Tree service providers are incredibly important to homeowners. Responsible for the installation and removal of trees, these businesses take care of households and businesses alike. They additionally help property owners with weekly, monthly and annual maintenance, including trimming and pruning. In the event of an emergency, a tree service business will remove roots, remove stumps, move fallen tree branches and remove entire trees. They’re knowledgeable about local codes and regulations, helping property owners maintain operations legally.
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Start a tree service by following these 10 steps:
- Plan your Tree Service
- Form your Tree Service into a Legal Entity
- Register your Tree Service for Taxes
- Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card
- Set up Accounting for your Tree Service
- Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your Tree Service
- Get Tree Service Insurance
- Define your Tree Service Brand
- Create your Tree Service Website
- Set up your Business Phone System
We have put together this simple guide to starting your tree service. These steps will ensure that your new business is well planned out, registered properly and legally compliant.
Exploring your options? Check out other small business ideas.
STEP 1: Plan your business
A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. A few important topics to consider are:
- What will you name your business?
- What are the startup and ongoing costs?
- Who is your target market?
- How much can you charge customers?
Luckily we have done a lot of this research for you.
What will you name your business?
Choosing the right name is important and challenging. If you don’t already have a name in mind, visit our How to Name a Business guide or get help brainstorming a name with our Tree Service Name Generator
If you operate a sole proprietorship, you might want to operate under a business name other than your own name. Visit our DBA guide to learn more.
When registering a business name, we recommend researching your business name by checking:
- Your state’s business records
- Federal and state trademark records
- Social media platforms
- Web domain availability
It’s very important to secure your domain name before someone else does.
What are the costs involved in opening a tree service?
A tree service business’ startup costs are typically between $10,000 and $50,000. It’s a hefty sum, accounting for a business license, liability insurance, disability insurance, a warehouse, auto insurance, equipment insurance, umbrella insurance and workers’ comp. The cost additionally includes your business’s many equipment needs, including trucks, safety gear, ladders, chainsaws, a wood chipper, pruning shears, computers, wheelbarrows, invoicing software, an accounting system, a payroll system, business cards, a professional website and estimate forms.
What are the ongoing expenses for a tree service?
Firstly, a tree service provider must pay its technicians between $10 and $23, per hour, to work. This approximates to between $21,000 and $49,700 per year—on average. You’ll need to purchase safety equipment whenever your current equipment is degraded or outdated. Gas, too, is a common expense. As part of your financial planning, you’ll need to take care of vehicle and equipment depreciation. Aside from these expenses, much of your ongoing money will be directed towards promotion and insurance costs.
Who is the target market?
Tree service companies thrive when working for commercial clients. While you’ll mostly encounter residential clients, commercial land owners require constant tree upkeep to maintain land permit standards. They’re lucrative, professional and easy to work with. Because commercial property owners require consistent services, they’re easy to profile—making services quick, effective and thus incredibly cost effective.
How does a tree service make money?
As a tree care provider, your business will make most of its money by maintaining various properties. While installation, removal and emergency services offer decent lump-sum payoffs, monthly trimming and pruning are far more reliable. Tree rescue, root removal, pressure cutting and branch removal, too, are lucrative jobs. Because they’re in high demand—as not purchasing them can be disastrous—a tree service provider offering highly skilled services can make decent money.
How much can you charge customers?
You should charge clients between $75 and $1,400 per job, depending upon the task’s complexity. Additionally, you can charge more if a lot of time—or a lot of risk—is involved. Artisan tree cutting and large projects, on average, cost more. If you want to be a competitive provider, consider offering free, or low-priced, emergency services.
How much profit can a tree service make?
Individual tree service providers, as stated above, make between $21,000 and $49,000 per year. A tree service business, however, can make about $100,000 to $200,000 in annual gross income. After expenses are deducted, annual profit is around $50,000. These profits are, however, based on average-sized tree service businesses—which are mostly small businesses. It’s entirely possible to shoot past these numbers, becoming a preferred provider in your area.
How can you make your business more profitable?
Make the jump to commercial tree care as soon as possible, as it pays better, has more reliability and will fortify your promotion network. A lot of businesses have partners—and these partners can become your partners. Get good at networking, and prioritize quick, consistent services. Consider expanding your services to other outdoor or garden services for additional income.
Want a more guided approach? Access TRUiC’s free Small Business Startup Guide – a step-by-step course for turning your business idea into reality. Get started today!
STEP 2: Form a legal entity
One crucial aspect that cannot be overlooked when starting your tree service is the importance of establishing a solid business foundation. While sole proprietorships and partnerships are the most common entity types for small businesses, they’re a far less stable and advantageous option than LLCs.
