Virginia's Trusted Tree & Landscape Experts

In many cases, our owners will be on-site during the tree or landscape construction project. In the event that they are not, our highly experienced crew and crew leader will ensure that the project is completed safely and efficiently. In the limited situations where a vendor (sub-contractor) is completing a portion of the project, we will communicate the situation with the customer, and no vendor will ever show up on a customer's property unannounced.

Insurance coverage for tree pruning and removal is not the same as general business liability, or landscaping insurance. Very few insurance companies write policies for tree care, and it is among the most costly business insurance to carry. Our company is fully insured with General Liability, Commercial Auto and Worker's Compensation insurance all of which specifically cover tree care operations. If a company without proper coverage has an accident or loss on your property you may be liable for any property damage or injuries that occur.

Yes and no. Quality safe and efficient work in any trade isn't cheap, but it doesn't have to break the bank either. While the impression may be that professional tree companies are more expensive, this isn't always the case. Especially when considering the potential risks and long-term costs of hiring unqualified individuals. Spotswood Contracting and Tree Experts perform tree work everyday, year round. We strongly encourage all of our customers to get multiple estimates from other businesses. We are scaled to provide industry leading results with full-time employees that are paid w-2 wages and receive full employment benefits. We have invested in state of the industry equipment. We believe in a customer first approach to our service and pricing. All of our pricing is based on time, and our crew and equipment allow us to move through tree work safely and efficiently, which allows us to extend fair pricing to all of our customers. We think that after meeting us, you will be pleasantly surprised by how cost effective our services are.

Hiring a certified arborist ensures that your trees receive expert care and ethical maintenance, contributing to their health, safety, and longevity. Certified arborists possess specialized knowledge and training in tree biology, pruning techniques, disease diagnosis, and safe removal practices, which can prevent costly damage and injuries.

Contractors have gone through testing and background investigations by the Commonwealth of Virginia to ensure they meet the requirements to conduct business in Virginia. Class A licenses are not limited to a maximum project value, and are not limited to a maximum amount of business they can conduct in a calendar year. Class B and C licensees are limited by dollar value to both projects and yearly gross receipts. The class of license is separate from the specialty — for example, you can have a Class A license in painting and wall covering, but this wouldn't allow a business to contract for landscaping. Spotswood Contracting and Tree Experts holds a Class A license in both Residential and Commercial Building Contracting. This is what Virginia considers a "General Contractor," and our two specializations cover every individual specialty licensed in Virginia for both commercial and residential work, including landscaping and outdoor construction. A business license isn't a contractor's license. Anyone with an LLC or Corporation can get a business license in the county or city where they wish to do business. It is purely a way for the municipality to collect taxes on the business. It does not grant the business permission to do certain types of work or qualify them in any way. A business license is entirely separate from a Contractor's License. A contractor's license should be verified at the DPOR License Lookup.

In order to safely remove a tree the debris needs to be moved from the immediate work area for the safety of the crew performing the work, failure to do so is a violation of OSHA standards. We have specialized low turf impact equipment that aids in removing debris from the work area. Whether that debris is moved on site or into the trucks needed to move the crew and equipment to the jobsite makes no cost difference to us, so we don't charge extra for haul away.

Professional tree care companies invest heavily in their crews and equipment, they serve a wide variety of customers everyday. The cost of the stump grinding equipment is already included in the operating cost of the business, and usually needs to travel with the equipment that is being moved to serve customers everyday. While there are certain situations where stump grinding isn't necessary (e.g. areas where grinder access isn't possible, areas where it would hurt surrounding trees and vegetation), in areas where the stump would be an eyesore or dangerous we feel strongly that our customer should not pay extra for stump grinding on most stumps.

Topping is not only catastrophic for a tree, but it is also a waste of money. Research has found that most people top trees because of fear that the tree is becoming too large. By this, these well-intentioned folks mean that they fear for their safety or their buildings. But in most cases, topping just contributes to greater danger from the resulting proliferation of weakly attached sprouts and the entrance of decay that the tree will not recover from. A qualified arborist can make a recommendation for a pruning goal that will balance the customer's concerns with the health of the tree.

Spikes or spurs should never be worn by climbing arborists unless the tree is being removed, they should never be used for pruning. Proper pruning requires highly skilled climbers with proper training in tree health care. Climbing with spikes introduces hundreds of wounds deep into the tissue of the tree, causing the tree to have to expend energy to heal, and also allowing an entry point for pests, disease and fungus. We have specialized tree care lifts and professional climbers that are highly experienced in spur/spike free climbing.