Overheard a homeowner say 'I'll just trim it myself' and it hit me different today

I was at a job in Arlington last week, halfway up an oak, and this guy comes out talking to his wife about how he's gonna prune the big maple in their backyard because 'it's just cutting branches.' I almost dropped my saw. I spent 2 years learning proper pruning cuts, how to read tree structure, and what not to do. He thought it was like trimming a bush. Made me wonder how many trees get wrecked by well-meaning homeowners every year. How do you handle that conversation when someone asks why you charge what you charge?

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1 Comment

davis.emma1mo ago

Makes me wonder how many of those trees silently suffer for years before anyone notices.