This is because unincorporated business structures (i.e., sole proprietorships and partnerships) expose you as an owner to personal liability for your business’s debts and legal actions, while LLCs protect you by keeping your personal assets separate from your business’s liabilities.
In practice, this means that if your tree service were to face a lawsuit or incur any debts, your savings, home, and other personal assets could not be used to cover these costs. On top of this, forming your business as an LLC also helps it to appear more legitimate and trustworthy.
Ready to Turn Your Business Idea Into a Reality?
Tailor Brands is our top recommendation because it guides you through every step of the formation process with hands-on support — from paperwork and compliance to devising a detailed plan to help you achieve your business goals.
Note: If you’re interested in more information before getting started, we recommend having a look at our state-specific How to Start an LLC guide (DIY) or our in-depth Best LLC Services review (for those opting for a professional service).
STEP 3: Register for taxes
You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business.
In order to register for taxes you will need to apply for an EIN. It’s really easy and free!
You can acquire your EIN through the IRS website. If you would like to learn more about EINs, read our article, What is an EIN?
There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more about state sales tax and franchise taxes in our state sales tax guides.
STEP 4: Open a business bank account & credit card
Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection.
When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing your corporate veil.
Open a business bank account
Besides being a requirement when applying for business loans, opening a business bank account:
- Separates your personal assets from your company’s assets, which is necessary for personal asset protection.
- Makes accounting and tax filing easier.
Recommended: Read our Best Banks for Small Business review to find the best national bank or credit union.
Get a business credit card
Getting a business credit card helps you:
- Separate personal and business expenses by putting your business’ expenses all in one place.
- Build your company’s credit history, which can be useful to raise money later on.
Recommended: Apply for an easy approval business credit card from BILL and build your business credit quickly.
STEP 5: Set up business accounting
Recording your various expenses and sources of income is critical to understanding the financial performance of your business. Keeping accurate and detailed accounts also greatly simplifies your annual tax filing.
Make LLC accounting easy with our LLC Expenses Cheat Sheet.
STEP 6: Obtain necessary permits and licenses
Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down.
State & Local Business Licensing Requirements
Certain state permits and licenses may be needed to operate a tree service. Learn more about licensing requirements in your state by visiting SBA’s reference to state licenses and permits.
Most businesses are required to collect sales tax on the goods or services they provide. To learn more about how sales tax will affect your business, read our article, Sales Tax for Small Businesses.
Services Contract
Tree services should require clients to sign a services agreement before starting a new project. This agreement should clarify client expectations and minimize risk of legal disputes by setting out payment terms and conditions, service level expectations, and intellectual property ownership. Here is an example of one such services agreement.
Recommended: Rocket Lawyer makes it easy to create a professional service agreement for your tree service business when you sign up for their premium membership. For $39.95 per month, members receive access to hundreds of legal agreements and on call attorneys to get complimentary legal advice.
STEP 7: Get business insurance
Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. Business Insurance protects your company’s financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss.
There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks. If you’re unsure of the types of risks that your business may face, begin with General Liability Insurance. This is the most common coverage that small businesses need, so it’s a great place to start for your business.
Another notable insurance policy that many businesses need is Workers’ Compensation Insurance. If your business will have employees, it’s a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers’ Compensation Coverage.
Find out what types of insurance your Tree Service needs and how much it will cost you by reading our guide Business Insurance for Tree Service.
STEP 8: Define your brand
Your brand is what your company stands for, as well as how your business is perceived by the public. A strong brand will help your business stand out from competitors.
If you already have a logo, you can also add it to a QR code with our Free QR Code Generator. Choose from 13 QR code types to create a code for your business cards and publications, or to help spread awareness for your new website.
How to promote & market a tree service
It is a good idea to directly approach local businesses. As for homeowners, focus on a landing page. Promote yourself via social media, and make sure you’re getting a lot of visibility. Because disposable incomes are slightly rising, expert jobs are increasing in demand.
How to keep customers coming back
To attract customers, focus on areas which experience a lot of tree damage or tree care needs. Golf courses, schools, beaches and parks are fantastic commercial areas. If you’re focusing on residential landscapes, target medium to high-income neighborhoods. These locations, often, are comprised of valuable hardscape, vehicles and homes. For this reason, tree care is important. Customer retention, for the most part, will be secured by offering quick, effective services. Much of tree care is ordered on an emergency basis. That said, being noninvasive during monthly services is a great way to retain customers.
STEP 9: Create your business website
After defining your brand and creating your logo the next step is to create a website for your business.
While creating a website is an essential step, some may fear that it’s out of their reach because they don’t have any website-building experience. While this may have been a reasonable fear back in 2015, web technology has seen huge advancements in the past few years that makes the lives of small business owners much simpler.
