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JACKSTRAW INC

Tree Service, Lawn and Yard Work, Mulch and Topsoil,

About us

Jackstraw owner/operator Robert Appelbaum has over 40 years of experience in the tree care industry. He is the recipient of the Montgomery Village Association Award for community service. He also teaches a class for the City of Gaithersburg and the Montgomery Village Foundation for homeowners who want to learn the correct and easiest ways to take care of their own lawn and landscape. He named the class, "Tricks of the Trade." Robert is the author of a book, Tricks of the Trade, still in the writing stages, about landscaping, tree care, and a multitude of ways, means and methods for weeding, mulching, and easy to understand directions on exactly how, why and when to do these things as well as prune ornamental trees and shrubs. While the subject matter in and of itself is very informative and useful it is enhanced with words of wit and wisdom that makes the book both a memorable and enjoyable reading experience. When it comes to pruning, for example, he writes, "he who pays the mortgage shouldn't have to duck to mow his lawn or step off the sidewalk to get to the front door!"

Business highlights

55 years of trusted experience
Emergency Services Offered

Services we offer

We offer a wide array of services, including: > Residential and commercial landscape services > Pruning of ornamental trees and shrubs > Weeding, edging and mulching > Mowing, seeding, aerating and dethatching > Leaf removal > Spring and Fall clean up > Pruning and removal of large trees > Stump grinding > Gutter cleaning > Residential snow removal > Bulk trash removal and light hauling > ASK ABOUT OUR NEW YEARLY MAINTENANCE PROGRAM!

Services we don't offer

Ask for details.

Amenities

Free Estimates
Yes
Warranties
Yes
Senior Discount

10%

Emergency Services
Yes


Accepted payment methods

Check
MasterCard
Visa

Reviews

4.945 Reviews
Number of StarsImage of DistributionNumber of Ratings
5
87%
4
7%
3
4%
2
2%
1
0%


Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
4.8
value
4.8
professionalism
4.8
responsiveness
4.8
punctuality
4.9
Showing 1-25 of 45 reviews

Nancy M B.
09/2017
3.0
lawn service, tree service
  + 0 more
Things went ok in the beginning, but they did no weeding whatsoever, and the weeds came back in my beds with such a vengeance, I had to hire another company to address it. They do not do any fertilizing or weed control, so my grass began to look like a weed bed, so I hired TruGreen to come and fix the weed problems that came up. Jackstraw mowed over a small bush and did knock on the door to tell us, but they offered nothing to replace it. I did feel sorry for the guy who mowed over it, but the company took no responsibility, so I just deducted the cost of a small bush from my final bill. Overall, I feel they really took us for granted as things progressed. Maybe they did not understand we were looking for a company that would take care of all of our yard issues, which we would have gladly paid for, but our yard looked terrible by the end of the summer.
Description of Work: Regular mowing and yard maintenance.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
2.0
value
4.0
professionalism
3.0
responsiveness
2.0
punctuality
5.0

$900

Raphael B.
08/2017
5.0
tree service
  + -1 more
I contacted Jackstraw online. They responded quickly, and gave me an estimated price and time frame. The job was done as they said it would. They were very professional, and the online estimate and payment make it very convenient to work with them. Would hire again and recommend to friends.
Description of Work: I had a cherry tree pruned.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$425

angela T.
04/2017
5.0
tree service
  + -1 more
Service was great! Made the mistake of using another company one year. Ended calling Jackstraw to finish what was needed. Will never make that mistake again.
Description of Work: Pruning of our trees

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro

Frederick T.
03/2017
5.0
tree service
  + -1 more
Excellent work performed by Jackstraw Inc. I will use them again.
Description of Work: Cut a tall silver maple tree and trim a cherry tree.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$600

Gary L.
06/2016
5.0
tree service
  + -1 more
Jackstraw did an awesome job from Chris and Jimmy setting up the service to the crew who removed the trees. Everyone I had dealings with in the company was respectful and courteous at all times. They were a joy to work with. The cost of the service was definitely reasonable. The trees were removed in a professional manner by a crew who obviously knew what they were doing. The yard was cleaned before they left. You would not have known that they were there. All that remained behind was a very small amount of sawdust where the tree had been. I must say I was extremely impressed with every aspect of this project and will definitely be using them again. I will definitely be recommending Jackstraw to friends and neighbors.
Description of Work: Removed two large paulownia trees from our back yard

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,900

Tim G.
05/2016
2.0
tree service
  + -1 more
They gave me a good invoice but their price was outrageous for one normal pine tree. We ended up not using them. They happen to serve my community so my property management recommended that we reach out to them since they serve our community. They were apparently supposed to give kind of a reduced price and it was far beyond other bids that I received. When I reached out to them, I let them know that I was a member of this community and asked them to stop by for an estimate. They actually didn't schedule an appointment with us; they just kind of walked down to our property one day. I noticed somebody walk by my window, they are out back and they measured the tree and then left. Then I got an email a few days later so just a lot of things wrong with that...the process and then the outrageous bid. They inappropriately entered my property, the cost was out of control and the followup was poor.
Description of Work: I received a bid from them to cut down a tree.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
value
1.0
professionalism
1.0
responsiveness
2.0
punctuality
2.0

