 4-6 weeks out. Every week I send out an email to keep you informed of where your work is on our calendar. We try to keep in constant contact with our customers so no one is left wondering what is going on. Please don’t ever hesitate to reach out to us if we are not meeting your expectations. As I tell my 3-year-old, I can’t fix it if I don’t know what’s wrong! We will do our best to work around your schedule and complete the work in a timely manner. When your work is being done, we won’t be secretive about what we are doing. Please feel free to stay and watch or go about your day as usual. We will complete everything as listed in the estimate in a safe and timely manner. When you return home, you will hardly be able to tell that we were there (except for the now missing tree). We strive to “leave it better than we found it” and take care to clean up after ourselves. When your work is completed, you won’t be left in the dust as we move on to the next client. We are always available for follow up questions or concerns to ensure you are completely satisfied with your job. If you are, we would greatly appreciate it if you would take a moment of your time to leave a review. Small businesses such as ours thrive on word-of-mouth from our satisfied customers. If you are unable to leave a positive review, please let us know! Happy customers are our top priority (after safety, of course) and if we have not succeeded, then please give us a chance to make it right. At the end of the day, your business means the world to us, and we are so grateful that you chose to support our little family business. God Bless! A Mother and Small Business Owner To schedule a free estimate, click here! AuthorRebekah Rushing is a mother of two under four and the co-owner of Classic City Arborists. When she isn't dealing with snotty noses and dirty diapers, she manages customer service, accounting & finance, marketing & advertising, and human resources. If you have worked with us on a project, then you have undoubtedly spoken with her on the phone at least once! Check out our website, which she designed, or give us a call to speak with her directly. EditorEmily Casuccio is sister and sister-in-law to Rebekah and Scott Rushing, and has over half a decade of experience in copywriting, copyediting, proofreading, and developmental storyboarding. She's worked with both published and undiscovered authors on both fiction and nonfiction, and takes pride in supporting local businesses. Her passion lies in the written word and helping authors of all capacities realize their dreams and achieve their fullest potential. To learn more about her, read samples of her work, or contact her, visit her online portfolio. Congratulations to Scott Rushing for obtaining the ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification. We are now able to offer official Tree Risk Assessments to our customers.  Scott Rushing ISA Certified Arborist SO-6617A 1. What is a Tree Risk Assessment? A tree risk assessment, in short, is a process used to determine the overall risk that a tree, or its parts, poses to potential targets (people, vehicles, buildings, other things of value or importance). All trees pose a potential risk of some level, but that doesn’t mean that every tree should be removed. Most trees risk levels are very low and often don’t need any immediate attention to eliminate risk. A tree risk assessment is used to determine which trees pose a threat by having a high likelihood of failure within a specified time frame. 2. Why is it important to have a Tree Risk Assessment done? Preventative care is often the best course of action when dealing with trees in the urban landscape. As home owners or property managers, you can identify when trees have obvious defects or when they have completely died easily. As an International Society Arboriculture certified arborist with tree risk assessment qualifications, Classic City Arborists can identify the indicators of potential tree failure that would often go unnoticed. By scheduling tree risk assessments once every 8 to 12 months you can greatly reduce the likelihood of property damage or personal injury due to whole tree or tree part failures. 3. What’s the difference between an estimate and an assessment? When we are called for an estimate, which is usually free of charge, the property owner/manager already has a list of items that they want pricing on. For example: Remove this tree… Raise this canopy… Grind this stump In an assessment, the arborist must evaluate all trees on the property for potential risks which often takes much more time and requires more thorough examination on each tree. After assessing trees for risks, a report is written and mitigation options along with pricing are listed. 4. What will the assessment cost? The most commonly asked questions in the tree care industry are what is wrong with my tree and how much is it going to cost me? As a home owner we understand that you want to retain as much money as possible while also maintaining a certain level of safety. At Classic City Arborists, we strive to serve our customers by being knowledgeable and professional regarding the services that we provide. Having said that, we must charge for our time in the field assessing trees for risk. In most cases we charge 100.00 per hour for tree risk assessments or a 75.00 dollar minimum charge. Give us a call if you are interested in having a Tree Risk Assessment Performed on your property! Scott Rushing or Rebekah Rushing Classic City Arborists Or click here to fill out a contact form! AuthorRebekah Rushing is a mother of two under four and the co-owner of Classic City Arborists. When she isn't dealing with snotty noses and dirty diapers, she manages customer service, accounting & finance, marketing & advertising, and human resources. If you have worked with us on a project, then you have undoubtedly spoken with her on the phone at least once! Check out our website, which she designed, or give us a call to speak with her directly.  Our customers often offer reassurances about where we drop trees in their yard. We’ve been told things like: “That fence is really old and we are going to replace it. If you hit it, it’s no big deal.” But for us, it is a big deal. We understand that our customers are trying to help make our job easier for us, and we appreciate the thought. However, dropping a tree onto anything but the ground, whether on purpose or by accident, is unprofessional and something we try to avoid at all costs. At Classic City Arborists, we are dedicated to the protection, not only of the customer and surrounding property, but also of the environment. When we plan the removal of a tree, we meticulously evaluate the immediate area, and determine the best location for dropping the tree or limbs where there will be the least amount of impact to existing wildlife and property. Then we carefully execute those plans utilizing our skills as certified arborists. In addition, we have to consider other potential customers. While a customer may have allowed us to drop a limb onto their fence, another customer driving past may see the limb on the fence and wonder just what kind of experts we really are. We want to present a professional image to our customers, because we are professionals doing a professional job. We have taken classes and passed the test to be considered an ISA Certified Arborist. Every year, we are required to collect continuing education classes to maintain that certification, and to keep our knowledge and skills up to date. We want this hard work and dedication to our field to shine through with every job that we complete. Once we leave a job site, you shouldn’t be able to tell we were even there – besides the tree we were hired to remove. AuthorRebekah Rushing is a mother of two under four and the co-owner of Classic City Arborists. When she isn't dealing with snotty noses and dirty diapers, she manages customer service, accounting & finance, marketing & advertising, and human resources. If you have worked with us on a project, then you have undoubtedly spoken with her on the phone at least once! Check out our website, which she designed, or give us a call to speak with her directly.  Pictured above is damage done by a pine tree in the Cedar Creek Neighborhood of Athens, Ga during a summer storm. When should a Tree Risk Assessment performed on your property? There are multiple factors to consider when assessing the “safety” of a tree.
AuthorScott Rushing is a father, small business owner, and ISA-Certified Arborist. If you’ve done any work with us, then you’ve definitely met him! He holds a degree in Agricultural Education from UGA, and has over 10 years of experience in the tree service industry. When he’s not climbing trees, he is Daddy to two under four, both redheads like him, and likes to spend his time going on adventures with his family. If you’d like to schedule an estimate or get more information about the kind of work Scott does, check our website, blog, or feel free to give him a call! |
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23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,
24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
Colossians 3:23-24
24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
Colossians 3:23-24