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4 details of tree service packages people miss
Four package details buyers skim past: what the scope actually covers, who carries the risk, what triggers a change order, and what the warranty really promises.
What to take away
- The four details buyers miss in tree service packages are scope boundaries, risk allocation, change-order triggers, and warranty terms. Each one decides who pays when the job changes.
- A package that names its inclusions and exclusions in writing prevents most mid-job disputes.
- Change orders only work if the crew can pause work and get written approval before continuing.
- Warranty language should state the term, the exclusions, and who authorizes goodwill callbacks.
- Price the package from crew hours, disposal cost, and equipment day rates, not from a competitor's flyer.
This article covers business operations for tree care companies. It is not arboricultural, legal, tax, or safety advice. Licensing, permits, utility clearance, and employment rules vary by state and municipality.
Confirm requirements with your state labor department, your city or county permit office, or a certified arborist trainer. Do this before you commit to a scope.
In Canada, the second market for this site, the province sets the equivalent rules. Check the provincial labour ministry and municipal bylaws there. The four details of tree service packages people miss are named below.
The four details, in one line each:
- Scope boundariesinclusions and exclusions, written as separate lines.
- Risk allocationwho pays when a limb hits a fence or a crew finds a buried line.
- Change-order triggersthe events that stop work until the customer signs.
- Warranty termsthe term, the exclusions, and who authorizes a callback.
Why buyers skim the details that cost them most
A homeowner comparing three quotes reads the price and the completion date. Everything else gets a glance. That is exactly where the money sits.
The four details below decide who pays when a job turns. None are hidden on purpose. They are simply written in a way that invites skimming.
Detail one: what the scope actually covers
'Remove tree' is not a scope. It is a wish. A scope names the tree, the access route, the disposal method, and the condition of the ground when the crew leaves.
Scope inclusions vs exclusions
Inclusions
- Labor
- Included
- Chipping
- Included
- Hauling
- Included
- Stump grinding
- —
- Root pruning
- —
- Permit fees
- —
- Turf restoration
- —
Exclusions
- Labor
- —
- Chipping
- —
- Hauling
- —
- Stump grinding
- Excluded
- Root pruning
- Excluded
- Permit fees
- Excluded
- Turf restoration
- Excluded
Write inclusions and exclusions as separate lines. Inclusions:
What the scope covers
- labor
- climbing or lift time
- chipping
- hauling
- stump treatment if sold
- site protection
Exclusions: stump grinding, root pruning, permit fees, utility coordination, and restoration of turf or fence.
The exclusion list is the part buyers miss. A customer who assumes the stump goes with the tree will call back angry, and that callback costs a crew hour you did not price. Working those boundaries into a readable offer is the job of how to structure tree service packages.
The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) maintains the Certified Arborist credential. An ISA Certified Arborist can help translate tree condition into scope lines. ANSI A300 standards cover pruning and tree care practices, but your written scope still controls the job.
Typical U.S. rates for those lines: crew hours run about $75 to $150 for a two or three person crew. Disposal and tipping fees run $150 to $400 per truckload. A bucket truck with an operator runs $500 to $1,200 per day. Treat those as ranges, not quotes. Your market, travel distance, and dump site move them.
Detail two: who carries the risk
Risk allocation is the sentence nobody reads until something breaks. It answers three questions: what happens if a limb lands on the fence, who pays if the crew finds a buried line, and what the customer must disclose before work starts.
Customer disclosure before work starts
- Known irrigation lines
- Septic fields
- Invisible fencing
- Prior work on the property
- Utility locate confirmed via 811
Put the disclosure duty on the customer in writing. Ask for known irrigation, septic fields, invisible fencing, and any prior work on the property. If they do not disclose it, the repair is theirs.
Confirm utility locate requirements with your state one-call service and the utility owner, and call 811 before you dig. Ask that service for the notice period your state requires. In Canada, the equivalent is the provincial one-call service, and the number differs by province.
Do not treat a locate as optional on any job where roots or soil will be disturbed. ANSI Z133 sets safety practices for arboricultural operations, and your insurer may expect them.
Detail three: what triggers a change order
A change order is a pause, not a conversation. The crew stops, the estimator revises scope and price, and work resumes only after written approval.
How a change order runs
- Crew stops work
- Estimator revises scope and price
- Customer signs written approval
- Work resumes
Name the triggers in the package. Common ones: a hollow trunk discovered after the climb, a customer asking for an extra tree, a fence panel that must come out, or a neighbor's shed closer than the quote assumed.
Put a number on each trigger. One added crew hour or $500 of added cost is a workable threshold for most residential jobs. Name yours in the package so the crew knows when to stop.
