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Beechwood Tree Answers Your Frequently Asked Questions
Looking for professional tree services in the Greater Toronto Area? Our team of Certified Arborists is happy to help you take care of your trees in Peel and Halton Regions, as well as in Etobicoke. You can request a free estimate for a tree removal or (re)planting, branches pruning, and more. At Beechwood Tree, we are also here to inform you on our quality industry accepted practices. Here are some of the questions our clients ask most often:
Do I need permission to cut down a tree on my residential property?
Not all instances of arboriculture work require permission from local municipal departments. Under certain circumstances, as well as with select species, any necessary work may be done as required. Each locality we serve has varying degrees of what is freely permitted for residents, depending on their specific tree by-laws. Feel free to give us a call or send us an email and we can provide guidance. We will help put these regulations and processes in perspective as well as indicate how required documentation can be obtained.
Can I prune my neighbour's branches that are overhanging my residential property?
Yes you can. We recommend this be done within reason and with discussion with the tree's owner as a good neighbour policy. This will also help avoid altercation with the property owners and possibly with the arborists contracted to do the work. Also, permission may be needed to access the tree and property to ensure proper pruning cuts are done. Just cutting the limbs to the property line may cause dieback especially on mature trees and leave ugly stubs or dead limbs. There should be no more than 20% of the trees canopy removed to avoid affecting the tree's health and vigour and or causing the tree to go into decline. A responsible arborist will be willing to discuss these issues with the tree's owner before the work is to be done.
Does your service company do direct billing for insurance work?
Regretfully at this time, we are unable to provide direct billing for insurance work purposes.
What payment methods do you accept?
Presently, Beechwood Tree accepts service payments by cash and credit cards. Do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.
My neighbour told me I would need a tree removal permit, how much does it cost?
First of all, a tree removal permit is not required for all instances of arboriculture work. Permit costs vary from one GTA municipality to another. For example, Etobicoke (Toronto) does have a non-refundable cost of $100.00 per application and does not necessarily provide assurance requests. In the City of Brampton, permits are not charged; however, an application may still be required depending on the circumstances or types of work involved. Read our arboriculture by-laws page concerning Etobicoke, Mississauga and Brampton for more insight.
What purpose does an arborist report serve?
In some instances, such as construction, landscape redevelopment, or when a private homeowner intends to remove a tree from a residential property, an arborist report may be required. Obtaining such a document provides legal evidence to the city’s by-law permit issuing office that all necessary legal considerations have been brought into awareness. This assures alternative choices to removal have been explored and considered prior to commencement of any such arboriculture work. It is important to note that these types of documents are not required in some circumstances. Beechwood Tree's qualified Certified Arborists can guide you through these process requirements; we do this every day.
What types of insurance coverage are you protected by?
Our workers are covered by the Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) for protection against personal injury.
What do you do with my tree after it is cut down?
Post-work disposal handling is typically decided upon during our cost estimate discussion. Depending on what your preference is, it may be cut into firewood sized logs, smaller diameter branches may be shredded into mulch and left behind for your yard work, or we can haul everything away.
Why can't you provide service cost estimates by telephone?
In most cases, providing service cost estimates by telephone is not possible. Even two identical trees of the same species and height will often be quoted differently. This is because the terrain or environment factors where the trees are located will most certainly influence our action: utility lines, obstacles, height, or hardness of wood based on type. Can we cut branches from the ground, or do we have to climb the tree to do so? Whether we can simply let the cut branches fall or need to rope them down must also be taken into account. In case of a removal work, we have to decide with you what to do with the tree after it has been cut down: hauling, mulching or else. In brief, we must perform an on-site inspection to determine cost estimates of tree removal or care to provide you with a fair quote.
How often should I prune branches?
There are various factors affecting natural pruning cycles. For the most part it depends on climate, species, age, as well as other environmental considerations affecting growth. If you are not familiar with the types of trees and bushes growing on your residential property, and their proper care methods, Beechwood Tree's highly skilled, professionally trained and friendly staff will be glad to answer your questions.
