What's on your mind? TCI Magazine wants to know

[Treetopflyer]

Yes, this! More than 80% of the tree services in our area operate illegitimately. Most do not have any employees on the books, they simply pay everyone as a contractor. Or worse, they just pay everybody in cash. Several run CDL class trucks with unqualified drivers, and they run this way every day of the year without repercussions.

It would be great to call out these companies and to find a way for those of us who operate correctly to truly stand out instead of trying to fight with these illegitimate or illegally operating companies day in and day out, and losing out frequently because they are cheaper than we are.

Shit grinds my gears

 

[Matias]

It definitely all comes back to enforcement. Enforcement is gonna make everything more expensive for everyone involved. Now for those already playing by the rules, the cost increase will be less, relatively speaking, as they already do pay for insurance and licensing. The trick is convincing people to vote for funding more government oversight over matters that many people don't understand or even care to understand. I'd bet that most people know even less about tree work than they do electrical work.

 

[southsoundtree]

The best thing you can do is advertise your legitimacy.

I tell people all the time to check their contractors L/I/B through the (work day) daily- updated State website.