The Urban Lumberjack

It went very well. The Urban Lumberjack returned my call promptly after a couple of days and gave me all of the information that I needed.

He came during the summer and told me that winter was the best time to do pruning of trees, which others hadn't told me. Eventually I had him do the work, and he did a good job, and at a reasonable price.

Steve Marshall, The Urban Lumberjack, is the best tree man in this city. He persisted in staying in touch during a difficult period of making contact while I was unavailable. He eventually came to the site and thoroughly examined the job I had for him. Removal of a large tree overgrowing my property onto the property of a neighbor. The job was very complicated because of the formation of the tree and the difficulty of dealing with an angry neighbor. Mr. Marshall calmed the waters with the neighbor while he drafted a plan of removal that took a lot of experience, professionalism and expertise. The removal went exactly according to his plan and was expertly performed by his regular crew (no pickup guys from the corner). From bid (totally reasonable), to performance and cleanup, Marshall was onsite and in charge. I can't praise him enough, but I can and do highly recommend this gentleman for any tree job that needs to be done. The Urban Lumberjack is the best referral I have received from Angie's List. Great guy, great job.

Steve is very responsive and thorough. Like me, he wants all the details and information so he can make the right call as far as next step. The entire process while working with The Urban Lumberjack was very professional. His guys were fast and very thorough. I would definitely hire them again.

Mr. Marshall came out to give me a free estimate on 8/29/15. He was very professional and knowledgeable. In fact, over the years I've had different arborists trim my trees and he is the most knowledgeable. He explained which ones I could do now and when the best time of year to trim the trees were, how each tree should be trimmed/pruned. I arranged for his crew to come out on 9/4 which they did on time. They were terrific. I also had three bushes removed including all the roots. The crew was on time and efficient and they cleaned up.

Service was very professional and courteous. Steve spent a lot of time explaining to us what his team would do and why and gave us some tips on caring for our trees. His crew did a great job, was always on time, and did some additional work on smaller trees that wasn't included in the original contract. We are very pleased with the results and would definitely hire again.

Steve was great, he came out for the initial consultation, confirmed that my tree was actually dead and scheduled a time for his crew to come out and take the whole thing down. The neighbors electrical and cable lines were caught up in the branches and his team was careful to leave them in perfect working condition. Later he came back out to pick up his final payment and spent time with my wife and me to diagnose some other minor issues with trees on our property. Really appreciated his professionalism and knowledge.

I sent pictures of the tree in my email, and after Steve saw them, he responded back and told me the tree was a lost cause, and referred me to another specialized company which may help me save two other adjoining trees. Although Urban Lumberjack did not actually perform an actual service for me, I was impressed by the professionalism of the response and the fact that they probably could have come out and wasted my time and maybe tried to upsell me on other services, but they obviously aren't that kind of company. On another note, I am not happy with the tree trimming services I have been using, I will be calling Steve when I need my several other trees trimmed.

I was unable to use this service before its expiration date. I had thought that the money paid would not be forfeited, but when I called Angie's List I was told that there is no refund nor can I have the money applied to a future service offer. I'm curious as to who got the money for the service not provided?

A technician came out to look at what I wanted. He told me that he would get back to me with an estimate. The estimate they sent did not include all of the work I discussed with them. I just needed a few trees trimmed. The technician was very polite but it made me nervous to know they did not pay much attention to the work I wanted done. I even contacted them back about the other tree and he said he did not remember that. He did not seem interested in resolving the issue. I had no problem scheduling them out initially.

I was impressed with Steve's attention to the trees health when he came to provide the estimate. I had several estimates, and none, except for Steve (Urban Lumberjack) noticed that a couple of the trees were not well rooted (you could move the trunks by pushing on them) which could result in a strong wind knocking them over. As a result, he suggested re-staking these trees. He also discussed what I was trying to accomplish with the trimming (e.g., light, reaching fruit). I actually thought a couple of my other fruit trees needed trimming, but on inspection, he persuaded me that they were not needed at this time. The price was very good for all the work done. The team of two that trimmed the trees were polite and efficient. I will note that the only time power tools were used was for large branches, otherwise they pruned by hand. The cleaned up very well. I did not find any trimmings left over, which usually is the case. They were very careful in the removal of the fig and hibuscus, which were tied up in my drip irrigation lines. If they had cut the lines, they would have had to be repaired, but no problems. Overall, I was most pleased and impressed. I will definitely be using them again. The Urban Lumberjack is a small business compared to the tree trimming firms tied to big nurseries. The personal focus and attention is much appreciated! Thank you.

