Guide for tree care and arborist companies · checked 14 November 2026
Tree care and arborist software for line clearance, crane removals and PHC programs
A tree care job is not a mowing visit with a chainsaw. It is a removal over a garage with a crane that may not lift the climber, an oak the city protects above a set trunk diameter, a branch 9 feet from a 12 kV primary that only a line-clearance arborist may touch, and an ash on a two-year injection cycle that renews whether anyone remembers or not. This guide covers how the work runs, the OSHA, ANSI, NERC, California and state licensing rules that decide who may do what, and what to look for in software.
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Short answer
Tree care and arborist companies usually run on Arborgold, SingleOps or ArboStar (tree-specific estimating, scheduling and tree inventories), ArborNote for mapped inventories and proposals, or Jobber when the work is mostly small residential jobs. The deciding features are a per-tree inventory with species, DBH, condition and risk, proposals written to ANSI A300 objectives, crew scheduling that checks line-clearance qualification, crane and equipment, PHC treatment records with the next due date, and storm records that satisfy FEMA. Fieldproxy is one option. Best for processes that don't fit a template, set up for you: it is built around your tree inventory, your credentials and your utility, municipal or PHC contracts.
12 ft
Minimum clearance at time of trim PG&E applies in California High Fire-Threat Districts (GO 95 Rule 35, Appendix E)
18 months
Longest gap NERC FAC-003-5 allows between vegetation inspections of the same transmission line
7 years
Validity of an ISA TRAQ credential completed under the updated program after 5 Nov 2025 (was 5)
3 inches
Height of the NJTC registration number on at least two sides of every New Jersey tree care vehicle
How a job runs
One tree care and arborist job, from first call to paid
The order the work really happens in, and what has to be written down at each step so nothing is argued about later.
- 1
Take the call and sort it
Inbound work splits early: a tree on a house or across a line after a storm, a removal or pruning quote, a PHC enquiry (an ash with thinning canopy, a scale problem), a municipal or HOA inventory, or a utility work order. Anything touching a conductor goes to the utility first. A quote request gets an arborist site visit; storm calls get triaged by hazard, not by order received.
- 2
Walk the property and write a per-tree spec
The arborist records each tree: species, DBH measured at 4.5 ft, height, condition, defects, targets underneath, and distance to overhead lines. Recommendations are written as work to the ANSI A300 standards, which since the 2023 edition sit in one consolidated document and include guidance for writing tree care work specifications. A good spec names the pruning objective and type (clean, thin, raise, reduce), not just a price for 'trim the oak'.
- 3
Check permits, protected trees and the utility
Many cities require a permit to remove a tree above a set diameter, often with an ISA Certified Arborist report and replacement trees or an in-lieu fee. If the tree is within 10 ft of an energized line, the job either goes to a line-clearance arborist or waits for the utility. A stump grind needs a utility locate ticket before the grinder goes in.
- 4
Plan the method and the equipment
Climb, bucket truck, crane or a mix. A crane removal needs a lift plan, ground conditions, outrigger pads, and a decision on how the climber gets into the tree: Oregon OSHA said in 2025 that the ANSI Z133-2017 section 5.7.11 allowance for hoisting a qualified arborist with a crane is not an acceptable method under 29 CFR 1910.180(h)(3)(v), unless the employer can show the alternatives were infeasible or less safe.
- 5
Sell the proposal and take the deposit
Removal, pruning, stump grinding and PHC often share one proposal with optional lines: grind and backfill, haul wood or leave rounds, a two-year injection program. Many companies take a deposit on crane work and large removals, and price storm work at emergency rates.
- 6
Schedule a crew that is allowed to do the job
The crew needs the right people (climber, groundworker, crane operator, a line-clearance arborist and a second one within voice range if a conductor over 750 V is within 10 ft), the right equipment free that day (bucket truck, chipper, crane, stump grinder), and a state license holder where the law needs one, such as a New Jersey LTCO or a Connecticut licensed arborist.
