By now, almost every practicing arborist has probably been involved in at least one conversation with a customer regarding their homeowner’s insurance company threatening to cancel their policy unless a tree or branch that is close to their home is removed. There often is no scientific basis for the removal expectation, leaving the homeowner confused and anxious about what they should do.

So how can you help your customers when they receive a letter from their homeowner’s insurance company?

The first thing you should do is have an open conversation with your customer about their options. Many insurance companies will rescind their nonrenewal stance with a letter from a professional arborist describing the health and level of risk the tree possesses. However, homeowners seldom know they have this option to save their tree. Of course, they also can elect to have work done on the tree to properly prune the branches or remove the tree(s) in question. If you haven’t already established yourself as your customer’s trusted tree care advisor, this is your chance to do so.

All that said, please remember that as soon as you produce a written opinion on the level of risk a tree possesses to physical property or people, you have immediately exposed your company to potential future legal disputes. Therefore, accuracy, thorough documentation and adherence to professional standards are essential.

As such, I strongly encourage you to seek out professional credentials such as the ISA Certified Arborist or ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification, or to become an ASCA Registered Consulting Arborist. And make sure you charge appropriately for these services, just as you would for any specialized consultation or technical tree work. Earning these credentials will help protect your business while helping ensure homeowners receive qualified, defensible advice. I also recommend you talk with your insurance agent to ensure you have Professional Liability coverage for any consulting or tree-risk assessments you and your team may produce.

TCIA moving to help
I’m also excited to say that the TCIA Board of Directors recently approved the formation of a task force to dig into this issue, and to make a recommendation to the Board on how TCIA can help everyone better navigate this situation. I’m proud to be the task-force chair, and welcome any comments or connections that may assist us in preparing that recommendation.

Never before has the insurance industry paid as much attention to trees as it is now. While the insurance industry seems only to be focusing on the negative impact associated with the cost of the potential property damage and removal costs of fallen trees, it gives us an opportunity to shine not only as individual arborists in our local market, but also as a professional industry across the country.

Eric Petersen is president of ArboRisk Insurance, an 11-year TCIA corporate member company based in New Berlin, Wisconsin. He also is a member of TCIA’s Board of Directors.