I found Steve via the ISA website and have used him on a few occasions: On the first occasion, he went to a heavily landscaped property near Mount Olympus that we were looking at buying and gave us a very helpful assessment of the health of the trees on that property. We didn't end up buying that house, and on that occasion I only dealt with him via email and phone. However, I was very impressed by how knowledgable he was and how much he genuinely cared about trees. When we ended up buying another house in Benedict Canyon later in the year, he was the first person I thought to ask regarding the health of several oaks and pines on the property, as well as of the other trees closer to our house. He gave me clear instructions on how to care for the trees going forward (we had been concerned about overwatering, and he confirmed that this was the case), gave me a brief course in understanding trees and what they want, and advised me regarding what tree trimming was needed--mostly to get rid of dead branches and remove ivy that had climbed up one of the pines. Assessments cost us $135, with a verbal report (not a written one). I hired him and his crew to handle the tree trimming and ivy removal. He and his crew did an excellent job--exactly what they had said they would do and for the price that he quoted me. He was also very professional at every turn, calling to let me know when his crew was running late, and answering my husband's numerous questions that day. Tree trimming for quite a few trees cost $780. Overall, I highly recommend his services if you care about your trees and want them to thrive. Nice guy, very knowledgable, very professional.

Came promptly for estimate, spent about 45 minutes discussing our options. Stressed work that didn't need to be done at this time, tree care, previous gardeners' tree trimming booboos that he could rectify. Very professional and listened carefully to all of our dilemmas and concerns. Familiar with the tree species we have and explained clearly how the tree would look after trimming (shape). His being able to visualize the end result helped us decide whether and which branches (low hanging) to cut off. Sent his proposal by email promptly, also was bonded and insured (very important to us). We decided to do part of the work now and more at a later date, and Steve was extremely accommodating as to re-estimating prices and came to the house a second time to make sure everything could be done expeditiously. Made a very convenient appointment for a near date, workers (2) came exactly as planned at 7 a.m., even though one of the workers called in sick and so Steve needed to send a substitute. Their work was outstanding (I've seen a lot of tree trimmings in my 41 years at this address) and the pruned trees looked the best they ever have. The workers were so polite and professional, and took good care not to break the surrounding fuchsia limbs. They were interested in making sure I was pleased with the way the job was going, especially with a vine that I look at all day outside my kitchen window. Cleaned up perfectly, no damage to anything. Bottom line, although all the estimates we got from Angie's List were also fine, I trusted Steve the most to help my olive tree look its best (and not chopped off in all the wrong places).

Scott was fantastic and responsive to our urgent need for removal of a large tree. We had contacted Scott when our initial arborist company was having difficulty scheduling the tree removal, and it was somewhat urgent due to its impinging on a structure. Scott responded immediately to the voice mail and was professional and helpful throughout, even exploring whether there was some way to save the tree (as we were sad to have to remove it, but it was poorly located and we had run out of options). While we did not end up using The Urban Lumberjack, I cannot commend Scott enough for his professionalism and helpfulness on this initial interaction, and would not hesitate to give him a call in the future for similar services.

Steve was on time for our appointment......he walked around my whole property with me, looked at every tree and told me what was going on with them, if there was a situation...like aging, need more water, problem from drought, etc. I wasn't sure if they were ok and safe, with the news of the possible El Nino that was predicted-(ish) to come. But he said they were AOK, and did not need to be trimmed at this time, to save my money. For now. Love that.

Steve Marshal knows his trees. He is very generous with his knowledge which is great for a treeowner. His team came on time, did a great job, were careful not to trample any other plants and left everything clean and perfect.

After seeing my lemon tree in person, Steve very generously offered several DIY tips and tool recommendations to keep me and my husband from forking out money for licensed professionals we didn't really need. Turns out our tree is just plain overproducing, and needs us to show it who's boss. Armed with this new-found knowledge, and a few items from our local Home Depot, we now feel empowered to tackle this minor tree maintenance ourselves. Thanks to Steve for his honest advice!!