- 7
Brief, work and record on site
The crew lead runs a job briefing: hazards, voltage of any lines (OSHA expects the voltage to be determined before work starts), drop zones, rigging plan, aerial rescue plan, traffic control. Then before photos, the work, after photos, debris and wood handling, stump depth, and a customer sign-off.
- 8
Apply PHC treatments on a calendar
Plant health care is the recurring revenue: emerald ash borer trunk injections (Minnesota's guide lists emamectin benzoate as every 2 years), soil drenches, dormant oil, fertilization from a soil test. Each application needs the product, EPA registration number, rate, trunk size and the applicator's license, and the next due date has to land on someone's schedule.
- 9
Invoice, and renew what recurs
Residential removals invoice on completion. Utility and municipal work invoices by unit (trees trimmed, removals by size class, acres of brush) against a contract, with crew and equipment hours. PHC renews on the treatment cycle, and inventory clients get a re-inspection date per tree.
What to record
The fields every tree care and arborist job should capture
Each tree (one record per tree, on its property)
- GPS point, species, DBH at 4.5 ft (multi-stem: the code's rule for combining stems), height, canopy spread
- Condition and defects (cavity, included bark, dead limbs, lean, root damage), targets underneath, risk rating and who rated it (TRAQ holder and their expiry)
- Protected status under the local ordinance, permit number and conditions, replacement trees owed
- Distance to overhead lines and their voltage class, utility contact if within 10 ft
- Work history: pruning type and date, removal, stump grinding, PHC treatments with next due date
Each job on site
- Job briefing: hazards, line voltage determined, drop zone, rigging plan, aerial rescue plan, who briefed and who signed
- Crew and roles (climber, ground, crane operator, line-clearance arborist and second trimmer), equipment used with hours
- Before and after photos per tree, cuts made against the A300 objective, wood and debris disposition, stump grind depth and locate ticket number
- Customer sign-off, damage or lawn rut notes, extra work found
PHC applications and storm work
- Each application: product, EPA registration number, rate, trunk diameter or area, target pest, weather, applicator name and license category (e.g. Connecticut category 3D)
- Storm hazards on public property: latitude and longitude, photo or video showing it is on public property, diameter (trees at 4.5 ft, stumps at 2 ft), fill quantity, equipment used
- Utility units: circuit, span or pole, work unit type, clearance achieved, patrol finding that created it
Rules and standards
The rules that shape the work, with their sources
| Rule | What it means on the job |
|---|---|
| OSHA 1910.269(r): line-clearance tree trimming | Line-clearance tree trimming is pruning, repairing, removing or clearing trees within 10 ft of energized power lines. If a trimmer will approach within 10 ft of a conductor energized at more than 750 V, a second line-clearance tree trimmer must be within normal voice communication. The voltage of any line that may pose a hazard is determined before work begins, or every line is treated as the highest voltage present. source: OSHA eTool, Electric power: Line-clearance tree trimming operations |
| OSHA 1910.269(r)(2): brush chippers | Paragraph (r) also covers the equipment: brush chippers need an ignition locking device, access panels for the blades and drive train in place during operation, and an infeed hopper that keeps hands away from the knives. Line-clearance tree trimming may not be performed when adverse weather conditions make the work hazardous. source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.269, Electric power generation, transmission and distribution (paragraph (r), line-clearance tree trimming) |
