Commercial tree work is mostly about everything other than the tree. Getting a certificate of insurance to the right person, keeping a car park open while a crane sits in three of its spaces, working at six in the morning so a restaurant can trade at eleven, and producing a paper trail that satisfies a board.
We do that side properly. Tell us the site and the constraints and you will get a scoped, itemised proposal.
Who we work for
HOAs with common areas and street trees, where one board meeting decides a year of work. Property managers running multiple sites who want one number to call. Retail and restaurant sites where the constraint is trading hours, not tree size. Apartment complexes, where the recurring issue is canopy over parking and the occasional storm limb across a walkway. Builders and general contractors needing a subcontractor with the right paperwork.
How commercial work is priced
| Arrangement | Typical range | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Per job | As quoted | One-off removals and storm response. |
| Annual maintenance contract | $2,500 – $25,000/yr | HOAs and multi-site managers. |
| Car park canopy lift | $150 – $400 per tree | Clearance over bays and drive aisles. |
| Priority storm response | Retainer, by site | Sites that cannot be closed after weather. |
An annual contract is worth more than the discount. The real value is that after a line storm crosses Austin, contracted sites are worked first, while everyone else is calling the same five companies at the same hour.
The paperwork
General liability and workers’ compensation are carried at {{INSURANCE_AMOUNT}}, and we issue certificates naming your entity as additional insured before we mobilise. For HOA and managed-property work we provide written condition reports with photographs, which is usually what a board actually needs in order to approve the spend.
Ask any contractor for that certificate before they touch a tree on your property. If a crew without workers’ comp gets hurt on your site, the exposure lands on you.
Working around your operation
We start early or work weekends where the site needs it, and it does not carry the night premium that a genuine emergency callout does, because it is planned. Where a crane or chipper takes up parking, we phase the work so the car park never fully closes, and we cone and sign it properly.
For anything on or near a public right of way in Austin, a traffic control plan may be required. We arrange it.
Ordinances apply to commercial property too
This catches boards out regularly. Austin’s tree ordinance does not stop at residential: a 24-inch live oak in a shopping centre car park is a Heritage tree and removing it needs the same justification as one in somebody’s garden. Landscape plans approved at the time of development often carry tree preservation conditions that run with the property indefinitely. We check the file before quoting a removal. Detail in the permit guide.
Questions from boards and managers
Can you provide a certificate of insurance?
Yes, naming your entity as additional insured, issued before we mobilise. We carry general liability and workers’ compensation at {{INSURANCE_AMOUNT}}. Ask every contractor for this. Without workers’ comp, an injury on your Austin property can become your liability rather than theirs.
Do you provide written reports for the board?
Yes. A condition report with photographs of each tree, the defect if there is one, a recommendation and a price, so a board can approve line by line rather than debating a single lump sum. For HOAs we usually assess the whole common area once a year and prioritise it into must-do, should-do and can-wait.
Can you work outside business hours?
Regularly. Early starts and weekends are normal for Austin retail and restaurant sites, and planned out-of-hours work does not carry the premium an emergency callout does. Tell us the trading window and we will schedule around it, including phasing car park work so you never lose the whole lot at once.
How quickly do you respond after a storm?
Contracted sites are worked first, usually the same day for anything blocking access or touching a building. Without a contract you join the general queue, which after a metro-wide Austin storm can mean several days. That priority is the main reason multi-site managers put an annual agreement in place.
Where we work commercially
Austin, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Georgetown, Pflugerville, Leander, Hutto, Lakeway, Kyle and Buda.