Two policies matter, and the second is the one people forget. General liability covers damage the company does to your property. Workers' compensation covers their people if someone is hurt on your land — and without it, an injured worker's claim can land on your homeowner's policy, which is also how a company can honestly undercut everyone who carries it. Ask for both certificates to be sent directly by the insurer or broker rather than forwarded by the contractor, check the policy dates cover your work date, and check the named insured matches the entity on your contract exactly, because trading names and registered entities frequently differ. Credentials belong to people rather than companies: a firm can employ a qualified person and send a different crew, so ask who will actually be on site. Work near conductors requires line-clearance qualification, which is regulatory rather than optional.
The verification matters more than the claim
- 2. Verify individual arborist credentials with the issuer
- 3. Confirm pesticide credentials for treatment work
- 4. Ask who owns or operates specialized equipment
- 5. Make crane, line-clearance and other subcontract relationships explicit
What to verify, and how
Each of these takes a few minutes and the last column is the part that matters — a document forwarded by the contractor is not verification.
| Item | Why | How to verify |
|---|---|---|
| General liability | Damage to your property | Certificate sent by the insurer or broker |
| Workers' compensation | An injured worker on your land | Same — and check it is current |
| Named insured | Must match who signs your contract | Compare the certificate to the contract |
| Policy dates | Must cover your work date | Read them |
| Line-clearance qualification | Required for work near conductors | Ask who on site holds it |
| Arborist certification | Held by a person, not a company | Ask whether a certified arborist will be on site |
| Contractor registration | Vermont requires it above a threshold | Secretary of State, online |
| Subcontracting | You want one accountable party | Ask who employs the crane operator and who insures them |
A company without workers' compensation can honestly undercut everyone who carries it. The risk transfers to you.
What to check, and with whom
Every item here is verifiable in a few minutes, and the verification matters more than the claim.
- The exact legal entity that will sign your contract
- Whether the certificate came from the insurer or the contractor
- Whether the policy dates cover your work date
- Who will be on site, and what they hold
- Whether any part of the work is subcontracted
What we cannot verify on your behalf
We cannot verify any company's current insurance on your behalf. That confirmation has to come from the insurer or broker, addressed to you.
12 questions this raises
Which insurance actually matters?+
Two policies, and the second is the one people forget. General liability covers damage the company does to your property. Workers' compensation covers their people if someone is hurt on your land — and without it, an injured worker's claim can land on your homeowner's policy. Of the two, the missing workers' compensation is the one that turns a cheap quote into a very expensive one.
How do I verify a certificate rather than just receive one?+
Ask for it to be sent directly from the insurer or the broker, not forwarded by the contractor. A certificate is a PDF and PDFs are editable. Check the policy dates cover your work date, check the named insured matches the entity on your contract exactly, and check the coverage limits are appropriate to what is under the tree.
What limit is appropriate?+
Enough to replace what is beneath the tree. A crew working over a shed needs less than a crew working over a house, and a crew working over a house needs enough to rebuild it. Ask what the general liability limit is and compare it, in your head, with the worst realistic outcome on your specific property. It is a judgement, not a fixed number.
What credentials are worth asking about?+
For work near conductors, line-clearance qualification, which is a regulatory requirement rather than a nicety. For assessment work, a formal tree-risk-assessment qualification. For general work, professional certification indicating the person has been examined on the subject. Credentials belong to individuals, not companies, so the useful question is who is actually coming to your property.
Is a certified arborist the same as a certified company?+
No, and companies sometimes blur this. Certification is held by a person who has passed an examination and maintains continuing education. A company can employ one certified person and send an entirely different crew. The question to ask is whether a certified arborist will be on site for your job, and if so, in what role.
What about state registration?+
Vermont requires residential contractors above a threshold to register with the Secretary of State, and that registration is publicly checkable. It is a low bar — registration is not a competence test — but its absence on a company that should have it is informative, and checking it takes a minute online.
How do I ask about subcontracting without being awkward?+
Directly, because it is a normal part of this trade and nobody reasonable takes offence. Ask whether any part of the work will be subcontracted, who employs the operator if a crane is involved, who carries that party's insurance, and who is signing the contract with you. A clear answer is standard; an evasive one is the information you were looking for.
Why does subcontracting matter to me?+
Because if something goes wrong you want one accountable party rather than two pointing at each other. A crane on a residential removal is frequently subcontracted, which is fine — provided you know it before the day, and provided the insurance position and the contractual responsibility are stated rather than assumed.
What are the warning signs at the estimate stage?+
Pressure to decide immediately, a demand for cash in full up front, no written scope, no verifiable local address, an inability to produce a certificate from the insurer, and a reluctance to discuss the work method. Any one of those is a reason to get another quote — not necessarily a reason to conclude the worst, but a reason not to commit.
Should I be suspicious of door-knocking after a storm?+
Wary rather than dismissive. Legitimate crews do work storm-damaged neighbourhoods, and after a widespread event that is where the work is. What separates them is the same list above: a written scope, verifiable insurance, a local presence and no pressure to sign on the doorstep.
Is a very low quote a warning sign in itself?+
A low number attached to a vague scope is. The usual explanations are that it excludes the stump, excludes hauling, or that the company is not carrying workers' compensation — which is precisely how a company can undercut everyone honestly quoting the same work. Align the scopes first; if the gap survives that, ask what is different.
What should I keep after the job?+
The written scope, the certificate of insurance, the invoice itemised to match the scope, and photographs of the finished condition. If there is a question later — about damage, about what was agreed, about an insurance claim — that set of four documents answers it. It costs nothing to keep and it is the only record that exists.
Insurance, registration and safety sources
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