| ANSI Z133-2017: who may get close to a line | Workers who are not qualified must stay at least 10 ft from energized conductors up to 50 kV, more above that. The 2017 edition added the incidental line-clearance arborist, trained on electrical hazards but not working for or under contract to a utility, who must still keep a full 10 ft from primary voltages. source: TCI Magazine (TCIA), Incidental line clearance: what arborists need to know (June 2023) |
| Cranes: Z133 is not a defense to 1910.180 | Oregon OSHA's 2025 guidance: ANSI Z133-2017 section 5.7.11 lets a qualified arborist be hoisted into position by crane, but 29 CFR 1910.180(h)(3)(v) prohibits riding the load or hook. An employer may argue compliance was infeasible or less safe, and inspectors look at alternatives first, starting with whether the removal could be done from the ground or an aerial lift. source: Oregon OSHA Technical Guidance TG-2025-01, ANSI Z133-2017 and hoisting arborists by crane under 29 CFR 1910.180(h)(3)(v) |
| ANSI A300: the work standard behind every spec | A300 covers tree care practices (pruning, support systems, soil management, risk assessment and more) and guidance for writing tree care work specifications. Since the 2023 edition it is published as one consolidated document. Specs and contracts that cite it give the customer a measurable standard for what was bought. source: ISA Newsroom, Ensure the quality of your work with the ANSI A300 Tree Care Standards (31 Jan 2024) |
| NERC FAC-003-5: transmission vegetation management | Transmission owners keep vegetation out of the Minimum Vegetation Clearance Distance (at sea level: 4.0 ft at 230 kV, 7.0 ft at 500 kV, 11.6 ft at 765 kV), inspect 100% of applicable lines at least once per calendar year with no more than 18 calendar months between inspections (R6), complete the annual work plan (R7), and keep evidence for three calendar years. Contract crews produce that evidence. source: NERC Reliability Standard FAC-003-5, Transmission Vegetation Management (Table 2, MVCD; R6 and R7) |
| California: GO 95 Rule 35 and PRC 4293 | GO 95 Rule 35 requires an 18 inch radial clearance from 750 to 22,500 V conductors year-round. PRC 4293 requires 4 ft for 2,400 to 72,000 V in State Responsibility Areas. PG&E's distribution standard applies 4 ft year-round in HFTDs and extends the Appendix E recommendation of 12 ft at time of trim, with an annual patrol and a second patrol on a six-month offset in defined areas. source: PG&E Utility Standard TD-7102S, Distribution Vegetation Management Program (Rev 2, effective 20 June 2023) |
| New Jersey: LTE, LTCO and business registration | The Board of Tree Experts licenses Licensed Tree Care Operators (pruning, removal, stump grinding) and Licensed Tree Experts (also cabling and bracing, risk assessment, appraisals, consultations). A tree care business registers biennially with at least one full-time licensee, $1,000,000 general liability and workers' comp, shows 'NJTC Registration #' in its ads, and puts the number 3 inches high on two sides of each vehicle. source: New Jersey Board of Tree Experts, Information for businesses (registration, insurance, advertising, vehicles) |
| Connecticut: arborist license for anyone selling arboriculture | Anyone advertising, soliciting or contracting to do arboriculture in Connecticut needs a DEEP arborist license. It authorizes fungicides, insecticides, miticides and tree growth regulators on fruit, shade and ornamental trees only; turf, weeds and ticks need other categories. The exam is written then oral, with an 80% bar on tree identification. source: Connecticut DEEP, Commercial arborist license |
| FEMA Public Assistance: hazardous limbs, trees and stumps | Removing hazardous limbs, trees and stumps after a declared disaster is generally eligible when it removes an immediate threat over improved public property or a public use area, and not when the hazard predated the incident or is routine maintenance. Applicants keep latitude and longitude, photos or video, diameter (trees at 4.5 ft, stumps at 2 ft), fill quantity and equipment used for each item. source: FEMA IS-1000, Category A: Hazardous limbs, trees and stumps documentation requirements |
Rules vary by state, council and contract. Checked 14 November 2026; confirm against the source for your area before relying on it.
