# How to choose a tree service in Houston Source: https://thehoustonhomeowner.com/trades/tree-service Publisher: The Houston Homeowner (https://thehoustonhomeowner.com) > Texas has no tree service license, so ask for a certificate of insurance for general liability and workers' compensation sent directly from the insurer, prefer a company with an ISA Certified Arborist on staff, and never let anyone prune an oak between February and June. ## License Texas has no state license for tree trimming or removal. Anyone with a chainsaw and a truck can advertise. The International Society of Arboriculture certifies arborists through a voluntary exam, and that credential is the closest thing to a license. Your real protection is insurance, because tree work injures and kills workers and drops limbs on houses. No state license exists for this trade in Texas. Permits: The City of Houston regulates trees in the public right of way, including the strip between the sidewalk and the street, and removing or heavily pruning them requires city approval. Trees on private property are generally yours to manage, with exceptions in some deed-restricted neighborhoods and historic districts. Confirm with the Houston Permitting Center or the city's urban forestry office before touching a tree near the street. ## Walk away if - They knocked on your door after a storm or have out-of-state plates. - They cannot produce a certificate of insurance from their insurer, or the certificate does not list workers' compensation. - They recommend topping a tree. No certified arborist does this. - They will prune your live oak or red oak in spring, or they do not know what oak wilt is. - They want cash up front, or the quote is only good today. - They offer to work near a power line without CenterPoint being involved. ## Ask before you hire - Can your insurance agent send me a certificate for general liability and workers' compensation, with my address as the certificate holder? - Is there an ISA Certified Arborist on your staff, and will that person look at the tree? - What is your plan for the cuts, and will you paint oak wounds immediately? - How will you protect the roof, the fence and the lawn when the limbs come down? - Does the price include hauling the debris, grinding the stump, and cleanup? ## Houston specifics Hurricanes and tropical storms are the reason Houston has a tree service problem. After every storm, crews arrive from across the country, work for cash, and leave. Some are competent. The ones that are not can drop a limb through your roof, hurt a worker with no insurance, or take a deposit and disappear. The season to vet a tree company is before the storm, not the week after. Oak wilt is the second Houston-specific issue. It is a fungal disease that kills red oaks quickly and live oaks slowly, and it spreads through fresh pruning wounds carried by sap beetles and through connected roots. The rule is simple: no oak pruning from February through June, and paint every cut on an oak the moment it is made. A company that shrugs at this is not a company that should touch your oaks. Houston's flat, wet clay also matters for removals. Large trees in saturated soil can lean or uproot in wind, and a crew needs to assess the root plate before cutting. Ask the arborist what they see before they quote. Power lines are their own category. Only line-clearance qualified crews work near CenterPoint lines, and the utility handles trees contacting its equipment. A general tree crew that volunteers to work beside an energized line is a risk you should decline. ## Reading a tree service bid A complete bid names each tree and what will be done to it in arborist terms such as crown cleaning, crown raising, deadwood removal or removal to a stump, the height of the stump or the grinding depth, how the roof and landscape will be protected, whether the debris is hauled or left as chips, the cleanup, the timeline, and the insurance certificate attached. The company name on the certificate must match the company on the bid. ## Frequently asked **Do tree services need a license in Texas?** No. Texas has no state license for tree work. The ISA Certified Arborist credential is voluntary and is the best signal of training. Insurance is the thing to verify, because an uninsured crew that gets hurt on your property can become your problem. **When should I not prune oak trees in Houston?** Avoid pruning oaks from February through June, when the beetles that spread oak wilt are most active. If an oak must be cut in that window, every wound should be painted immediately. Oak wilt is fatal to red oaks and spreads through root systems to neighboring trees. **Can I remove a tree in my front yard in Houston?** On your own property, generally yes. In the right of way between the sidewalk and the street, the city regulates removal and pruning. Check with the city's urban forestry office before removing a tree near the street. --- The Houston Homeowner is an independent publication. We do not accept payment for placement, rankings, or reviews, and no home service company owns or sponsors this site.