Tree service work and crews
Tree crews take down trees, prune and trim, grind stumps and clean up after storms. Big removals over houses and wires often go out with a crane or a bucket truck. Trimming near energized power lines is its own specialty, and only qualified line-clearance crews do it.
Also searched as: tree climber, arborist, tree removal crew, groundman, stump grinder operator, line clearance trimmer.
No open tree service work or crews yet. Pick a specialty to find or post it.
Open tree service work
New work shows up here as soon as it's posted. List your crew and GCs looking for this trade can find you in the meantime.
List your crewBefore you dig: 811 rules by state
Tree service crews
Put your crew in front of the GCs and primes who post here. Trades, states, crew size, equipment. Free.
Be the firstKinds of tree service work
Posts and crew profiles can name one or more of these. One that names none covers the whole trade.
- Tree removal
- Pruning and trimming
- Trimming near power lines
- Stump grinding
- Storm cleanup
- Crane removals
Who hires for this
Utilities and their vegetation management contractors post line clearance work. Towns and counties post street trees and storm cleanup, and site contractors, builders and property managers post removals ahead of their own work. Larger tree companies bring in crews and stump grinders when they are booked up.
What they ask for
- Climbers and ground crew trained in tree work safety, with the right gear
- Bucket truck, chipper, stump grinder or crane access for the work
- Line-clearance qualification for anyone working near energized power lines
- Arborist certification or a state tree care license where the job or state requires it
- Certificate of insurance that covers tree work, plus workers comp
- Traffic control when the work is along a road
How to land more of it
- Be plain about power lines. If your crew is not line-clearance qualified, say you stay clear of them.
- List your bucket truck's working height, whether you can bring a crane, and what gate your grinder fits through.
- Get on the call lists of towns and property managers before storm season, not during it.
- Stump grinding and chip hauling are easy add-ons for site contractors and landscapers. Say if you do them on their jobs.
- Photo lawns, driveways and fences before a removal. It protects you when something gets marked up.
Common questions
Can my crew trim near power lines?
Only if they are qualified line-clearance tree trimmers. Federal safety rules set minimum distances from energized lines, and utilities control who works on their lines. If a tree is into or close to the wires and your crew is not qualified, call the utility first. Many will trim it back or shut the line off so a regular crew can finish.
Do tree workers need a license?
Some states license tree experts or tree care companies, some towns require their own registration, and some places have no license at all. Check your state's rules, and carry insurance either way. Arborist certification is voluntary in most places but many owners ask for it.
Who gets the permit to take a tree down?
Many towns require a permit to remove trees, and street trees often belong to the town. The owner usually applies, but confirm the permit is in hand before you cut. Taking down the wrong tree is hard to fix.
How do I find tree service sub work?
Post a crew profile on the TrackOver board with your equipment, whether you are line-clearance qualified and your area. Contractors, towns and larger tree companies posting work can see what your crew can take on.
Related trades: Landscaping and hardscaping · Fencing · Snow removal and plowing
TrackOver keeps the photos, hours, daily logs, and invoice on the job so your closeout is done when the work is. Free to start.