Numbers
The distances and intervals that run a tree care calendar
Clearances from federal and California rules, and the renewal cycles a tree care office tracks. These are rule values from the sources, not market prices.
| Item | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Non-qualified worker, conductors up to 50 kV | At least 10 ft | ANSI Z133-2017, via TCIA |
| Second line-clearance trimmer required | Within 10 ft of a conductor over 750 V | OSHA 1910.269(r) |
| GO 95 Rule 35, 750 to 22,500 V | 18 inch radial clearance | SDG&E, PG&E TD-7102S |
| PRC 4293, 2,400 to 72,000 V | 4 ft radial clearance | SDG&E, PG&E TD-7102S |
| HFTD, at time of trim (PG&E) | 12 ft minimum | PG&E TD-7102S |
| NERC MVCD at sea level: 230 / 500 / 765 kV | 4.0 / 7.0 / 11.6 ft | FAC-003-5 Table 2 |
| Transmission line vegetation inspection | Every calendar year, max 18 months apart | FAC-003-5 R6 |
| Emamectin benzoate EAB trunk injection | Every 2 years | Minnesota Dept. of Agriculture |
| ISA Certified Arborist recertification | Every 3 years | ISA |
| ISA TRAQ, new program after 5 Nov 2025 | Valid 7 years (5 under the prior version) | ISA |
| New Jersey tree care business registration | Every 2 years, $1,000,000 liability | NJ Board of Tree Experts |
source: TCI Magazine (TCIA), Incidental line clearance: what arborists need to know (June 2023)source: OSHA eTool, Electric power: Line-clearance tree trimming operationssource: SDG&E, Vegetation management safety rules and regulations (GO 95 Rule 35, PRC 4293)source: PG&E Utility Standard TD-7102S, Distribution Vegetation Management Program (Rev 2, effective 20 June 2023)source: NERC Reliability Standard FAC-003-5, Transmission Vegetation Management (Table 2, MVCD; R6 and R7)source: Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Emerald ash borer treatment guidesource: ISA Credentials, Common questions (recertification period)source: ISA, Upcoming programmatic changes to the ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (8 Sep 2025)source: New Jersey Board of Tree Experts, Information for businesses (registration, insurance, advertising, vehicles)
Where it breaks
Where spreadsheets and generic software fall over
A removal is booked on a 30 inch oak because the estimate said 'remove'. Nobody checked the city's protected tree size, the crew drops it, and the homeowner gets the replacement-tree bill and the fine.
Each tree carries DBH and the property's ordinance threshold. A removal over the threshold can't be scheduled until a permit number is entered or the tree is marked exempt (dead, hazardous) with the arborist's note.
The scheduler drags a pruning job onto the next free crew. The tree is 8 ft from a primary, the crew has no line-clearance arborist, and the job is either refused on site or done when it should not have been.
A 'within 10 ft of a line' flag on the tree record forces the crew check: a line-clearance qualified arborist plus a second trimmer, or the job waits for the utility.
Ash injections were sold as a two-year program in 2024. In 2026 the renewals live in someone's head, half the clients are never called, and some trees go a season unprotected.
Every PHC application sets the next due date per tree from the product's interval. Renewal proposals go out weeks ahead and unbooked trees show on a list.
After a storm, crews clear hangers on city streets for days. The FEMA reimbursement request comes later, and half the items have no coordinates, no diameter and no photo showing they were over a public road.
Storm mode in the field app: every item gets GPS, photos, diameter at the right height, equipment and fill quantity before it can be closed.
The crane company shows up, but the lift plan was a phone call, the outrigger pads are at the shop, and the climber expects to ride the ball.
Crane jobs carry a lift plan, ground conditions, pads and the access method as required fields, reviewed before the crane is confirmed.
An arborist's TRAQ lapsed eight months ago and they are still signing risk ratings for an HOA inventory.
Credentials sit on each person with expiry dates. Risk ratings, state license work and line-clearance jobs check them before assignment and before sign-off.
Checklist
The tree care and arborist operations checklist
Print it, or hand it to whoever runs the office side.
