Cities Require Tree Service License

Friendlytree

Friendlytree

Location
Bangor, PA
How many people have cities or towns that require a specific tree service license to work on street trees in the city? We now have three cities that require this. Now this would not be a problem if it would stop hacks, but what gets me is the city makes you come out to do a skills test to make sure you know what you are doing. So really you are doing free work for the city, you have to prune or remove limbs and clean up everything before they say "ok you know what you are doing here is your license"

The real kicker is we did this two years ago for one city and now they have a new forester and he is requiring all the companies new and already licensed to come out and do a written test and skills test, again...

I'm not sure even if this is legal for them to require you to do free work just to get a license?

I don't think when an electrician or plumber come out to the city, do they make them do free work before they say ok, your good enough to do the job.

I guess being a certified arborist, CTSP, TCIA member, and ISA member is no longer good enough. All you have todo is some free work for the city. And the business license is $25. a year and the Tree service license is $25. and then on top of that every permit for a street tree is $25.
 
Tighe,
I can see where this is going to possibly open a can of worms, but hey, you brought it up. Atlanta GA has an ordinance that no hardwood tree over 4"dbh and no pine over 6"dbh can be cut without a City permit(Or vice versa). I'm not sure what the charge is, but someone will chime in and let us know. In Columbus GA a City test must be passed in order to A:) obtain a Business License and or B:) to perform Tree work within the City. Columbus is a consolidated government so it is city/county combined. A person who holds a current ISA CA designation or higher is exempt from the City test. It is a one time test unless you allow your Business license to lapse. Charge to take the test is $25 one time fee. Permit fees to work on City owned trees is $35.00 and are very rarely granted. This is in place to supposedly protect the consumer from the fly by night guys, however, you will always have them because you will always have people who want cheap work instead of quality work. We always hear someone skwaking about licensing and if building contractors have to be licensed, why not arborists. This is your answer. The biggest problem with all this as you know is enforcement. One or a few enforcement people cannot be everywhere at once. That is where those who make the effort to be legal need to help the enforcement people out. I sometimes wonder if it is worth my effort, because when I do cite someone, the judge just slaps their hand. Catch-22!

Personally I think the new City Forester up there requiring everyone to retest is nuts, but someone probably lost the list for him. IMO

Now, what do some others think?
 
Don't know of any cities here in Oregon.

But the state of Oregon for most tree work, requires a license. So that would cover every city in Oregon.
 
I don't agree with a skills test, but I have no problem with a written test, especially when they recognize CA's. In California, you have to test to get you Contractors License for a tree service, but it's a specialty license so you only test on contractor law, nothing that is tree care specific at all. I wish that they would make people show at least a little basic tree care knowledge.
 
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I don't agree with a skills test, but I have no problem with a written test, especially when they recognize CA's. In California, you have to test to get you Contractors License for a tree service, but it's a specialty license so you only test on contractor law, nothing that is tree care specific at all. I wish that they would make people show at least a little basic tree care knowledge.

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I served 2 three year terms on our landscape contractors board in Oregon. It tests heavily for knowledge.

The contractor board here which covers trees, tests for no tree knowledge.

While on the board, I'm pretty sure I said that our test was a little too difficult.

Now, about 6 years later, I've come to the conclusion that the test for horticulture knowledge should be eliminated completely. And just to test about laws and rules.

My thoughts now are that the nanny state scenerio which has not really erased the problem it hoped to erase, should just leave it up to homeowners to ask for credentials, college degrees, certificates and references.

50% of the premise for that opinion has to do with the fact that the maintenenance companies are not required to get the state license, are not tested, and need no certificates. Between maintenance companies working on plants, soils and small trees, plus homeowner's own ignorant practices, so many landscapes get screwed up, that testing landscapers seems unecessary.
 
the state of maryland requires a expert tree license to do tree work. i moved here and found out. i got out of the business after 5 years and decided to start up here. it dosent matter that i was in business 5 years, i cant take the test. i was told to take the n. j. or conn. state and get license then i can take marylands test. but i was told that i could find someone with a license and pay him a fee to work under license. imagine that! i am no expert by far,i have alot to still learn. but in 5 years i have done 2 tree toppings, always talked customer out of it. i have seen the topping work of alot of these experts in various areas of maryland. you can be fined for spiking a tree except for a few exceptions. but you can top heck out of a tree! well the license in my opinion is not protecting the trees as they planned.
 
