The Ranking
Our top 6 tree services in Calgary
Calgary's tree canopy is mostly spruce, poplar, aspen, crabapple, Manitoba maple and a good number of elms, and it takes a beating. Chinook winds, summer hail and early snow while the leaves are still on do most of the damage. The September 2014 snowfall broke limbs across the city and is still the example arborists point to for why structural pruning and cabling matter. If you are looking at a leaning spruce or a cracked poplar branch over the roof, a tree service is a safety purchase before it is a landscaping one.\n\nA few local rules shape the work. Dutch elm disease is controlled in Alberta, and elms may not be pruned from April 1 to September 30, so any company that offers to trim an elm in July is a red flag. Trees on City boulevards and in parks belong to the City of Calgary, so call 311 rather than hiring a crew. We did not find a general permit requirement for removing a healthy tree on your own lot, but check calgary.ca before a large removal. Nesting birds are protected under federal law, so spring and early summer removals need care. Never prune near power lines yourself. Contact the utility, and ask any company how it handles line clearance.\n\nThree checks protect you. Alberta does not license arborists, so there is no government lookup. Ask for the arborist's ISA Certified Arborist number and verify it on the ISA website, get a certificate of liability insurance, and ask for a Workers' Compensation Board clearance letter so you are not liable if a climber is hurt on your property. Anyone applying pesticide for pay needs Alberta applicator certification, so ask whether a treatment is on your quote and get the scope, price and cleanup terms in writing.\n\nThe six companies below include an owner led arborist firm, a regional company with an in house plant disease lab, a national employee owned firm open seven days, a removal and stump crew, a plant health specialist and the tree division of a garden centre. We left out many names that rank well on Google because they work from home addresses, have no street address at all, or have too few reviews.