- Every tree you touch has a record with GPS, species, DBH at 4.5 ft and condition
- Proposals state the A300 pruning objective and type, not just 'trim'
- Protected-size removals are blocked until a permit or exemption is recorded
- Trees within 10 ft of an energized line are flagged and routed to qualified crews or the utility
- Job briefings record line voltage, drop zone, rigging and the aerial rescue plan
- Crane jobs have a written lift plan and a decided access method for the climber
- Stump grinds have a utility locate ticket number before the grinder is dispatched
- PHC applications record product, EPA registration number, rate and applicator license
- Next PHC due date is set per tree and renewal proposals go out ahead
- Credentials (ISA CA, TRAQ, state license, line-clearance qualification, CDL) have expiry alerts
- Equipment (bucket trucks, chippers, grinders, cranes) has inspection due dates
- Storm work captures FEMA fields on every item before it is closed
- Utility and municipal work invoices by unit against the contract price list
- New Jersey vehicles and ads show the NJTC registration number
Software options
What software tree care and arborist companies actually use
Judge each one on whether it fits the way your jobs run, not on the feature list. Bring a real job to every demo.
Arborgold
Tree care, lawn and landscape companies that want tree inventory and chemical tracking in their business software
Its tree care page lists Plant and Tree Inventory with GPS mapping and service history, Chemical Tracking, and project management. The home page says pricing starts at $119 a month.
SingleOps
Tree care companies that want estimating, scheduling and PHC on one proposal
Now under Granum, it describes itself as built only for tree care companies, with a tree inventory tracking species, condition, risk and work history per property, removals and PHC treatments on one proposal, and chemical and weather records kept with the job.
ArboStar
Arborist companies that want CRM, estimating, scheduling and accounting in one tree-specific tool
Its page lists a tree inventory on an interactive map, estimates, work orders and invoices, GPS crew scheduling with an offline app, equipment tracking, and QuickBooks, Xero and Stripe sync.
ArborNote
Consulting arborists and companies selling from mapped tree inventories
Built around GPS tree inventories of thousands of trees with proposal templates, including PHC proposals and a plant care data library. Check how scheduling and invoicing are handled.
Jobber
Small residential tree services doing quotes, removals and invoices
Good for quotes, scheduling and invoicing. Per-tree inventories, line-clearance crew checks, PHC due dates and FEMA storm records would be manual.
Published prices, compared:source: Arborgold, Tree care softwaresource: SingleOps (Granum), tree care business softwaresource: ArboStar, Arborist softwaresource: ArborNote, tree inventory and proposals
Questions to ask any vendor
- Can each tree carry species, DBH, condition, risk rating, protected status and distance to lines, and keep its work and PHC history?
- Will it block scheduling a protected-size removal until a permit or exemption is recorded?
- Does crew assignment check line-clearance qualification, the second trimmer rule, state licenses and TRAQ expiry?
- Does every PHC application set a next due date per tree and create a renewal proposal?
- Can storm crews capture FEMA fields (GPS, photos, diameter at the right height, equipment) on every hanger, leaner and stump?
- Can utility or municipal work be invoiced by unit against a contract price list, with crew and equipment hours behind it?
Bring one real tree care and arborist job. We show it running in Fieldproxy.
Get DemoHow Fieldproxy is set up for this
Tree care and arborist on Fieldproxy: built around how you already work
A Fieldproxy setup for a tree care company is built around the tree, not just the customer: every tree carries its species, DBH, condition, risk, protected status, line proximity and treatment history. Proposals are written to A300 objectives, crews are only assigned when their credentials and equipment fit the job, PHC renews itself on the treatment cycle, and storm and utility work produce the records FEMA and the utility ask for.
Module 1
Tree inventory on every property
Pricing, permits, crew choice and PHC all depend on the individual tree.