In the Twin Cities Metro area, each city/suburb may or may not have a separate license requirement, which may range from a 35.00 token with WC/Gen Lia proof to several hundred dollars and up if you have lots of vehicles. Some now require proof of ONE ISA certified arborist on staff.
If one meets all these requirements, it doesn't necessarily mean you do quality work.
I'd be fine paying all these every year, and they come due from Nov - Feb every year, if there was ENFORCEMENT of the licensure rules. But there's not much. And that's what gets me surly about playing the game.
However, in the end, the final control lies with the consumer. As long as consumers accept non-professional, poor quality work, the license requirements don't come into play.
 
Once again, this is something that ISA and TCI should be actively monitoring and lobbying to have their certs be recognized and accepted by governments for the purpose of licensing and/or contracting to government agencies.
 
I guess my biggest problem is the skills test and in reality free work for the city.

I am going to contact the ISA and TCIA and see what they have to say. But I agree that their certs should be more recognized and accepted by government agencies.

And like everyone else here said it does nothing to stop the hacks and flyby nights.

The test is a written test on tree care, PA dig protocol for stump grinding, PA DOT traffic signage standards, and a climbing skills test.
 
I think the free work is wrong at a basic level. If they want to know if you are competent then have you describe what you are going to do and maybe make a NTP cut.

I am on our Urban Forestry Board for 5 years now. We developed an Urban Forestry Ordinance long long ago. It requires a CA and permit with a small one time fee (not per tree....that's robbery). You have to describe the work to be done on the city tree/trees.

To require a permit by the city to work on private tree seems illegal to me. Our ordinance has been in legal for a long time and it is just city trees. They are stuck on something.

In my opinion the biggest threat to city trees is the city workers that care (?) for them and plant them.
 
Why should ISA and TCIA be everyone's tree police? I think they do a good enough job providing the information and services that they do. The ultimate reason for Tree Service licensing is consumer protection. I know I average several calls per week from residents seeking a quality tree service or verifying the status a company's license. Bottom line is that there are folks out there who do care and are concerned. The bigger question is where should the responsibility for administration lie, with local or state government agencies. In most states that I know of, General Contractor's licensing lies with the state and local building codes officials are empowered to enforce. IMO, this would be the ideal, but just who is the local enforcement, TA DA the City Arborist/ Forester. I guess each question we raise creates more questions. I'm not sure where the answer lies, but I do think we need to move away from local ordinance and toward state regulations.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Once again, this is something that ISA and TCI should be actively monitoring and lobbying to have their certs be recognized and accepted by governments for the purpose of licensing and/or contracting to government agencies.

[/ QUOTE ]


That's why all members should be mad as hell!!Call them up and demand action,What are we paying membership for?
 
where are the quallies for City Forester? They are trying to install a lady in my town that has been a CA for 8 months, no Muni Cert. But even if she had it, how much can you learn in a short period.

Like Shigo said......we need way more
Certifications/credentials for specialists. The CA is just such a low level basic entry level of knowledge.

Someone is allowed to come in and prune city trees if they are in remote supervision by a CA? The blind leading the blind.

Right now we gotta go with the CA as that is all we have.
 
I'm not suggesting TCI or ISA become the policing body for states but that they lobby to have their certs recognized by states for the purpose of qualifying a company or individual. Where there are state specific regulations for traffic control or other stuff then great that they need to test for. But to create a separate state "tree expert" license is redundant and then begs the question who within the state silly service is qualified to determine the expertise?

By using a national or international standard it allows better economic mobility and ability to fill fluctuating needs across state boundaries. An intelligent approach to licensing would elevate our trade and help create greater recognition of the profession.

As for ordinances to control removal of private trees it is a recognition that the natural environment crosses all man-made boundaries and the consequences of an individuals actions on the community at large can be detrimental. We need to stop looking at where the tree is planted and more at where the root system and canopy spread. Strangely enough there is probably more stormwater management regulations that control the removal of trees and planting thereof than shade tree regs.
 
goverment does not know trees they just want our money and they will think of ways how to keep taxing us..the working man.people do not need goverment to tell them what is right or wrong.
 
Almost every city in Oregon has rules, laws, restrictions, and requirements in order to perform any tree services. It has to do with a societal and cultural desire to preserve and protect fertile nature, and maintain a level of beauty both in urban and suburban areas. That's not a bad thing, to make sure everyone in a profession has appropriate training and certifications in order to perform their job appropriately. We all have to take tests to acquire a driving license before we can get behind the wheel; we all have to educate ourselves for years before we can acquire a medical license; why would being an arborist be any different? It just keeps us all safer. The tests can be strenuous but it's beneficial at the end of the day - proof is in the pudding, the like the tree services in Salem, Oregon.
 
I think in Hillsborough County Fl all you need to do tree pruning and removal is a business license from the county tax office, it's about $22 I believe. No tests or any insurance verification, you just have to have a business registered with the state. Which probably explains why there are so many raped trees around here.


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