How to start a tree service business that bids well and works safely

Tree service is not a trade to learn on customers' houses. A removal next to a garage involves rigging heavy wood down over a roof, a chainsaw at height, and a ground crew working under it. Done well, it is skilled work with customers who remember who saved their roof. Done badly, it ends in injuries and claims. This guide assumes you have, or will get, real field training under experienced climbers. It covers the work, the safety and legal setup, equipment, how to bid, finding customers, and how storms and seasons shape the year.

What does a tree service company do?

• Pruning: crown cleaning (removing dead and broken limbs), thinning, raising canopies over driveways and roofs, and clearance from buildings.
• Removals: felling where there is room, and sectional dismantling with rigging where there is not. Crane-assisted removals for large trees over structures.
• Stump grinding and root removal, often sold as a separate line item.
• Storm response: trees on houses, cars and fences, hangers over driveways, and emergency tarping coordination with roofers.
• Plant health care (treatments, fertilization, cabling and bracing) for companies with certified arborists and the right pesticide licenses.
• Lot and land clearing for builders, with forestry mulchers or excavators.

Most new companies start with pruning, smaller removals and stump grinding, then add complex removals as their climbers gain experience and the company can afford cranes and bucket trucks.

What safety rules and licensing apply to tree work?

This is general information, not legal advice. Requirements vary by state and city.

OSHA. OSHA's tree care standards page says the tree care industry must comply with all of OSHA's general industry standards (29 CFR 1910). The topics it covers include walking-working surfaces and ladders, fall protection, personal protective equipment and electrical safety, plus injury recordkeeping. It lists ANSI Z133.1, Arboricultural Operations Safety, under national consensus standards, which OSHA notes are not OSHA regulations but do provide guidance on worker protection.

ANSI Z133. The International Society of Arboriculture, which serves as secretariat for the Z133 committee, describes Z133 as a U.S. safety standard for the arboriculture industry. ISA reports that ANSI has approved the revised Z133-2026 edition, Safety and Health Requirements for Arboricultural Operations, which replaced the 2017 edition (effective until May 27, 2026). ISA offers the digital edition free for individual use through its web store, and sells print copies. Get the current edition, train your crew on it, and write your own job briefing and emergency procedures from it.

Power lines. For workers who are not qualified for electrical work, OSHA's rule at 29 CFR 1910.333 sets a minimum clearance of 10 feet from overhead lines of 50 kV or below when working in elevated positions. Line-clearance tree trimming, meaning clearing around power lines on behalf of the utility that operates them, is covered by the separate 29 CFR 1910.269, which includes its own training requirements. If a tree is in the lines, call the utility and stay away.

Licensing and credentials. Some states and cities license tree work. California, for example, has a C-49 Tree and Palm Contractor license classification covering planting, maintaining and removing trees, including pruning and stump grinding. Some cities also require a permit to remove trees above a certain size or in protected areas. Check your state on our state startup pages and your city's forestry or permit office. Separately, the ISA Certified Arborist credential is a private certification; ISA says it requires training and knowledge in all aspects of arboriculture and that the program is accredited by the ANSI National Accreditation Board. It does not replace a state or city license. For plant health care, applying restricted use pesticides requires certification under federal law, according to EPA, and EPA adds that many state pesticide regulators require it for any commercial application, restricted or not.

Insurance. Get general liability that names tree removal as covered work, and get that confirmed in writing; ask your agent directly whether the policy excludes tree work. Add commercial auto for trucks and chippers and coverage for saws and gear. Workers' compensation rules for tree crews are set by your state; learn them before hiring. Customers and property managers may ask for a certificate before you start, so keep it ready to send. Certificates and additional insured requests are covered in our contractor insurance guide.

What equipment does a tree service need?

Buy the safety gear and climbing kit first. Rent the large machines until work justifies owning them.