- Records: Customer > Property > Tree, with Tree fields GPS point, species, DBH at 4.5 ft, multi-stem flag, height, canopy spread, condition, defects, targets
- Risk: rating, assessment method, assessor and their TRAQ expiry, re-inspection date
- Status flags: protected under local ordinance (property's threshold, e.g. a DBH set per city), within 10 ft of energized line (voltage class), heritage or specimen
- History: pruning type and date, removal, stump grind, PHC applications, photos per visit
Module 2
Site visit and A300 proposals
The arborist sells on site, tree by tree.
- Mobile site visit: pick the tree on the map or add it, record work per tree: removal, pruning (objective and type: clean, thin, raise, reduce), cabling, stump grind, PHC
- Method and equipment per line: climb, bucket, crane, stump grinder, with access notes (gate width, lawn protection mats)
- Proposal PDF from your own template with A300 wording, optional lines (haul wood, grind and backfill, two-year PHC program), e-signature and deposit
- Statuses: Draft > Sent > Signed > Deposit paid > Ready to schedule
Module 3
Permits, protected trees and utility referrals
Removing the wrong tree or working near the wrong line is the costliest mistake in the trade.
- Permit record per tree: city, application date, arborist report attached, permit number, conditions, replacement trees or in-lieu fee owed
- Rule: a removal on a protected-size tree can't be scheduled until a permit number is entered or the tree is marked exempt with a reason
- Utility referral record when a tree is within 10 ft of a line and the crew is not line-clearance qualified: utility, reference number, status
- Stump grind jobs require a locate ticket number and its expiry before dispatch
Module 4
Crews, credentials and equipment
Who can do the job depends on the people and the machines, not the next free slot.
- People: role (climber, groundworker, crane operator, crew lead), ISA Certified Arborist and recertification date, TRAQ expiry, line-clearance qualified, state license (NJ LTCO or LTE, Connecticut arborist), CDL, aerial rescue training date
- Equipment: bucket trucks, chippers, cranes, stump grinders, loaders, with inspection due dates and hours
- Rule: a job flagged within 10 ft of a line over 750 V needs two line-clearance qualified people on the crew
- Rule: a job in a licensing state needs a licensee assigned (e.g. New Jersey registration requires a full-time licensee)
Module 5
Field app: job briefing, work and sign-off
The briefing and the photos are the defense when something goes wrong.
- Job briefing checklist before work starts: hazards, line voltage determined, drop zone, rigging plan, aerial rescue plan, traffic control, crew signatures
- Crane jobs: lift plan, ground conditions, outrigger pads, climber access method (aerial lift or ground), crane company and operator
- Per tree: before and after photos, cuts made, wood and debris disposition, stump depth; works offline in backyards with no signal
- Customer sign-off on the phone, damage notes, extra work found becomes a new proposal line
Module 6
Plant health care programs
PHC is recurring revenue that only recurs if the next date is scheduled.
- Program per property: trees enrolled, treatments, season windows (e.g. EAB injections after leaf-out)
- Application record: product, EPA registration number, rate, trunk diameter, target, weather, applicator and license category
- Rule: next due date set per tree from the product interval (e.g. emamectin benzoate every 2 years), renewal job created ahead of the window
- Rule: a Connecticut application on turf or for ticks is blocked for an applicator holding only the arborist category
Module 7
Utility and municipal contracts
Line clearance and city street-tree work are paid by unit and audited by the client.
- Contract with a unit price list: trims, removals by DBH class, brush acres, hourly crew and equipment rates
- Work location: circuit, span or pole, tree, clearance achieved, finding (annual patrol, second patrol, customer request)
- Evidence pack per circuit: completed units with photos and dates, kept for the client's audit (FAC-003-5 asks transmission owners for three calendar years)
- Unit invoices built from completed work, approved by the utility inspector
Module 8
Storm mode
Storm work is where companies make or lose the year, and where documentation decides who gets paid.
