Frequently Asked Questions
Questions people ask before they call.
Here are the ones we hear most, and the answers.
If yours isn't here, call or text (423) 443-4533 and ask.
Choosing a Tree Service
Are you licensed and insured?
Insured, yes.
Out On A Limb For You is an insured Georgia LLC, and everybody who sets foot on your property is covered.
On licensing, Georgia does not license or certify arborists. That's the Georgia Forestry Commission's own wording. There isn't a tree-work license in Georgia to hold.
So the thing to check is insurance. Ask any company you're considering, us included:
- For a certificate of insurance, sent to you directly by the insurer.
- Whether everyone who will be on your property is covered.
- What happens if a limb hits the house.
How do I know if a tree company is any good?
Ask questions, and listen to how they get answered.
Ask what's included in the price. Ask what happens to the wood and the brush when the job's done. Ask about insurance.
A company that's glad to answer all of that is usually one you can work with.
If you've never hired anyone for tree work before, Questions to Ask Your Tree Service (opens the live blog in a new tab) is a short list to keep beside you while you call around.
What It Costs and How It Works
Are your estimates free?
Yes.
David comes out, looks at the job, and talks with you about what you want done. Then you get a price, and you decide from there.
How much is this going to cost?
It depends on the job.
There's no price list for this kind of work. Every job gets priced after somebody has looked at it.
For a tree, the price mostly comes down to:
- How big it is, and what condition it's in.
- What's under it and around it. A roof, a fence, a driveway, or a bed you'd like to keep all change how the tree has to come down.
- Whether equipment can get to it, or whether the work has to be done from up in the tree.
- What happens to the wood and the brush once it's down.
For the rest of what we do, the same thing applies. David comes out, looks at it, and you get a price for the work you want done.
How soon will I hear back from you?
Within 24 hours, whether you send the form, call, or text.
When we can come out and look at the job is a separate question. It depends on the schedule that week, and we'll tell you where you stand when we talk.
The phone is the quickest way: (423) 443-4533.
Permits, Insurance, and Paperwork
Do I need a permit to take down a tree in my own yard?
For a tree in your own yard inside Chattanooga city limits, no.
The city's 2025 tree ordinance doesn't stop homeowners from removing trees on their own property. That's from the City of Chattanooga's own announcement.
Two things to know before you count on that.
A tree along the street or the sidewalk may fall under different rules. Call the city before you cut that one.
And that's the city only. Walker County, Catoosa County, and the part of Hamilton County outside the city limits each have their own rules. Your county office can tell you what applies.
Clearing land is a different question, and a permit can come into it.
Can you help me with my insurance claim?
We can give you the quotes and paperwork your insurance company asks for, and work alongside you and your own insurance agent while you sort it out.
The claim itself stays between you and your insurer.
What an adjuster asks for varies from one to the next, and we go by what yours needs.
Where We Work
Do you work in both Georgia and Tennessee?
Yes, both.
We're based in Flintstone, Georgia, and we work throughout Greater Chattanooga on both sides of the state line.
That's Chattanooga and the towns around it, from Hixson and Cleveland in Tennessee down to Dalton and LaFayette in Georgia. Farther out than that, or not sure? Call and ask.
Still Have a Question?
Call or text (423) 443-4533, or send it with the quote form. You'll hear back within 24 hours.
If it's about a particular tree or something on your property, the easiest way to get an answer is to have us come take a look.
The estimate is free.