Artemis Tree Services is ARB Association approved, meaning our tree surgeons are fully trained and qualified.

It’s important to keep an eye out for the ARB Association accreditation when choosing a tree surgeon. Some unqualified tree surgeons may quote a lower price but their potential lack of skills and training may mean you end up paying more down the line through hidden costs, issues and damage repairs.

And it’s not just money you should be worried about. Performing tree surgery without the recommended training or qualifications is dangerous — for you, for them and for the tree.

In this article, we’ll go into further detail about why choosing an unqualified tree surgeon is never the right choice.

Fines for illegal works

One of the most important aspects of training is recognising which trees can and cannot be cut down. Many trees across the UK are protected, meaning that permission is required from your local council to perform any tree works on them.

You could be hit with a hefty fine if you hire someone to perform works on a protected tree. These fines can run into tens of thousands of pounds. You can find out more about protected trees and how to identify them in our article.

Further tree works needed

The quality of work from an unqualified tree surgeon is likely to be considerably inferior to work carried out by a qualified and experienced professional. An unqualified tree surgeon may leave trees unstable or cause damage that subsequently needs more work to resolve the problem. Using unqualified tree surgeons can result in having to pay for another round of tree surgery from qualified professionals to rectify damage or hazards caused by the preceding work.

Damage to your home

Cutting trees is a meticulous task that requires extensive knowledge and experience. Simply cutting a tree in the wrong place could cause the tree or branches to fall onto surrounding property, fencing and driveways. There is also the potential for unqualified tree surgeons to cause damage to a neighbour’s property that then requires a significant amount of money to put right. 

Get a quote

A good quality tree surgeon will always provide a written quote after assessing the tree work that needs doing. Professional tree surgeons will not ask to be paid up front. Always make sure tree work has been completed to a standard you are happy with before paying for the job. 

Are professional tree surgeons fully insured?

Public liability insurance isn’t a legal requirement, so unqualified tree surgeons may opt not to have it to keep their overheads down. Whilst this means they can keep their costs lower, they won’t be covered if they injure a third party or damage property and you could end up having to foot the bill.

Professional, qualified tree surgeons are far more likely to have insurance. Artemis Tree Services is fully covered by £10M Public Liability (£5M + £5M excess layer), £10M Employers Liability, and £5M Professional Indemnity insurance.

Never sacrifice quality — always look for the ARB Association accreditation. Artemis Tree Services are award-winning contractors working throughout North London, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire. We offer a variety of services undertaken by qualified professionals to keep your trees, bushes and shrubbery healthy. 

Get a free estimate today and find out how we can help you.