Secret #3... The 8 foot rule your Gardener hopes you don't find out about.

Many homeowners for the sake of saving a few dollars decide to allow their gardener to prune their trees. It is, on the surface, a good way to give your faithful gardener some extra work and for you to save money, as he will do the work at prices a true arborist could never dream of quoting.

Unfortunately, a gardener, in most cases, cannot afford, and does not carry, insurance. He may also lack the knowledge to prune your trees correctly. You should seriously consider hiring a professional, fully insured, tree service with references. Since your gardener does not carry insurance, your homeowners policy will be on the hook if your gardener hurts himself or one of his workers while on your property.

However, I urge you to take out your homeowners policy and check it for the 8 foot rule. I am not aware of any homeowners insurance policy that covers an uninsured worker in case of injury if he is above 8 feet from the ground. You would have to add that insurance to your policy if you wanted to be covered for it. But believe me, your insurance company does not want anyone (especially a novice) going higher than 8 feet off the ground on their list of liabilities.

Not only does your home become targeted by an injured gardener's lawyer, all of your assets are in his crosshairs. Granted Joe the gardener might not come after you, but if he is injured badly enough, his family will sue the shirt off your back and likely win. To date, I have heard of a gardener cutting open the back of his skull (dead), an ambitious husband using clothesline to lower branches (dead), a clumbsy gardener falling off the roof (now mute and slow), and a possible chipper suicide or accident (dead). Some homeowners lost their home and others nearly lost their homes.

Remember, just because a gardener owns a chainsaw, it doesn't mean he has been trained to use it, nor does it mean he has been trained in proper pruning practices. Imagine, you come home from a stressful day at work and upon pulling into your driveway you find what looks more like a coat rack in your front yard instead of a beautiful tree. It happens all the time.

In summary, hire a fully insured, board certified contractor, with an ISA, or equivalent, arborist certification, and who has several references. Do your homework, and get a minimum of 2 estimates. (I get 3 estimates when I hire a contractor.)