The Davey Tree Expert Company

Just got an estimate for trimming a tree that hangs over our roof. Prompt arrival time, very professional. Turns out our neighbor is going to take ca of the tree, so we didn't have to hire anyone.

The estimater, Shawn Siefers, discussed what I wanted and made good suggestions. The work was performed skillfully and the cleanup was meticulous. I have recommended the company to several friends.

Price was as estimated. Crew came on time and left things cleaner than when they came. They answered questions and made adjustments when asked.

I also intend to file a complaint with the DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (the presiding licencing agency.)

Care of Trees was able to send an estimator out the same week I called and left the proposal in my door (estimator came while I was at work). Their $500 proposal was reasonable (a couple other estimates I received were $900 and $650), however I had one other estimate that beat their price at $385.

Responsiveness was unsatisfactory. Company failed to provide an estimate following an appointment with the Arborist. After more than one month with no contact, I moved to another company.

I contacted the company and they came out very promptly to look at the work I wanted to have done. Zana was our representative and she listened and respected the fact that we were pretty particular about which branches we wanted down. She took notes and emailed me an estimate. We were leaving for vacation so did not get it back to her for a couple of weeks but she then scheduled the work fairly quickly.The gentlemen arrived early! They conveyed that Zana had told them our preference to have certain branches taken down so I walked around with the foreman and showed him which branches. Zana also came to get them started and to make sure I was happy with the service.They were here about 2 1/2 hours and did a great job of pruning exactly the amount we wanted. They cleaned up and were on their way.

We are very pleased with the work that was performed. The company is a sound outfit and its employees are polite and knowledgeable.

They are exceptional, awesome. They did exactly what they said they would do. They cleaned up after themselves. They are my favorite and I refer them to everybody.

We had had the tree topped. The arborist told us that he would trim to the tree the following spring to help it to regain its shape. The person who trimmed the tree cut the tip from each branch which encouraged branching at the tips of the branches. When I called to complain about the outcome of the trimming, the arborist blamed us for having topped the tree. Then, he came out and cut a few branches to help clear some of the damage the trimming by his technician had caused. The black walnut tree dropped many walnuts in the back yard. The arborist told us he could inject it with a chemical to help to diminish fruiting over time. The person who came to inject the tree had to make two trips. The injection did not diminish fruiting the first year. We were promised only that it would diminish over time. We did not have the tree injected again.

Our overall experience was positive until 2011 when a Care of Trees staff member failed to notice that the leaves of an eight foot evergreen laurel were turning brown and falling off. Our primary Care of Trees arboist subsequently examined the shrub in Autumn 2011 and agreed that the plant was dying. She said that Care of Trees would replace the shrub during Spring 2012 per our contract. I contacted the arborist frequently during the Spring and into Summer 2012. I was offered replacement laurels that were less than half the height of the one we had lost. I spent considerable time going to local nurseries to locate a replacement laurel. I finally told the arborist that given the lack of laurels of equal size, I would replace the laurel with another type of plant and we agreed that I would be reimbursed for the cost of the replacement shrub. I bought a replacement shrub on 4 June 2012 and faxed the receipt, as requested, to Care of Trees on 5 June 2012. The replacement shrub, a seven foot holly, was $159.99, on sale from $167.99. The delivery fee was $55.00 and the planting fee was $65.00. The total cost was $279.99. Losing a shrub to contractor oversight when they had been specifically brought on contract to take care of the plants was bad enough. Having to regularly call the arborist or the Care of Trees office to find out when I would be reimbursed was added insult to injury. My last call to the arborist was on 19 July 2012. She stated that she had mailed two gift cards on the previous Monday (16 July 2012). Care of Trees would not simply send me a reimbursement check for their failure; they required their arborist to put the cost of two gift cards on her business credit card. The reason for this tomfoolery was not clear. Nor did I care how they reimbursed me. The delay in doing so was unnecessary and unprofessional on their part. I received two gifts cards the next day (20 July 2012). One was for $100.00, the other for $50.00. In the end, Care of Trees didn't reimburse me for the full cost of the replacement shrub, nor did they reimburse me for delivery or planting. My total out-of-pocket cost for their error was $129.99 or 46% of the cost. The time that I spent running to nurseries and having to keep on top of them to reimburse me was not addressed at all. I will not use Care of Trees again.

Submitted a request for someone to come out and take a look at our trees to see how healhy they were and if we needed to trim any of them back. Someone called to schedule an appointment and I asked if they could come out on a Saturday. They company said they will check and get back to me within one day. I never heard back from them. Seemed like a good company but lack of follow up disinterested us from calling them back.

