10/30/2026
🚨 Would you hire an unlicensed builder to build your $400,000 home?
Probably not.
So here’s a better question…
Why would you hire a tree company that doesn’t have an ISA Certified Arborist overseeing the work being performed on your property? 🌳
Before you say, “Well, they’ve been cutting trees for 20 years,” consider this:
Someone can swing a hammer for 20 years and still not understand how to properly engineer a house.
Experience is important. But experience alone doesn’t prove competency.
And here’s where things get interesting. 👇
Most homeowners assume that if a company advertises professional tree services, someone on that crew must have professional arboricultural qualifications.
That’s simply not true.
In Michigan, a tree company generally isn’t required to have an ISA Certified Arborist on staff. Yet… We are working on changing that. 😁
Read that again.
Someone can start a tree company, purchase equipment, advertise themselves as a tree professional, and begin working on trees worth tens of thousands of dollars without ever earning an arborist certification.
Now ask yourself this…
🌳 Does your tree actually need to be removed, or does the company just want to remove it?
🌳 Are those branches being pruned for a specific structural objective, or is someone simply cutting whatever looks good? Are they explaining the biological and physiological responses to pruning your tree?
🌳 Does the person making those decisions understand how a tree responds biologically to pruning?
🌳 Can they recognize structural defects, unfavorable branch aspect ratios, included bark, or potential failure points?
🌳 Do they understand how improper cuts today can create serious structural problems 5, 10, or 15 years from now?
Here’s what should concern every homeowner:
You might never know the company made a mistake.
Not tomorrow. Not next week. Maybe not even next year.
But years later, when decay develops, weakly attached regrowth fails, or a structurally compromised limb comes down during a storm…
The company that performed the work is long gone. And you’re left dealing with the consequences.
That’s why hiring an ISA Certified Arborist matters.
Certification demonstrates that an individual has met professional experience and examination requirements covering tree biology, identification, pruning, risk assessment, and other critical areas of arboriculture.
Does certification guarantee perfection? No.
But it gives homeowners something important:
An independently verified professional qualification instead of simply taking someone’s word that they know what they’re doing.
At Five Star Tree Solutions, we believe that if you’re trusting a company to make decisions affecting your property, your investment, and your family’s safety, you deserve qualified professional oversight.
So before you hire your next tree company, ask them one question:
“Who is the ISA Certified Arborist responsible for evaluating my trees and overseeing my project?”
And if they can’t give you an answer…
Maybe you should ask yourself why you’re trusting them with the job.
💬 Here’s a question for homeowners: Did you know that a tree company can operate in Michigan without having an ISA Certified Arborist on staff?
We’re genuinely curious how many people knew this.
🌳 Five Star Tree Solutions
Veteran-Owned | ISA Certified Arborist
📞 269-225-3177
🌐 fivestarpsllc.com
Anyone can claim to be a tree expert. Not everyone has demonstrated the knowledge to back it up.
Kalamazoo Michigan's go-to tree care experts. At Five Star Tree Solutions there is no job too big or too small. Call today for a free no-obligation estimate (269) 215-5474!