• Personal protective equipment: helmets with face and ear protection, chainsaw pants or chaps, gloves, boots, high-visibility clothing.
• Climbing and rigging: saddles, climbing lines, lanyards, friction devices, rigging lines and blocks, a portable lowering device, slings and carabiners rated for the loads. Inspect and log them.
• Saws: top-handle saws for climbing, larger saws for felling and bucking, pole saws, hand saws, and sharpening gear.
• Chipper and truck: a chip truck and a brush chipper, which many new companies rent or buy used.
• Stump grinder: rent at first, or subcontract to a stump grinding company.
• Aerial lifts, cranes and loaders: rent with operators, or subcontract, until you have steady work for them.
• First aid and emergency gear on every job, including a plan for aerial rescue of a climber.

Where wood goes matters to cost. Line up dump sites for chips and logs (a mulch yard, a firewood processor, or farms and gardeners who take chips) before you start bidding.

How do you bid tree work?

Bid on site. Tree jobs vary too much for phone pricing, and photos miss the things that drive cost: the lean, decay, the drop zone, the fence and gas meter under the canopy, and how far the brush must be dragged to the chipper. Build each bid from:

1. Crew time for climbing or lift work, rigging, cutting and cleanup, from your own past jobs.
2. Equipment: chipper, grinder, lift or crane time, including rental minimums.
3. Disposal of chips and wood.
4. Risk: targets under the tree, access, and whether the job needs a crane.
5. Options: stump grinding, wood left in rounds or hauled away, cleanup level.

Put the scope in writing, including what happens to the wood and the stump, and how lawn damage from equipment is handled. Our pricing guide covers the hourly floor that every bid must clear. For storm work, set your rates before storm season and stick to them; you want customers who remember you as fair.

How do you find tree service customers?

• A website with photo intake. Let customers upload photos of the tree, its surroundings and any damage, so you can triage before the visit. A page per service and one for storm response helps search, too. See websites.
• A Google Business Profile with job photos showing rigging near structures and clean finished yards. See our Business Profile guide.
• Neighbors during every job. Tree crews draw attention. A yard sign and a door hanger on nearby houses bring the next pruning job on the same street.
• Roofers, fence companies, landscapers and property managers who see tree problems weekly and need someone dependable.
• Your past customers each winter, with a reminder to book pruning and removals before spring.

Storm requests also come through lead marketplaces, where a single request can reach more than one company. In its 2025 annual report, Angi explains that one homeowner request can turn into multiple leads, and that pros owe fees for consumer matches even when they never do the work. When several companies get the same request, the one that answers first gets the first conversation. A line that never goes to voicemail, and a way to tell a tree through a roof apart from a limb on the lawn, matter more than ad spend. Our AI receptionist answers every call and flags emergencies, and the tree service industry page shows the full setup.

Which systems should a tree company set up?

• A CRM that schedules bids, stores photos and site notes, and tracks equipment and rental needs per job. See our custom CRM.
• Online estimate approval with a deposit for crane jobs and large removals.
• Follow-up on open bids. Tree work is often postponed, not lost. A reminder before the next storm season closes a lot of it.
• A storm mode on the phone: a recorded message, a triage question for injuries or structures, and a callback list.

How seasonal is tree service across the US?

• North and upper Midwest: winter is good working time for many removals and dormant pruning, since frozen ground protects lawns and leaves are off. Ice storms and spring wind bring surges.
• Southeast and Gulf Coast: year-round work, with hurricane season bringing spikes in storm damage. Plan staffing and rentals around it.
• Plains and Midwest storm belt: thunderstorms and straight-line winds create sudden surges from spring through summer.
• West: fire-risk clearance and defensible space work in many areas, plus drought-stressed and dead tree removals. Local rules on vegetation clearance and protected species vary widely.

Pair tree work with services that use the same crew and trucks: stump grinding, landscaping and firewood. The full list of trade guides lives on the start hub. To set up storm-ready phone handling and a site that brings in planned work, request a free launch plan.

Frequently asked questions