Arborist vs. Tree Service: Who Should You Call in Orlando?

Search for help with a tree and you'll see three kinds of companies: arborists, tree services, and landscapers. They overlap, but they are not the same, and calling the wrong one is how healthy trees get topped and dangerous ones get missed.

What an arborist does

An arborist specializes in the care of individual trees. That means diagnosing why a tree is struggling, judging whether it's safe to keep, and pruning or removing it in a way that respects how trees actually grow and heal. Good arborist work follows the ANSI A300 pruning standards: proper cuts at branch unions, no topping, no stubs.

Tree service vs. landscaper

• A tree service focuses on trimming, removal, and stump grinding. The best ones bring arborist knowledge to that work; others just bring a saw.
• A landscaper mows, plants, and maintains beds. Many will trim small trees, but large trees, trees over houses, and anything storm-damaged belong with a tree specialist.

When you need arborist-level judgment

• The tree is leaning, cracked, or has mushrooms or fungus at the base.
• Part of the canopy is thinning or dying back and you don't know why.
• You're deciding whether to keep or remove a big oak near the house.
• You need documentation, like a hazard evaluation for a permit, an HOA, or insurance.

Questions to ask any tree company

• Can you show me your liability insurance and workers' compensation coverage?
• Do you prune to ANSI A300 standards, and do you ever top trees? (The right answer is no.)
• What exactly is included: cleanup, haul-away, stump grinding?
• What's your recommendation, and what are my other options?