These trees were located on a small lot and somewhat confining since the homes are very close to one another. I had contacted several other tree services and received quotes from them. The Care of Trees provided us with the lowest estimate which we don't always go with. After tallking to the District Manager and provided him with details of the job, he asked appropriate questions and came across as being in tune with what we needed done. After several modificatons to our agreement, we decided to go with The Care of Trees and have been very satisifed with their performance and professionalism. Because it started to rain on the day they started their work, they were unable to clean up the yard. The District Manger contacted me and assured us that they would come the next day to clean up and they did. They performed at a very high level for a very good price.

They were very responsive and professional. They talked us through how to maintain the older trees and really spent time with us explaining how to get as much life as possible out of them.

I later wrote the following short thank-you note to the arborist who had given us the estimate: "Just a short note to say how impressed we are by the superb job your three young men performed on Friday. The pruning of the overgrown holly, especially, far exceeded our expectations! Congratulations and thanks for having such skilled professionals on your staff!"

See above All of the trees that Zana and her team moved for us have sprouted in the past ew weeks (Feb-Mar 2013). While the trees are not "out of the woods", so to speak, we are hopeful. This is wonderful!

They were pretty friendly and I think their price is towards the higher end. They are nice and on time when they came out for a quote.

They did a beautiful job saving a plum tree that I had planted in the wind. They got it standing until the roots got in there and it is now 15 feet tall and beautiful. They are great if you have sick trees. It is $200 a year for the membership. Their prices are a little high.

There are a lot of tree people around that just want to cut down trees or do lousy trimming jobs but this outfit does not fall under that category. They did a better job than what we’ve had done by others in the past. They are very reasonable, maybe a little more expensive than others but you absolutely get what you pay for.

They were very efficient and well done.

Our yard had a huge number of small stumps from unwanted trees and shrubs that were previously cleared. The Care of Trees workmen dug up the stumps (leaving the good trees and plants in tact!) and cleared away the garden debris. They were thorough and professional and did a terrific job.

James Powell was very professional and knowledgable during our meerting, including providing detailed comments on some of the pests that had damaged my trees. In the promised time, he emailed me an estimate which was a very competitive price on the work. All of the work was done very well so that it was almost as if the trees had never been there. I give them an A overall - my only complaint is that they did not respond for more than a week after they received my email confirming the work (reply receipt noted) and I got the call that they were coming the same day I was about to call them about the lack of response. I would use them again for tree care.

They came right out and I gave them the business because they showed up. I think the price was about what I expected. They were very professional and I didn’t feel like we needed to see anyone else after they showed up.

Zana, the arborist, accommodated my schedule and came out after hours on a Friday to give me an estimate on replacing the tree in my front yard. She suggested the best type of tree for the space and the sun exposure, and followed up with me over several rounds of emails when I had additional questions. I was having some other work done in my house and asked if Care of Trees could remove the stumpand plant the new tree on the same day, saving me having to take additional time off work. I also asked that they do the work first thing in the morning, as I had family coming into town later in the day. They arrived at 8:00 and the job was complete in about an hour. Zana had found a beautiful crepe myrtle in the blossom color I had requested. Ryan and Marciel were professional and efficient, protecting the adjacent windows and nearby vehicles from their equipment. They made sure that I was satisfied with the placement of the new tree before they finalized the planting. They also did some light pruning of boxwood hedges that had gotten a little scraggly, and provided advice about general mainenance of my front yard. They patiently answered all my questions, and left me a happy homeowner with a new tree.

They came on time and got to work. Jim, the guy who did the estimate came at the beginning and got the crew to work. He then left which led to the one problem that occurred later. I had another contractor there cleaning the underground drain lines that originate from my downspouts, and they kindly worked around them. The one problem that occurred was that at first they did not remove all the dead wood scattered around my backyard. They started packing up, and I walked the backyard to check their work. I told them there was still dead wood on the ground. They said they had removed all the wood they generated and then some. I said, no, the job was to remove all dead wood even the stuff they did not generate. They said they were done. I called Jim and said I don't know if the miscommunication was between Jim and me or Jim and his crew, but the proposal said all dead wood. Jim said no, they misunderstood. He called his crew, and they seemed to argue with him that it was another hour of work, but agreed to do it. Jim called me back and said they would do it. I told him, it was all of 20 minutes of work (which it was). I then stayed in the backyard and made sure they got everything.