Give one person authority to approve the change and one person authority to refuse it. Verbal approvals fail when the invoice arrives. The arithmetic is simple: original scope price plus added crew hours times the hourly rate plus added disposal cost equals the revised price.
At $125 per crew hour and a $250 disposal load, four added hours add $750 to the invoice. Substitute your own figures.
Detail four: what the warranty really promises
Warranty covers workmanship, not biology. A tree that dies from drought two seasons later is not a workmanship failure. Say so before the customer assumes otherwise.
State the term, what is covered, what is excluded, how the customer gives notice, and who inspects. Then name who can authorize a goodwill callback and at what cost ceiling.
Typical terms in this trade run 30 days to one year. Take the short end for removals and storm work, and the long end only for pruning on trees that were healthy at the start. Cap goodwill callbacks at one crew hour plus the disposal load, which lands near $225 to $550 at the rates above.
Track callbacks by cause and cost every month. A callback rate climbing on one crew signals a training gap, not a warranty problem. Pricing the work behind those terms is covered in how to price tree service jobs.
Sample clause language you can copy
Sample clause language
| Clause | Sample language |
|---|---|
| Scope | "Removal of one 60 foot spruce, including chipping and hauling. Stump grinding, root pruning, permit fees, utility coordination, and turf restoration are excluded." |
| Risk | "The customer will disclose irrigation, septic fields, invisible fencing, and buried utilities before work starts. Undisclosed items are repaired at the customer's expense." |
| Change order | "Work stops when the added cost reaches $500 or one crew hour. The revised price is the original price plus added crew hours at the stated rate plus added disposal. Work resumes on written approval." |
| Warranty | "Workmanship is warranted for 90 days from completion. Tree death, disease, storm damage, and regrowth from an untreated stump are excluded. Goodwill callbacks are authorized in writing by the estimator, up to one crew hour." |
Have a lawyer review the wording before you publish it. This block is a starting point, not legal advice.
Piloting a new package on three jobs before you sell it
Test a new package on a few jobs before it reaches the website. Watch the same four details: scope drift, risk surprises, change-order frequency, and callbacks.
Whether the crew has the machines to deliver the package is a tree service equipment and setup question. Answer it before the pilot, not during it.
Retiring a service that no longer earns its crew hours
Review each service against demand, crew strain, equipment use, and cash cycle. Set the review date and the threshold before the review, so the decision is not personal.
Which lines actually carry the margin is the question in most profitable tree service packages. Cut the ones that do not, and tell past customers where that work now goes.
Checking your claims against federal advertising and safety rules
Advertising claims must be truthful and supported, and endorsements must reflect honest experience with material relationships disclosed. The Federal Trade Commission guide for small business sets out what that means for a service business.
On the safety side, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration tree care overview lists the service categories in this trade and the hazards that come with them. Use it to check that your package names match the work you are actually insured and trained to do.
The Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA) runs an accreditation program for tree care companies. TCIA and ISA resources can help you check that your package matches your training and insurance.
Neither source tells you what your state requires. Your state labor department, the OSHA area office for your state, and a certified arborist trainer hold that answer. In Canada, the provincial labour ministry and municipal bylaws hold it instead.
Worked example: a change order on a removal
A crew quotes a 60-foot spruce removal at a fixed price, with chipping and hauling included. Two hours in, the climber finds a hollow cavity above the first fork.
Revised price on the spruce removal
- 60 ftspruce removal quoted
- 2 hrsin before hollow found
- Original priceplus added crew hours
- Added disposal costadded to total
The crew leader stops work. The estimator visits, confirms the tree must come down in smaller sections with a rigging setup, and issues a revised scope. The customer signs before the crew restarts.
The revised price equals the original price plus the added crew hours times the hourly rate, plus the added disposal cost. Nothing about the tree changed the contract. The change order did.
Common questions
Do I need a written package at all?
Yes, once you sell more than one type of job. A written package settles the scope question before the crew arrives and gives you something to point at when a customer disputes an invoice. It does not need to be long.
What if the customer refuses to sign a change order?
Stop the work and document why. Continuing without approval means you carry the cost of the added scope. Most customers sign once they understand the alternative is an unfinished job.
How long should a warranty run?
Typical terms run 30 days to one year. Pick 90 days on workmanship for removals and up to a year for pruning on a healthy tree. State the exclusions clearly, and check the wording with your insurer before publishing it. The term matters less than the clarity.
Who should own the package document?
The person who controls estimating owns it day to day. The owner sponsors the decision. Review the document when services, equipment, staffing, or regulations change, and date every version so crews know which one is current.
