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Ted Safford Arborist

Lawn Care Maintenance and Mowing, Tree Service, Sprinkler - Backflow Valve,

About us

Certified arborist with more than 30 years of hands- on experience with San Diego's trees. He was certified as an arborist by the International Society of Arborculture in 1992, is a member of the American Society of Consulting Arborist & has experience testifying as an expert witness. The business, Certified Arborcare, is licensed by the State of California (#923924) & carries workman's comp & general liability insurance. Certificate of insurance can be provided upon request.

Business highlights

Emergency services offered
50 years of experience

Services we offer

Planting. Stump Grinding. Consulting. , Removal, Tree-Pruning

Amenities

Emergency Services

Yes

Free Estimates

Yes

Reviews
4.961 Reviews
Number of StarsImage of DistributionNumber of Ratings
5
95%
4
3%
3
2%
2
0%
1
0%
Showing 1-25 of 61 reviews
Barbara M.
Oct 2020
4.0
$1,425
Tree trimming was acceptable but careless with plants around olive tree. Was guaranteed pots would be moved. Was not done. Branches on plumeria chopped off Poor service

Andy G.
Sep 2018
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
Very well. They suggested improvements and went beyond the expected work because it was better for the yard and remaining trees.

Leora Z.
Feb 2018
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
Everything went well.

Cathy C.
Jul 2017
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$65
Excellent aborist! He is extremely knowledgeable, professional, and thorough. He took his time explaining EVERYTHING that needed to be done, tree by tree. Because of pricing, I decided to go with another company, but all of the information I received from Ted ended up being accurate. If you want exceptional service and knowledge, I would definitely recommend him.

Toni C.
May 2017
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
Ted came to estimate and check them out. The following day Tim came with a crew and took care of it. I thought the price was a tad steep, but they gave A plus service, so I cannot complain.

Timothy G.
Apr 2017
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,600
Very smoothly. Ted Safford is very knowledgeable about trees of all kinds. Work was done quickly and efficiently. Yard was left in neat, clean condition. Highly recommend!

Anne B.
Mar 2017
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,000
Excellent work. I've used them for years. They are very careful about protecting other plants around where they work. Very knowledgeable of trees and recommend best solution when part of a tree was not lookin well. They clean up after the work and haul it all away. Highly recommend this family owned business.

Nannette C.
Feb 2017
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
I'm very pleased with the work on the trees and the great clean-up.

Michael S.
Sep 2016
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$4,100
They did a great job. Competitive price. Seemed to be very safety conscious. Got the job done in a single day with a large crew. Cleaned up well. Friendly and courteous. No damage to anything except one buried sprinkler line they could not see. I'd hire them again without question.

.
Jul 2015
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$450
We have them come in every couple of years. I've been using this company for about eight years now. They seem to have both a love of and respect for trees. They just have a good aesthetic sense. They don't believe in topping trees and a lot of things that you see in the area because they feel it's bad for the trees and can tell you why. So they're just very knowledgeable. We just can trust them. We tell them what we need done to the tree and they do an excellent job.

Lucy J.
Apr 2015
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$4,700
He was very knowledgeable about the liquid amber trees and their ability to continue to damage the foundation of the garage and house.  His crew did an expert job removing the trees, grinding the stumps, trimming the remaining trees, and the clean-up was perfect.  We will hire him again soon to plant some trees of another variety.

Nenita T.
Mar 2015
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$285
Ted showed up on time with his crew and I was impressed by their speed  and careful attention not to damage any of the near by objects as well as caring for our neighbors newly planted grass sod which was a foot or two away from that tree.  We got quotes from 6 other companies listed on Angies list and went with Ted mainly for price.  Highly recommend them.