- Triage queue: tree on structure, tree on line (refer to utility), blocked access, hanger over a road; ranked by hazard
- Item record for public work: latitude and longitude, photos showing public property, diameter (trees at 4.5 ft, stumps at 2 ft), fill quantity, equipment
- Emergency rate cards and time-and-materials tickets signed on site
- Export by work order for the municipality's reimbursement file
Module 9
Invoicing, portal and reporting
Customers, HOAs and cities want to see their trees, and owners want to see crew production.
- Invoices on completion or by unit, deposits applied, synced to QuickBooks or Xero
- Portal per HOA, campus or property manager: tree map with risk ratings, work done with photos, PHC schedule, proposals to approve
- Dashboards: revenue per crew day, estimate win rate by arborist, PHC renewal rate, credentials and equipment inspections due
The AI agents, set up for tree care and arborist companies
| Agent | When | What it does | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Voice agent | The arborist walks the property talking through each tree on the phone | Splits the note into trees and work lines: species, DBH, defects, recommended work and pruning type, equipment needed, line proximity | Tree records and proposal lines ready for pricing, with anything near a line flagged |
| Vision agent | A crew lead photographs a trunk with the diameter tape on it, a defect, or a storm hanger over a road | Reads the tape value and the visible defect, and for storm items checks the photo shows the road or public property | DBH and defect filled on the tree record, or a storm item with its FEMA fields filled for the crew lead to confirm |
| Watcher agent | A protected-size removal is scheduled with no permit, a job within 10 ft of a line has no qualified crew, a TRAQ or state license is within e.g. 60 days of expiry, or a PHC tree passes its due date | Checks the tree record, the ordinance threshold, the crew's credentials and the treatment calendar | A blocked job with the reason, or an alert to the operations manager naming the tree, the person or the property |
| Dispatch agent | A signed removal, pruning, crane or PHC job is ready to schedule | Matches crew by role and credentials (line-clearance pair, licensee, applicator category), equipment free that day (bucket, chipper, crane, grinder) and drive time | A crew and equipment assignment on the calendar, with the crane company booked for crane jobs |
| Autopilot | A PHC program is e.g. 30 days from its next treatment window, or a proposal has had no answer for e.g. 7 days | Drafts the renewal or follow-up naming the trees, the treatment, the window and the price | A draft email or text to the customer that a person approves before it sends |
| Calling agent | Inbound calls overflow after a storm, at any hour | Asks where the tree is, whether it is on a structure, a vehicle or a power line, and tells callers with a tree on a line to stay away and call the utility | A ranked storm triage queue with address, hazard type and photos requested by text |
Straight answers
Tree care and arborist: FAQ
What software do tree care and arborist companies use?
Common choices are Arborgold, SingleOps and ArboStar, which are built for tree care with inventories, estimating and scheduling, ArborNote for mapped inventories and proposals, and Jobber for small residential tree services. What matters is a per-tree record (species, DBH, condition, risk, line proximity, protected status), proposals written to ANSI A300, crew assignment that checks credentials and equipment, PHC due dates per tree, and storm records FEMA accepts. Fieldproxy is set up around your own trees, crews and contracts.
Who is allowed to trim trees near power lines?
OSHA 1910.269 treats work within 10 ft of energized lines as line-clearance tree trimming, done by line-clearance tree trimmers, with a second one within voice communication when a conductor over 750 V is within 10 ft. Under ANSI Z133-2017, workers who are not qualified stay at least 10 ft away up to 50 kV, and incidental line-clearance arborists, who do not work for a utility, keep a full 10 ft from primary voltages.
Can a crane lift an arborist into a tree?
ANSI Z133-2017 section 5.7.11 allows a qualified arborist to be hoisted into position by crane, but Oregon OSHA's 2025 guidance says that is not an acceptable method under 29 CFR 1910.180(h)(3)(v), which prohibits riding the load or hook. An employer can argue compliance was infeasible or less safe, and inspectors first ask whether the work could be done from the ground or an aerial lift.
