Providing expertise as an independent professional consulting arborist, Steve can assess your trees without any conflicts of interest.
He’s a consultant who does not provide hands-on tree services.
When you want an expert opinion from a highly experienced and certified arborist who isn’t getting paid to prune or remove the tree, you can count on Steve.
Registered Consulting Arborist #773 in good standing with the A.S.C.A. American Society of Consulting Arborists.
Certified Tree Risk and Assessment Qualified Arborist # PN-76299AI.S.A. International Society of Arboriculture.
Expertise in Northwest Tree varieties.
It is important to assess trees for risk. While every tree has the potential to fall, only a small number actually hit something or someone — a target. There is no such thing as a completely “safe” tree.
Tree selection and placement are two of the most important decisions a homeowner makes when landscaping a new home or replacing a tree.
Consulting Arborists are the authoritative experts on trees and bring an objective, comprehensive viewpoint to their clients—ensuring the safety, health, and preservation of trees.
Consulting arborists are qualified tree experts who have experience and qualifications in the field of arboriculture. You can think of them as being distinguished authorities on the health, safety and preservation of trees in the environment, much like a doctor would be to a human patient.
Consulting arborists are often members of a particular organization, which means they receive ongoing training and education, such as from the American Society of Consulting Arborists (ASCA) and the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA). These members must also adhere to a specific set of standards set forth by the organization. When it comes to getting quality advice, this added level of authority is invaluable.
There are a number of reasons why a homeowner or business owner would need to call in a consulting arborist. While trees are necessary to the health and wellbeing of people and our planet, they can pose a problem in developed areas. For instance, if a tree becomes damaged during a storm and poses a threat to people, a consulting arborist will be called to provide an honest and qualified answer as to how the situation should be handled. The role of the consulting arborist would be to diagnose, appraise and evaluate the issue at hand to provide the person with a comprehensive review.
Consulting arborists do not work directly on the trees, so what you are paying for is their professional advice. This is an important point to remember, as some people believe that the arborist will also carry out the task. With this in mind, you will find that many consulting arborists offer both consulting and contracting services. This can create a conflict of interest.
The better choice is to hire an independent consulting arborist who is not affiliated in any way with a company who actually does the work. This is especially important if your case winds up in a court of law.
Certified Arborists are accredited through the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA). Each individual who passes the specific test for certification will hold the title of ‘Certified Arborist’ for three years, during which time they must accumulate 30 continuing education units to maintain their certification. In general, Certified Arborists work for a company that offers a variety of tree care services, such as pruning, fertilization, cabling, lightning protection, pest management, etc.
The title Consulting Arborist, or more correctly, Registered Consulting Arborist, is issued through the American Society of Consulting Arborists. These individuals must meet the requirements of this organization to retain their title. In general, Consulting Arborists offer services that result in detailed reports to homeowners and clients regarding tree protection, risk assessments and value appraisals. A Consulting Arborist may also be more likely to be called as an expert witness in legal situations.
Professional landscape management companies, especially those that focus on large estates, commercial properties and high-end clientele, understand that trees don’t simply represent another management task or responsibility. Trees are the largest, most obvious and most valuable asset on any property—or at least they can be.
Property managers for both residential and commercial properties are increasingly required to do more with less, and—as a result of increased competition and low-bid tactics—sometimes for less. So how do you demonstrate the added value your company provides so the client easily understands why your services should be worth a premium?
Over the last couple of decades, research on both the environmental benefits of urban trees and the monetary value those benefits represent has expanded our understanding and appreciation of the largest, longest living organisms in our communities. Programs such as iTree have given tree managers new tools to improve both the management for and communication about urban trees to the public. With this increase in knowledge about the value of trees comes an increased responsibility to enhance our care for them, especially since the benefit and value of trees increase with their size and health.
Working with a ASCA consulting arborist, credentialed through the American Society of Consulting Arborists, is an effective and smart way to improve the tree management services offered to your clients. These trained professionals offer a wealth of knowledge about proper pruning; pest and disease identification, prevention and management; risk assessment; tree preservation strategies during construction; and overall resource management planning. Clients that truly value their trees will view your company a cut above the competition when they learn you partner with true tree professionals rather than the cheapest “Chuck-in-a-truck” outfit. Show your clients that you understand the difference between simple tree maintenance and professional management.
Added-value services: Working with an ASCA Arborist provides a new revenue stream from the professional tree management recommendations identified by the arborist.
Increased professionalism: Networking with an ASCA Arborist helps your firm demonstrate increased technical knowledge, which increases your clients’ confidence in you and allows for opportunities to earn premium rates. The more you learn, the more you earn.
Increased effectiveness of services: Site-specific and tree-specific management recommendations based on real data improve the results of your services and allow for desired outcomes to be realized in a measured way. You can develop property management plans for your clients based on their actual property needs rather than generic industry recommendations.
Long-term management strategies: Increasing the focus on long-term management rather than short-term maintenance enhances the life and value of your clients’ tree resources or landscape and increases the cost-effectiveness of tree care over time. Promoting proactive management over reactive maintenance increases efficiency and reduces risk by addressing small concerns before they become unmanageable or too costly.
Increased property value: The overall value of landscapes increases with the size and age of trees and plants. Better management leads to better trees. Real estate data has shown that in some cases, well-cared-for mature landscapes can increase property resale value by nearly 15 percent for similar properties in the same market. You can help add value to your clients’ properties by simply partnering with a tree professional.
Increased environmental benefits: The environmental benefits and services trees provide increase with the size and health of trees. The bigger and better the trees, the bigger and better the benefits. Trees are our 24-hour-a-day civil servants. They are continually providing important, yet overlooked services, such as clean air, clean water, enhanced property and community aesthetics, carbon sequestration and stormwater runoff reduction. Trees also help cool our homes and neighborhoods, making them a more enjoyable place to live.
Professional consulting arborists can provide important services such as tree inventories and management plans for large properties that require a high detail of Certified Arborists who also possess the Tree Risk Assessment Qualification, known as TRAQ and provided through the International Society of Arboriculture, offer even more value. They can help reduce risk to your firm and clients by identifying trees that represent a heightened risk on the managed property and can recommend mitigation to lower that risk. All these services mentioned here add up to an enhanced value for your company as well as to your clients’ properties.
Just about anyone may need the advice from a consulting arborist as some point in their life. Our clients include:
Consulting arborists provide services in the following areas:
Are you looking for Residential & Commercial Arborist Consultation Services? Feel free to give us a call, email us or fill out the contact form. Request a consultation today!
