Classic City Arborists FAQs

​The kind of work we do here at Classic City Arborists varies from job to job, and includes everything from pruning to cutting down trees to cabling. Even so, we’ve gotten a lot of similar questions from customers and potential customers over the years—that’s why today, we’ve decided to round them all up and answer them!

​How Do Free Estimates Work?

One of the services we are proud to offer is free estimates. This basically means that our certified arborist, Scott Rushing, will come out to your property to get a look at whatever it is you’re wanting done—whether that’s pruning back some undergrowth, trimming a few limbs away from your home, or cutting down a tree altogether. Scott will assess the situation and offer his professional advice. After the appointment, you will receive an estimate that details the work you and Scott discussed.

​What Is an Estimate?

The estimate itself is just an official document that lists out every component of the work you requested, along with the estimated cost associated with that work. It’s a way of showing you what your total will probably look like after the job is done, and allows you to pick and choose things if you’d rather not do everything at once.

​What’s the Difference Between a Free Estimate
​and a Tree Risk Assessment?

Another service Classic City Arborists is proud to offer is Tree Risk Assessments, or TRAs. Where a free estimate involves our certified arborist quoting a cost for specific things you’d like done, a TRA is a more intensive analysis of the trees on your property. A TRA will tell you which trees in your yard pose a high risk of failure (which means they are likely to die, fall, and potentially cause damage or personal harm). TRAs involve a lot of standardized procedures and tests that a certified arborist uses to make an educated judgement on a tree’s condition, as well as a professional recommendation if any action needs to be taken to mitigate this risk.

​Do I Need to Be Present for the Estimate?

​While we always love to meet our customers face-to-face so we can get to know you and make sure we have examined and explained everything to your satisfaction, we can still perform estimates without you there. As long as you can describe precisely what you think you would like done, with enough detail for us to identify the trees and/or plants you’re talking about, we can easily do the assessment and report back to you.

​Why Is My Estimate So Expensive?

The cost of tree work is often surprisingly high to those who aren’t familiar with the process. While we try to be as competitive as we can, and give our customers the best deal we can afford, there is a lot that goes into what we do. The cost of a job covers the pay for our trained tree care professionals, as well as the Worker’s Comp that protects them (and you!) from on-the-job injuries. This cost also helps us ensure all our equipment is properly insured and maintained at peak functional capacity at all times, so there aren’t any unexpected hiccups while we’re working on your property. Lastly, the cost of a job contributes to our General Liability Insurance, which we purchase to ensure that you and your home are protected in the case of an accident.

​How Do I Add or Remove Items on My Estimate?

There are a couple different options for you to make changes to your estimate:

1. Visit the Customer Center, and click the button in the upper right-hand corner that says “Request Modification.” This will take you to a form where you can request changes.
2. Email us at [email protected] and let us know what you’d like us to change.
3. If you’d rather not type it all out, or have questions before you decide, just give us a call! We’ll do everything for you over the phone.

​How Do I Accept the Estimate?

To accept an estimate, you can:

1. Visit the Customer Center, and click the “Accept the Estimate” button in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.
2. Email us at [email protected] and let us know! For this to be official, we’ll need you to say:

​“I accept the estimate [list your estimate’s number], and would like to be added to the work calendar.”

​Your estimate’s number can be found in the Customer Center or in the emailed estimate.

​I’ve Accepted the Estimate.
​Now What?

​Once you’ve accepted your estimate, you will be added to the next available date on our work calendar. Every week, we’ll send you an email with a tentative 2-week window for your work to be completed. Once the week of your work arrives, we’ll contact you to schedule a specific date and time.
​
Please keep in mind that these dates are only tentative, and are subject to change due to emergency jobs, inclement weather, and other delays.

​Do I Need to Be Present When You Do the Work?

​If you would like to be home to monitor our progress (or just see how cutting down a tree works!), you are more than welcome to stay and watch us go. Some customers like to arrive towards the end of the job so they can make sure everything looks good before we leave. However, you do not need to be there for us to work. We will follow everything as stated in the estimate and let you know when we’ve finished. We are always available by phone or email if you have any questions or concerns after a job has been completed.

​Do I Have to Make a Down Payment?

​We do not require down payments to schedule you on our work calendar. On the day of your work, you will be emailed an invoice that will be due in full that same day. Most customers wait until the job is done and then pay via cash or check in person, but you can also follow the link on your invoice to pay online. Late fees will be charged if payment is not received within 24 hours of the completion date.

​How Do I Pay?

​We accept payment via cash or check handed to a team member on the day of the work, or payment online through a link on your emailed invoice.

​Do You Offer Discounts for Paying with Cash?

​Unfortunately, we do not offer discounts for cash payments. Please note, however, that there is a 3.6% charge for online payments made with a credit or debit card. It is more cost-effective to either pay with cash or check in person, or pay online with an e-check to avoid any fees.

​Will the Equipment You Use Mess Up My Yard?

​All of our equipment is outfitted with large tracks rather than individual tires to minimize any wear or gouges on the ground.

 In some instances, we will set up plywood platforms to drive over to prevent damaging soft ground or sod. Our philosophy at Classic City Arborists is and always has been to “leave it better than we found it.” Our goal when we finish a job is to make sure you can’t even tell we were there, other than the now-missing tree, or now-cleared underbrush!

Before

After

To view Before and After images from some of our jobs where we used heavy equipment,   click here!

​Are You Insured?

​Classic City Arborists is proud to be both licensed and insured. We maintain Worker’s Compensation, General Liability Insurance, and Auto Insurance to protect our customers, our employees, and our company from any incident.

​How Do I Get a COI (Certificate of Insurance)?

​If you would like a copy of our Certificate of Insurance, send us an email at [email protected] and we’ll be sure to get you one!

​What Does “Disclose Underground Utilities” Mean?

​This addition is to remind customers that we have no way of knowing what’s underground in your yard, unless we are otherwise informed. Mostly, this is in reference to septic tanks. Our heavy equipment can damage a shallowly-concealed septic tank, as could a tree falling on it. If you have a septic tank, please let us know its location so we can plan our work accordingly to reduce the chance for damage. 
If you know you have a septic tank, but don’t know where it is, follow these suggestions to find it.

​My Estimate Says “Power Lines Need to be Dropped.”
​What Does That Mean?

​If this is on your estimate, it means one or more of the trees we are going to work on are in close proximity to power lines. We can’t touch those trees unless the power lines are “dropped.” Basically, this means detaching the power lines from one pole or another and lying them on the ground so they do not hang near the trees in question.
​
For you, this means you will need to contact your power company prior to the date your work is scheduled to request they drop the lines first thing in the morning. We will remind you of this when we call the week prior to your job to confirm the date and time. On the day of the job, we will start with the interfering trees first, and let you know as soon as we’ve finished with them so you can contact your power company and have the lines reinstated.
​
It’s important to note that dropping the power lines will temporarily cut electricity to your home. We will remind you of this both the week before and the day of, but please plan accordingly!

​Where Can I Read Reviews, or Leave a Review?

Small and local businesses like ours thrive on customer reviews! If you’d like to read what other customers are saying about us, check out the reviews on our website, Facebook, and the Better Business Bureau. Following these links will also allow you to leave a review yourself!

If you have any trouble leaving a review, feel free to email us your review at [email protected], and we can post it for you. 

​Have A Question We Didn’t Answer?

​If you’re still unsure about anything we explained here, or have questions not answered here, feel free to give us a call or send us an email at [email protected]!

Author

Emily 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.