ARTISTIC TREES INC

I knew I wanted a professional who had a chipper and shredder to do this job. The company was quite professional overall, and my only problem is with the price. Rene's estimate of $1350 ($1500 minus 10% coupon) was for 4 men for one day's work. An out-of-town arborist said that he himself couldn't charge that much, but that it was probably fair for the city. Three (not four) men arrived at 8:45 and were through in less than 3 hours. Since this wasn't close to one day's work, I phoned the company for a price adjustment, which including sales tax (this wasn't mentioned in the original estimate) became $1351.56, and Rene asked the guys to work a little while longer. Since the original job was finished, I said they could remove dead wood from other trees; they took a break, worked a little, (unfortunately pruning oaks without sealing) and when I realized they were just sitting in the truck waiting to leave, I paid the bill. Afterwords, I wondered if Rene thought that he had quoted me 1/2 day's work when he lowered the price just $100. I think his 1/2 day's rate of $750 would have been fair.

The team was very punctual and did a very good job. The job took two entire days and there was no additional fees. They cleaned up very well and my trees look great!

They did great. We give them the highest rating. The work looked good. They clearly described what they would do before they did it. They talked to us about all changes. They were neat workers.

Very prompt and punctual with estimate and work. Mr. Pina understood exactly what we wanted and what was needed. His estimate for the number of days required was spot on. The crew arrived on time and were very polite and professional.

They were able to come out right away. They did good work. The workers were friendly and professional. They answered any questions that we had. We would use them again.

Crew arrived punctually about 8 am. Crew coordinated work with the owner and worked carefully but efficiently. Crew cleaned up debris and chipped branches as they went along. Crew swept up after themselves. Crew was at my house for about 10 hours and left everything very clean even though they were very tired after working 10 hours in 95 degree heat.

I think they are good, but I would not call them excellent. They do good work and they are punctual. They do a good job of telling you what they are going to do, doing it quickly, following up, and cleaning up.

It went very well. He does a very nice job. He is always courteous and prompt. He is very professional. He cleaned up after himself. He is really good at returning my calls.

I called and left a message on a Saturday that I was interested in having my trees trimmed. They called back and left a message the following Wednesday apologizing for the delay in calling back and asked for me to call again if I was still interested. I called and left another message on Friday. Then I called again on Saturday and reached someone. They said they could probably send someone out Monday or Tuesday to give me an estimate. I said I would be working during the week and would really like to get an estimate that day. They said they did not think they could do that, but would check and call me back. They did not call back until Monday, but by then I had already gotten an estimate and scheduled service with another company.

Using Angie's List as a guide, I contacted Artistic Trees regarding possible removal and trimming of trees. Felix called and arrangements were made to come by to give us an estimate. He arrived on time and I showed him what I wanted to be done. He proved knowledgeable, gave me some suggestions and provided me with an estimate. Arrangements were made to have the work done the following week, which took 1-1/2 days. The crew arrived ready to go to work removing the large hackberry tree -- limb by limb -- using ropes to lower the heavy branches. The tree came down, piece by piece, with no problem or property damage. All the branches, debris and trunk were removed and cleared away. They did an equally great job pruning/trimming and shaping the other trees and hedges to our liking, and clearing everything away. The crew was hardworking, professional and very polite. I will definitely call on them again.

I called the office and Rene, the owner, responded within one day. He came out, surveyed the trees, and told us that we needed to get some mass off the one side to balance the trees. They would also trim them away from the roof and the chimney. He assured us that they would look great, but I must admit I had my doubts. At the same time, he listened to our ideas for the landscaping we are considering. He then sat down and drew up a plan that incorporated all we wanted and some ideas that would not have occurred to us. He gave us an estimate on both projects, and suggested we think it over and get back to him. We called back in 2-3 days and set up an appointment to get the tree trimmed. We have decided to get some other estimates on the landscaping because of the cost involved. The crew showed up on time, did a great job and did a thorough job of cleaning up the debris. Rene was right, the trees look great. We could not be happier.

He was here at the exact time he said he would be. He was very patient, thorough, and did very good work. He even gave me a senior citizen's discount and a discount for being an Angie's List member as well. They cleaned up and hauled away everything they were supposed to.

