ADA, Mich. — Storm cleanup continues into the weekend. A lot of people have more to do than simply raking up some leaves and twigs— some will need to call a tree removal company. But how do you know if you're hiring the right one?
The sounds of chainsaws and generators filled the air Friday night in Kent County.
"We're responding to lots of storm calls with tree damage," Chop Tree Service Supervisor Elvis Peacock said. "Trees uprooting and taking out the power lines and things of that nature."
Peacock has been with the company for 11 years.
"My whole family has been in the tree industry. I just love it. I have a passion for doing tree work," he added.
He says this job is dangerous, especially for anyone who doesn't have the proper training.
"Someone without experience or training [and] they don't know how to do these things properly can seriously injure themselves," Peacock said.
According to the Better Business Bureau:
- Your homeowner's insurance isn't enough to protect you if someone gets injured doing tree work on your property.
- Check with your city and county and your homeowners' association to find out about any relevant permit or licensing requirements.
- Do not permit work to start without a signed, written contract that includes start and completion dates, exact costs, specific work to be done, the means that will be used to protect your property, and what cleanup and debris removal will be done. Be sure to read the fine print carefully.
READ MORE: BBB warns of potential scams amid storm cleanup
"These guys are all trained and have years of experience and go through several different training things and know what they're doing," Peacock said.
These 22 trained professionals will be busy over the next couple of days.
"We go out with the line crew, and we will remove any trees from the lines and make it clear so that they're able to safely put the lines back up and restore power," he said.
