Hiring a company to perform a service can be a vulnerable experience. A certain amount of trust is involved, whether hiring a mechanic, an electrician, or an arborist. We all want to know that our money will be well spent. We want to know that the professionals we hire are qualified and properly trained. When hiring someone to work on your trees, it’s important to understand the difference between the Certified Arborist, and the licensed arborist.
The Certified Arborist vs. the licensed arborist
Many people confuse these terms, but the difference is simple. A license allows the arborist or tree company to legally perform their work. A certification verifies that they are actually trained and qualified to perform that work. It’s important to know that in Washington arborists are required to be licensed, but they aren’t required to hold any certifications whatsoever.
Some industries, such as the electrical trades, are heavily regulated by the state government. Electricians must be certified first in order to receive their license. The Department of Labor and Industries scrutinizes this process to ensure that several requirements are met. These include classroom hours, providing proof of work experience, and passing a comprehensive examination. When you hire a licensed electrician, you know that L & I has verified that they have met the basic training qualifications for their trade. In contrast, arboriculture and tree work are almost entirely unregulated. To receive a license to perform tree work in Washington, L&I requires proof of liability insurance and a bond, but nothing more. No proof of formal education, training, or work experience is required. Hiring an arborist who is licensed, bonded and insured is an important first step in protecting your property and assets. It assures that you can be compensated if damage occurs to your property in the course of the work. However, it doesn’t assure that the people you hire actually have the proper knowledge and training. This is where certification becomes important.
Many industries offer some form of certification, often through a third-party process. Certification of arborists is done through the International Society of Arboriculture. The ISA was founded in 1924 and currently has chapters throughout the U.S. and in many other countries. It continues to be one of the foremost organizations working to advance modern arboriculture though scientific research, professional training, and public awareness.
ISA Certification is an entirely voluntary process. It verifies that the arborist has met a basic standard of knowledge, training, and experience. Candidates must have a minimum of 3 years full-time experience in a field directly related to arboriculture, or a combination of work experience and a related college degree. Candidates are given a comprehensive exam to test their knowledge in a variety of areas. These include tree biology, soil science, pruning, safe work practices, water management, plant pathology, and several other topics. Once certified, arborists must complete continuing education credits in order to re-certify every three years.
It’s important to remember that certification doesn’t guarantee quality of work. Large tree removal, or managing difficult disease and pest issues, requires years of experience that can not be fully covered in a certification process. Indeed there are excellent companies and skilled arborists who have chosen not to pursue certification. Unfortunately, unsafe and incorrect practices are extremely common in tree work, and many of these practices are incredibly damaging to the health, structure, and value of your trees. These practices persist despite the continued development of strong industry standards. When you hire a Certified Arborist, you are hiring someone who has shown commitment to following and advancing those standards.
Trees are a resource. Well maintained trees improve property values and provide countless economic as well as social benefits to our communities. Incorrectly managed trees squander those benefits and create public safety hazards. When you hire a Certified Arborist you are not only seeking out a higher standard of work and professionalism, you are supporting the advancement of the industry itself.