Here are the main reasons why you shouldn’t delay building your website:
- All legitimate businesses have websites – full stop. The size or industry of your business does not matter when it comes to getting your business online.
- Social media accounts like Facebook pages or LinkedIn business profiles are not a replacement for a business website that you own.
- Website builder tools like the GoDaddy Website Builder have made creating a basic website extremely simple. You don’t need to hire a web developer or designer to create a website that you can be proud of.
Recommended: Get started today using our recommended website builder or check out our review of the Best Website Builders.
Other popular website builders are: WordPress, WIX, Weebly, Squarespace, and Shopify.
STEP 10: Set up your business phone system
Getting a phone set up for your business is one of the best ways to help keep your personal life and business life separate and private. That’s not the only benefit; it also helps you make your business more automated, gives your business legitimacy, and makes it easier for potential customers to find and contact you.
There are many services available to entrepreneurs who want to set up a business phone system. We’ve reviewed the top companies and rated them based on price, features, and ease of use. Check out our review of the Best Business Phone Systems 2024 to find the best phone service for your small business.
Recommended Business Phone Service: Phone.com
Phone.com is our top choice for small business phone numbers because of all the features it offers for small businesses and it’s fair pricing.
Is this Business Right For You?
A tree care business is a great opportunity for any recent tree care company worker. If you’ve recognized the financial potential of growing your own business, and if you’re skilled in the technical aspects of tree care, you’ll thrive. A tree care business isn’t for everyone, however, as it requires a lot of financial planning, competitive analysis, equipment and effective marketing.
Want to know if you are cut out to be an entrepreneur?
Take our Entrepreneurship Quiz to find out!
What happens during a typical day at a tree service?
As a tree care business owner, you’ll be responsible for securing relationships with lenders while registering with local, county and state agencies. You’ll also need to secure and maintain operating permits and licenses. As a decision maker, you’ll conduct competitive analysis and make long-range objectives. Your workers will need to be skilled, insured and understand your business’s equipment intimately. On the service end, day-to-day activities include tree installation and removal quoting, actual installation and removal, trimming, pruning and emergency services. During bad weather—or other emergencies—your business will need to be “on call,” to help local property owners.
What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful tree service?
Before taking on an administrative role, you’ll need to understand the basics of tree care. On the technician level, you’ll need to have experience with tree felling, knot creation, A-1 climber use, tree rescue, tree trimming, pressure cutting, chainsaw usage, equipment maintenance and wood disposal. Joining a trade school can help.
From an administrative standpoint, you’ll need to be a capable advertiser. You’ll also need to garner service leads. Tree care, in particular, is a lead-heavy business practice. It’s a good idea to obtain small business consulting, too. It additionally pays off to be well-versed in your area’s property regulations, landscaping laws and hardscaping laws.
What is the growth potential for a tree service?
A good tree service provider can become a cross-state staple. That said, a lot of tree service providers are local businesses. Property owners have surprisingly little knowledge about tree service providers, which keeps the market open from a small business standpoint. If a local provider offers competitive pricing, incredibly fast services and skilled labor, it will experience a lot of service. A local tree service business can grow large if its business plan capably serves multiple areas.
Take the Next Step
Find a business mentor
One of the greatest resources an entrepreneur can have is quality mentorship. As you start planning your business, connect with a free business resource near you to get the help you need.
Having a support network in place to turn to during tough times is a major factor of success for new business owners.
Learn from other business owners
Want to learn more about starting a business from entrepreneurs themselves? Visit Startup Savant’s startup founder series to gain entrepreneurial insights, lessons, and advice from founders themselves.
Resources to Help Women in Business
There are many resources out there specifically for women entrepreneurs. We’ve gathered necessary and useful information to help you succeed both professionally and personally:
- Funding
- Events
- Guides
- Support
If you’re a woman looking for some guidance in entrepreneurship, check out this great new series Women in Business created by the women of our partner Startup Savant.
What are some insider tips for jump starting a tree service?
As a tree service provider, you should specialize in either personal lawn trimming or commercial tree care. By having such a niche, you’ll hit a much-needed market angle to get off the ground. By focusing on public spaces, you’ll secure more consistent work. You will, however, need to have a bigger team. If you want to provide personalized lawn care, you can get by with a smaller but highly skilled team.
How and when to build a team
You’ll need to hire independent contractors immediately. They’re cheaper than highly-skilled tree care labor. That said, you should invest in a highly-trained tree crew as soon as you can afford it. If you have friends in the business who are looking for work, offer them a job. You could also search for general labor on Craigslist. Because tree care is incredibly labor-intensive, you’ll need human resources as soon as possible. Aim for at least 10 technicians, as a starting point.