Key takeaways
- An arborist is a person with training in tree care; a tree service is a company that does the work.
- A basic consultation and an in-depth one are different products.
- Ask whether any consultation fee is separate from the work that follows.
- ISA Certified Arborist credentials belong to a person and can be checked.
- Battle Born has an ISA Certified Arborist, WE-11728A, on staff.
Many people search for an arborist when they really want a tree service, and the two are not always priced the same way. Battle Born Tree Service offers basic and in-depth arborist consultations, personalized proposals and tree and shrub care plans, and all estimates are free and tailored to the client.
What is the difference between an arborist and a tree service?
An arborist is a trained tree-care professional, and a tree service is the business that sends crews and equipment. Some companies are both: they employ certified arborists who assess trees and crews who do the removal.
Battle Born Tree Service has two ISA Certified Arborists on staff and an eight-man crew, including six tree removal experts. Read arborist versus tree service versus landscaper for more.
What does an arborist consultation cover?
A consultation is an expert look at one tree or a whole property: its health, its structure, the risks to people and buildings, and what, if anything, to do. It ends with advice, and sometimes a proposal for the work.
Battle Born lists basic and in-depth arborist consultations, personalized proposals and tree and shrub care plans. See the arborist consultation page.
What changes the fee for an arborist's time?
The scope, the number of trees, the travel and how much documentation you want. A single-tree look and a report on a lot with forty trees are not the same job.
Ask three things: whether the visit has a fee, what you get at the end of it, and whether any fee is credited if you hire the company for the work.
- Number of trees and size of the property.
- Whether you need a verbal opinion or a written report.
- Whether the arborist will return to check results.
- Travel across a wide service area.
- Whether the report is for an insurer, a city or an HOA.
How do you check that someone is a certified arborist?
Ask for the person's name and ISA certification number, then verify it on the ISA's website. The credential belongs to an individual, not to a company.
Battle Born prints one number, ISA Certified Arborist WE-11728A, on its site. Our guide to the ISA credential shows how to check.
Do you need an arborist for every tree problem?
No. A healthy tree needing seasonal pruning is a simple job, but a leaning tree, a split trunk or a tree near a house calls for someone trained to assess risk.
The ISA says to look for credentials and to compare scope and professionalism, not just price. If you are not sure which kind of problem you have, a basic consultation is a reasonable first step.
What should you do before you call?
Write down what worries you about the tree, the number of trees, and whether anything is near it, such as a roof, a fence or a line. Take a few photos.
Have the address handy and say if you want a verbal opinion, a written report, or a proposal for work. That helps the office send the right person.
Sources
- International Society of Arboriculture, Trees Are Good: Why Hire an Arborist (PDF) (read October 17, 2026)
- ISA Trees Are Good: Verify an ISA Certified Arborist (listed October 1, 2026; interactive page, check it yourself)