We had a maple tree that had some branches that were dying and some discoloration in the leaves. We had Van Dykes come out to inspect the tree in August and said it was suffering from root girdling. They recommended that they come back do an air spade inspection and remove the girdling roots and quoted $265 plus tax. They came back three months later, removed about 3 inches of dirt around the trunk and said that if they cut the root the tree will die so they left it. The whole process took less that 15 minutes and I was charged almost $300. We I emailed to discuss my concerns, they did not reply.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $300.00
- Company Response
Hi Rick
Sorry for the delay in response, I was out of the country for Thanksgiving in the U.S. and am catching up now.
I am surprised at your e-mail as the invoice is exactly the amount of the estimate that I provided to you, that you authorized to proceed with (265.00 plus tax). I am the person that originally inspected the tree and felt that a girdling root was the problem, I could not do more during my initial inspection as I do not have x-ray vision. Therefore, I suggested air spading of the root system to verify my suspicion. During this process, since we have no idea where the girdling root is, it could take any where from 30 min to 3 hours. I provided you with my estimate at no charge and the cost was reflective of our minimum charge (two I.S.A. Certified Arborists and equipment – truck and air compressor and this includes travel time to and from your property and had it taken longer, I would not have charged you any extra. If you think about it, what does a plumber or any other repair person charge you just for the service call? What do you think would be a reasonable fee for my time, my men and my equipment?
In fact, I understand you were at home when the men completed the work and during their discussion with you as to the outcome of their excavation that the girdling root was too large to remove, you were extremely pleasant and completely understood that it will eventually kill the tree.
Sincerely,
Larry Van Dyke