Do you need a license to run a tree service?
It depends on the state. New Jersey licenses Tree Care Operators and Tree Experts and registers businesses every two years with $1,000,000 liability cover and the NJTC number on ads and vehicles. Connecticut requires an arborist license from DEEP for anyone advertising, soliciting or contracting arboriculture. Many states have no tree license but require a pesticide applicator license for PHC work.
How often do ash trees need emerald ash borer injections?
Minnesota's Department of Agriculture lists emamectin benzoate trunk injections as every 2 years, and notes products are generally labeled for one to two years. The product label controls, so record the product and set the next due date from it.
How long is an ISA TRAQ valid?
Seven years for candidates who complete the updated ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification program after 5 November 2025. Anyone completing or renewing under the earlier version still gets a five-year certificate. ISA Certified Arborists recertify every three years.
What clearance do California utilities need from trees?
GO 95 Rule 35 requires 18 inches from 750 to 22,500 V conductors year-round, and PRC 4293 requires 4 ft for 2,400 to 72,000 V in State Responsibility Areas. PG&E applies 4 ft year-round in High Fire-Threat Districts and extends the GO 95 Appendix E recommendation of 12 ft at the time of trim.
What does FEMA need to reimburse storm tree work?
Removal of hazardous limbs, trees and stumps is generally eligible when it removes an immediate threat over improved public property or a public use area caused by the declared incident. For each item, keep latitude and longitude, photos or video showing it is on public property, diameter (trees at 4.5 ft, stumps at 2 ft), fill quantity and equipment used.
What does NERC require for transmission line vegetation?
FAC-003-5 requires transmission owners to keep vegetation out of the Minimum Vegetation Clearance Distance (at sea level, 4.0 ft at 230 kV and 7.0 ft at 500 kV), inspect 100% of applicable lines every calendar year with no more than 18 months between inspections, complete the annual work plan, and keep evidence for three calendar years.
How is Fieldproxy set up for a tree care company?
Around the tree: each property holds a tree inventory with species, DBH, condition, risk, protected status and line proximity. Proposals are written per tree to A300 objectives, removals over the protected size wait for a permit, crews are assigned by credentials and equipment, PHC renews on the product interval, and storm and utility work capture what FEMA and the utility audit.
Related guides
All sources on this page (27)
- source: PG&E Utility Standard TD-7102S, Distribution Vegetation Management Program (Rev 2, effective 20 June 2023)
- source: NERC Reliability Standard FAC-003-5, Transmission Vegetation Management (Table 2, MVCD; R6 and R7)
- source: ISA, Upcoming programmatic changes to the ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (8 Sep 2025)
- source: New Jersey Board of Tree Experts, Information for businesses (registration, insurance, advertising, vehicles)
- source: OSHA eTool, Electric power: Line-clearance tree trimming operations
- source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.269, Electric power generation, transmission and distribution (paragraph (r), line-clearance tree trimming)
- source: TCI Magazine (TCIA), Incidental line clearance: what arborists need to know (June 2023)
- source: Oregon OSHA Technical Guidance TG-2025-01, ANSI Z133-2017 and hoisting arborists by crane under 29 CFR 1910.180(h)(3)(v)
- source: ISA Newsroom, Ensure the quality of your work with the ANSI A300 Tree Care Standards (31 Jan 2024)
- source: Connecticut DEEP, Commercial arborist license
- source: FEMA IS-1000, Category A: Hazardous limbs, trees and stumps documentation requirements
- source: SDG&E, Vegetation management safety rules and regulations (GO 95 Rule 35, PRC 4293)
- source: Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Emerald ash borer treatment guide
- source: ISA Credentials, Common questions (recertification period)
- source: Arborgold, Tree care software
- source: SingleOps (Granum), tree care business software
- source: ArboStar, Arborist software
- source: ArborNote, tree inventory and proposals
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