Terrific! They scheduled the service quickly; showed up earlier than promised; were completely responsive to my desires; worked efficiently and unobtrusively; did the job thoroughly; and cleaned up the whole yard, driveway and street frontage so you would never even know they were there. Best of all, they really know how to trim trees - both to achieve the desired result and shape and to insure the best health of the tree in the long run. Not cheap by any means, but a real Class Act professionally.

I had some difficulty contacting them by phone for an estimate (it was close to Christmas), but was able to get a call-back by sending an email. The survey and estimate were completed two days later and the estimator was very helpful and knowledgeable. The actual service was completed about 10 days later and the trees look great. A team of three performed the work. They were prompt, thorough and courteous throughout.

They did a good job of cleaning up. The guy that managed the job was very courteous, responsive, and answered any questions we had.

I was promised twice by their secretary, and even called a third time and left a message on the machine, and never heard back.

I contacted Artistic Trees, Inc. around 11 AM to inquire about their services. I was surprised when I was informed that an estimator would come to my home the same day! Felix showed up promptly at 4 PM and listened intently as I described the scope of the work I needed done. He explained the pruning process in great detail and painted a clear picture of exactly what he and his crew would do and what I could expect. Felix and his crew arrived right on time at 8 AM the next morning and got right to work. They worked quickly and efficiently and took great care not to damage my lawn decorations. They were all done by 9 AM! They cleaned up after themselves and left no trace of debris in my lawn or garden. Felix made certain that I was pleased with the work before he left the jobsite. My Oak tree looks beautiful and perfectly manicured and the palms look so good. I've noticed the neighbors craning their necks for a second glance when passing by. I could not be more pleased.

Rene Pena and Artistic Trees did an excellent job with our yard. Rene was very helpful with landscape design, and completed the job within a week. He took a backyard that was in shambles, and constructed a beautiful landscape with an incorporated kennel in the backyard. Rene was busy but still very responsive to the few drainage issues that remained after the project was completed. Several plants that died after the project were replaced without further charge. I would not hesitate to use Artistic Trees again, and I heartily endorse their company.

I called and left a message to ask about having what I thought was a hackberry tree removed from my back yard which is very narrow and fenced in. I was worried that the yard was too narrow to be able to get the tree out without damage. Mr. Pena called me back within a couple of days, told me how much it would cost and suggested having the stump ground out. He also told me it was a chinaberry and although they could remove the tree tomorrow the stump would be ground out later in the week. When I got home from work the next day the tree was gone and the day after that the stump was out. I never actually met the man; the entire exchange was performed over the telephone and fax machine. I was delighted with the work, the ability to handle the whole thing over the phone and the price. I have more yard work to be done and this is the company I will use!

It took a week to get the estimator out to the house (Felix), but he came at 11AM, and the tree was removed the same day. Clean up was great, with no mess left.

Came out and said the tree removal was not necessary.

I called Artistic Trees on a Sunday and left a message about wanting to have someone come out to the house to put together a quote for landscaping in the back yard. I also mentioned that I might need basic lawn/yard work done. The owner, Rene Pina, returned my call on Tuesday evening and told me that they had been busy with a number of calls over the weekend. He said he'd have someone call me back to schedule the quote, but no one ever did. I have never heard back from them.

Excellent work. They did the job as promised, for the same price as quoted by other companies. Their work was clearly superior to what I had done before. They do shape tree canopies, which is more than other companies do. Others just cut away the excess without too much attention to the overall tree shape. They also took care of a broken tile that cracked on our outdoor table when a branch fell on it. I had a request for some additional pruning and they did that as well, for no charge. The cleanup was first rate and the original job was done in one day as promised.

Rene Pena is the best landscape/yard consultant in South Texas. We got two other bids before using Artistic Trees. Both the losing bids were comprehensive $15k to $20k "solutions." This company doesn't work like that -- they know that a project like this is a long-term, multi-year relationship, not a "hit-it-and-git-it." The most impressive part of the work was the attitude: no nonsense, straight, effective, and to the point. The yard techs worked for three days, worked in the rain, and worked hard. We were impressed by their professionalism and efficiency. Mr. Pena returned a week after the job was done and did a walk-through, marking any left over issues with his magic spray can. The next day, those issues were gone. If you've got a big project, these folks know how to deal with you budget. And they do top quality work. It might indeed cost $15k to get it all done, but it'll be amortized, and it'll be with Artistic Trees. Hire em.

Outstanding service. They replied promptly and gave good advice on replacement bushes. Work was quickly accomplished as specified. Start (first contact) to finish took less than one week.