Mary C.
Mar 2015
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$370
unknown

Chris H.
Feb 2015
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$275
unknown

Dorothy P.
Jan 2015
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
unknown

Linda H.
Jan 2015
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$2,900
unknown

Barbara B.
Dec 2014
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,300
unknown

Wayne L.
Nov 2014
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$140
It went very well. We've used Ted Safford & Sons to care for all our trees for years now and have always been pleased with their service. Ted came out last week himself, trimmed the Canary Island and cleaned everything up. A very professional and personable crew. My wife and I could not be happier. Wayne Laner Carlsbad

Crystal P.
Oct 2014
5.0
$2,000
We found them through Angie’s List. We were really happy with the services and everything and we think that his pricing was a little high but he did do a very good job; he had several large trees to trim. His estimate was within the range of the other people. When we asked him to do a couple of additional projects, as far as different trees to trim, he gave us estimates that were really high like he did not want to do business with us anymore. Overall the quality of the work and the professionalism of the workers were fine. I decided to go with him because of his basic knowledge of the trees and the estimate.

Alexandra P.
Jun 2014
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,200
unknown

Matthew H.
Jun 2014
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$475
I'm pleased with the response time and the service.

Alma C.
May 2014
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$900
Tim Safford did a good job.  We wanted a Ficus tree removed in our front yard.  It was situated near our neighbor?s brand new fence, so we were quite anxious.  But Tim went thru that tree so efficiently that not only the fence, but also the rose bush right beside the tree were untouched.  As the tree was a bit close to the house as well, they covered all places where tree sap or wayward tree stuff might fly in and stick.  After grinding the roots, they spread out the dirt so the whole area looked like the tree was never there.  They cleaned up all the way to the street so no trace of tree cutting were evident.  
Tim also cut and ground 2 palm trees in the front lawn and cut another ficus tree in the back yard with the same meticulous care.  They were done in 3 hours.  
Tim Safford is a very amiable young man who answered all our questions regarding our yard.  We highly recommend Ted Safford Arborist.  We look forward to working with them on our future yard projects.


Jim C.
Apr 2014
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,600
Ted seemed a little bit presumptuous, but I was looking for good tree service, not personality, so we hired them anyway--and were glad we did!  The apparent presumptuousness turned out to be well-deserved confidence, clearly one of the top two tree teams we've used in the last ten years (haven't been able to find the other guy since 2005).  Ted and Tim and his team did a great job of shaping up a fifty-year-old olive that had been butchered by another highly-ranked arborist last year; trimmed up a dozen other mature trees; and removed a couple of other large trees, one of which had grown into the wires to the house.  All done efficiently, professionally, and with good cleanup.  The above-average price we paid was returned with attention to detail and much good advice for other areas of our project.  And this was what I call "foundational" advice--which deepened my understanding of how to keep our trees healthy and happy.  We will certainly call them next time we need any tree work.
I wrote the above review last year, and discovered this morning (when I came to AL to find him for some new work) that it was still in draft status.  This delay allows, however, a recognition of how much we got from these guys, especially by comparison to the guys who butchered a few of my neighbors' trees.  (I really can't remember why I'd given them a B for responsiveness, but it would certainly not keep me from using them again this month if they're available.)  The difference between Ted and Tim and most of the others we've dealt with is almost day and night.  And these differences are more apparent now than they were last year.

Wayne L.
Mar 2014
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$500
The crew, including Ted's son Tim arrived on time and demonstrated knowledge and professionalism as they have always done in the past. Ted and his crew have maintained our many trees and have given us excellent advice on how to enhance all of our tree's appearances. They did everything we asked them to do and after they had finished, cleaned up as if they had never been here.

C X.
Mar 2014
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,025
I thought that the bid was high, but accepted it based on resume and Angie's List reviews.  I got my money's worth of professional work.  Three workers not only did a great job on the trees, but trimmed a few adjacent shrubs and cleaned up all leaves and twigs in the yard and street.  Made recommendations for extended care of trees.  Very knowledgeable and will use again.
Showing 1-25 of 61

Licensing

State Contractor License Requirements

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FAQ

Ted Safford Arborist is currently rated 4.9 overall out of 5.

Yes, Ted Safford Arborist offers free project estimates.

No, Ted Safford Arborist does not offer eco-friendly accreditations.

No, Ted Safford Arborist does not offer a senior discount.

Yes, Ted Safford Arborist offers emergency services.

No, Ted Safford Arborist does not offer warranties.