The following was originally submitted as a letter to the TCI Magazine editor.

“Tree care is dangerous, technical and expensive to do right. That’s not an opinion; it’s a fact,” says Dustin Meyers. Photos courtesy of the author.

I have dedicated my professional life to tree care. For more than 20 years as a TCIA member and an ISA TRAQ arborist, I have watched this industry evolve from ropes and bucket trucks to knuckle-boom cranes, tracked lifts and highly mechanized, safety-first operations. I also have seen tragedy – accidents that change lives forever – and those experiences have shaped me into someone who will always put safety first.

But today, companies like mine are being forced into a position no professional should be in; we must constantly defend our work and our pricing, not to customers, but to the very insurance carriers whose policyholders rely on us in their time of need.

This letter is not written in frustration; it’s written out of urgency. There is a growing and deliberate push from insurance carriers across the country to deny, reduce or delay payments to tree care contractors. They are not only hiring adjusters, they are hiring in-house legal counsel whose full-time mission is to reduce payouts. These companies are organized and well funded.

Meanwhile, tree care companies are fighting for every dollar to cover legitimate costs: equipment, training, safety, compliance, payroll and liability. It is an unfair fight, and it’s happening everywhere.

The reality we live in
Tree care is dangerous, technical and expensive to do right. That’s not an opinion; it’s a fact. We are one of the highest-risk industries in the trades. Every day, our crews climb, rig, cut and move thousands of pounds of wood over homes, power lines and roads. Every decision we make is a calculation of risk, safety and precision.

And here’s the truth – safety is not cheap.

• A crane that cost $100,000 10 years ago now costs $800,000 to $1 million.
• Specialized lifts, grapple saws, aerial devices, loaders, trucks – every piece of gear carries a steep price tag, and each one is required to maintain safety and efficiency.
• Training and certification are ongoing investments. OSHA compliance, ANSI Z133 standards and TRAQ qualifications all demand time and money.

We do this not because it’s easy, but because lives are on the line. Every climber, every ground worker, every operator deserves to go home at the end of the day. Every homeowner deserves a crew that knows what it’s doing. That is why we invest.

The disconnect with insurance
Despite all this, insurance carriers often treat us as if we are simply “clean-up crews.” They challenge our invoices, demand price reductions or deny claims outright. They do this while their own organizations are adding lawyers, creating playbooks and quietly shifting tactics to reduce payouts.

Let me be clear; this is not speculation. Speak to contractors across the U.S. – you will hear the same story. Carriers now have internal departments solely devoted to limiting tree care costs. They have resources, they have volume and they are unified.

By contrast, (the majority of) tree care companies are small businesses, mid-size operations or regional firms. We compete with each other, and rarely do we speak with one voice. That makes us vulnerable.

What carriers fail to appreciate is that we are following the exact advice they and regulators claim to value: best practices. We are safer and more professional because we invest heavily. We are using cranes instead of climbers when appropriate because it saves lives. We are adopting technology to reduce risk. But these advances are expensive, and they are necessary.

When an insurer refuses to pay for that crane or questions a legitimate bill, they are not just cutting costs – they are undermining the very safety culture that keeps our crews alive.

Following guidelines
Tree care regulations are like building codes or electrical codes for those industries. Imagine if a building inspector told an electrician to wire a home without following NEC code because it was “too expensive.” Or, if a contractor was told to ignore structural code because materials cost more than they used to. It would be unthinkable.

Our industry is no different. We have codes, standards and safety practices that protect workers, property and the public. ANSI Z133 is our code book. OSHA is our regulator. TRAQ is our risk-assessment system. Yet too often, when the bill comes, insurers act as though those things are optional. They are not.

Why this matters now
The stakes are getting higher:

• Severe weather events are increasing in frequency and intensity.
• Urban and suburban expansion puts more trees near valuable property.
• Litigation and liability exposure are growing.

At the same time, the cost of doing business keeps climbing – equipment, labor, insurance premiums, compliance. And yet, reimbursements are being squeezed.

The result? Many good companies are struggling to maintain margins. Some are tempted to cut corners. And that’s when injuries and fatalities happen. This is not just about dollars; it’s about lives.

“Safety is not cheap. A crane that cost $100,000 10 years ago now costs $800,000 to
$1 million,” says Meyers

What needs to change

1. Industry-wide advocacy: TCIA and allied organizations must lead the charge. Lawmakers, judges and regulators need to understand the cost, risk and value of professional tree care.
2. Data and transparency: We need surveys, cost analyses and evidence. We need to show what a crane really costs, what payroll looks like, what compliance requires. Numbers are hard to argue with.
3. Legal preparedness: Tree care companies must start thinking like carriers do. Retain counsel. Learn lien rights. Use solid contracts. And TCIA can help by creating a network of attorneys who understand this industry.
4. Alliances and groups: Competitors must become collaborators. Whether it’s a local group, a state association or a national alliance, we are stronger together. Shared resources, group buying and unified voices carry weight.
5. Safety as non-negotiable: We must push the message that safety and professionalism are inseparable from fair pricing. When someone says we are “too expensive,” we must be able to show them the training, the insurance, the machines and the lives they (the costs) protect.

A call to unite
I urge TCIA to make this a priority. The (insurance) carriers are already organized; we cannot afford to be passive. We need strategy, communication and advocacy. We need to show not only what we do, but why it costs what it does.

To my fellow arborists I say, don’t wait for someone else to speak. Get an attorney in your state who understands tree care. Keep records. Join forces. Start a group if one doesn’t exist.

Because here’s the truth: If we don’t defend our value, no one else will. This is a turning point.

I am ready to provide real-world examples, pricing data, photos of equipment and safety practices to support TCIA’s efforts. I am ready to join or lead a think tank, help form alliances and advocate for fairness.

Tree care is a profession, not a commodity. It is technical, dangerous and essential. We protect homes, businesses and lives. That deserves respect and fair compensation.

It’s time to stand together. It’s time to defend what we do.

Dustin Meyers is an ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ) credentialed arborist and president of Timber Ridge Tree Care, a 23-year TCIA member company based in Comstock Park, Michigan.

Meyers was featured in a related article, “Getting Paid for Storm Work,” by David Rattigan, which ran in the September 2023 issue of TCI Magazine.

For information about how TCIA is addressing these and other insurance-related concerns, see “Outlook: Update from TCIA Hazard Tree Assessment Task Force,” by Eric Petersen, in the September 2025 issue of TCI Magazine.