It was a large old maple probably 50 years old that had begun to rot and was becoming dangerous. It took 3 days to cut, remove the wood and clean the yard. The workers were courteous and did a great job on the tree and amazingly didn't trash the other plants around the tree. They cut some of the wood for me to burn in my fireplace. Their bid was much lower than the estimates of other companies.

I set up an appointment for Steve to come to my residence and give me an estimate for tree trimming. When I met him, he seemed professional and emailed me a reasonable quote, but the manner in which he engaged in the scheduling of the job was very unprofessional. I could not get him to reasonably schedule a time to come out (presumably it was too small a job), the details of which are listed below. On October 13, I responded to his email quote asking when he could come out. His response was "Hope to tackle next week". Not having heard from him, I emailed on October 23 asking about the status of trimming my trees. His October 24 email response was "Looking to combine this work with another job to make up a day. Will be in touch". Not having heard from Steve, I emailed him November 5th asking if he had given up on the job. He responded on the 5th saying he had been fully engaged in all-day jobs, but asked "Would a commitment to undertake the work next week suit your needs?" I responded on the 5th saying yes. Then, at 4:30 today (Nov 11th) he calls and says he will come tomorrow, but could not say when. Finally, after pressing him as to time, he agreed to a time between 10-12. I ended up canceling because in fact, this short notice was not convenient, it seemed clear to me as if job was too small to him, and an afterthought, and that he really could not care less about the job, or me as the customer.

This refund request is over 2 years old because I had forgotten about it, after a very negative experience with the tree guy, and finding a replacement, and all the other things that go into settling into a new house, I had forgotten about this until I logged in to Angie's list looking for some other services today. I had been living in my new house for a short time, when I decided to trim the overgrown and neglected Eucalyptus tree in my front yard. I used Angie's list on the referral of a neighbor (who incidentally complained a little about leaves blowing into her yard), and bought a coupon for 199 dollars that promised 400 dollars of service. From the moment the guy showed up, the experience with the Urban Lumberjack was like dealing with a used car salesman. You know it's not on the up and up. He asked me personal questions that were clearly intended to ascertain my personal wealth. He warned me of impending doom all over my property, that trees and overgrowth were going to damage my fence, house and garage. When I told him i just wanted the Eucalyptus tree trimmed, he asked me if I had a coupon, and I said yes. Then quoted me a price of 1200 bucks (1000 with the coupon). Asking me if I had a coupon before quoting the price was the kicker. The job should cost what it costs. Whether or not I have a coupon has nothing to do with it. I asked around and found another tree service that did the job for 800 bucks a few days later. I never used the coupon, and therefore would like a refund. Thank you. Eric Anderson

Steve Marshall is an extremely knowledgeable arborist. A very friendly man with great communication skills and a dog friendly person! He spent time on his weekend going over what we are doing right and wrong all invaluable information and we follow all of his suggestions. He recommended we remove a nectarine that is using water and not producing. Looked at our gigantic Mulberry and said to wait to trim till next year, (Surprising but OK). Some comments on our Avocado to change a branch support and told us to top our Tangerine. This was truly a free consultation. Thank You Steve from Amanda and Doug

It was him and an assistant. They completed the work in about three hours. He does the job well. He is upfront about the job.

The service went well. I was concerned about the roots and if it would eventually effect the foundation. Steve was very nice and helpful. My husband decided to trim the tree himself. I thought the estimate was reasonable. He was also very knowledgeable and gave us a lot great information. I would definitely consider using the company in the future for a tree service. I had no problem scheduling the estimate with him.

I was a bit surprised that they left so many small stumps which they covered with black plastic sheeting. I guess that was supposed to stop them from growing.

The gentleman started off quite pleasant until it came to the payment of the work. Before they even arrived, I told the man that I sleep in and I didn’t want to be disturbed when they came by. I was told by the gentleman not to worry about that and that everything would be fine. Around 8 in the morning, I was awoken by one of the crew members banging on my door asking to us my bathroom so we didn’t get started off on a great foot. They were initially late getting here, but at least they did call. After they finished the work, which was just mediocre, I was never given an invoice, but instead just received an email saying that I needed to send them a check for the work. We exchanged e-mails back and forth he made me feel like a dishonest person because he told me to contact my bank and straighten it out with them when there was a problem receiving the payment. I went online and printed out proof 2 separate times to show that I already sent the payment. In the end, he finally said thanks, but I would not use them again for the troubles I experienced and how I was treated.