$2,600

Jeffrey B.
11/2015
5.0
tree service
  + -1 more
The crew did a great job in removing the tree and roots. The hole was filled in, leveled and grass seed planted. I was really impressed with the job and the clean up of all debris.
Description of Work: Jackstraw removed a rather large pine tree that was a risk to the house. Both the tree, trunk and roots and removed.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,000

LILLIE W.
09/2015
5.0
lawn service, tree service
  + 0 more
Pull up two hollies and apply soil amendment to the front left lost line and the front beds. Plant ground covers: phlox, periwinkle and plumbago, in the front beds at right and left of the front door, along front left lot line and around crape mrytles trees. install flagstone walkway. Install dwarf spruce left of the front door. Cut and transplant climbing rose. Transplant Japanese holly left side of the lot line. etc..
Description of Work: He change the look of my front yard from a fair ok yard to a palace yard.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,000

Steven V.
06/2015
5.0
tree service
  + -1 more
Estimator was very punctual and very knowledgeable. Not only did he provide the requested estimate, be he also offered some free advice on planting and landscaping. Very nice people!
Description of Work: Provided an estimate to cut down a dead tree.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$900

Carleton M.
01/2015
5.0
tree service
  + -1 more
Very well. The work was done safely, competently, and completely, and the yard was cleaned up each day - better than it was before the work began, actually.
Description of Work: Removed one very large dead oak tree next to the driveway and grind its stump, another dead tree in the backyard, and a few other smaller trees.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$5,300

Stephany E.
10/2014
5.0
tree service
  + -1 more
Went perfectly. The tree largely overhung my neighbor's property who was trying to sell his house. He was very nervous that his property would be damaged. The company was very careful and no damage at all occurred to his property. He repeatedly thanked the tree company. The company does professional work. The came when they said they would come. They worked very efficiently to finish promptly. They have a full array of equipment to help the process go as smoothly and efficiently as possible. This is the second major project they have done for me in the last three years and both went smoothly. Top marks to they.
Description of Work: Removed a large oak tree from the front yard bordering a neighbor's property.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$3,000

Frederick T.
10/2014
5.0
tree service
  + -1 more
I used Jackstraw Inc. twice in last two years to remove and trim trees around my house. They are very professional and honest while their price were lower than all other bidders I have encountered. I am very happy to their service and definitely will use them again in the future.
Description of Work: Trim and removal of trees around my house.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,600

Elissa K.
09/2014
5.0
landscaping, mulch, lawn service
  + 1 more
The price varies on the service performed. I have been very pleased with the company in the past and today only reinforced my belief in the company with their careful work they have completed.
Description of Work: Landscaping entire property, pruning, mulching, and weeding.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$425

Theresa O.
06/2014
5.0
tree service
  + -1 more
They were very good. They were very careful, clean, and there was something in their way that they could not move out while working, but they were very careful for not breaking it. They were very courteous and very safety.
Description of Work: They trimmed the trees.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro

Patrick K.
05/2014
5.0
tree service
  + -1 more
This went better than expected. The soil was really high quality. Very rich and could feel it in my hands. Then, they fully raked the area, removing all the stones and pieces of debris, stickes, etc, so that there was a clean base to add the soil. I didn't expect that.. Andre, the worker on the job, did a nice job filling in sinkholes, and then leveled the yard. This will be the first time in 14 years the lawn will be level. They used every bit of topsoil delivered - no waste, and yet there was exactly the right amount applied. Good estimating. Finally, it was seeded (well covered application), and they applied starter fertilizer. Andre concluded with a discussion on how to care for the lawn as the seed took. What I liked was before they started, they explained exactly what would be done, then they did it, and then they reviewed what they did - and followed up afterward with a call from the office to make sure it was done right! Excellent work. At a separate time the Jackstraw team did a very large tree removal, major trimming on 4 other trees, remove large branches from a storm. That went so well I had them back for the soil and seeding. I highly recommend them.
Description of Work: Delivered 7 yards of high grade topsoil, spread it over a large section of the front yard where septic work was done, leveled the surface, seeded it, and applied starter fertilizer.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,090

Jeffrey M.
04/2014
5.0
tree service
  + -1 more
Jimmy really listened to me for what I wanted to have done to my tree. He made many good suggestions for carefully pruning the tree. He really cares about how the trees look naturally and preserved that look and at the same time did a beautiful job. I will definitely use Jackstraw and Jimmy in the future! I couldn't be more pleased!
Description of Work: Jimmy from Jackstraw, Inc. pruned my Japanese maple tree.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$200

Sheila Y.
01/2014
5.0
tree service
  + -1 more
Arrived on time. We discussed the work to be done and some other work we are thinking about. We agreed to just remove the spruce tree for now with the remaining work to be done later. Jimmy was very professional and they cleaned up after they were done. No complaints and would use them again.
Description of Work: Cut down Large Spruce tree near the house

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$900

Rick F.
01/2014
5.0
tree service
  + -1 more
Fantastic! These guys are pros. Bob, Jimmy, and their crew were fantastic. Hard workers with top notch equipment, They cleaned up well after job was done. They had good suggestions about landscaping that we agreed to during the job, couldn't be happier with the work. Will definitely use them in the future.
Description of Work: Took down trees, cleared bushes, trimmed azaleas, mulched.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,600

Robert S.
12/2013
5.0
tree service
  + -1 more
They came out two different times to do the work. Each time the service was excellent and I have no complaints. I received several other estimates but they impressed me so I hired them.
Description of Work: They removed a tree and pruned several others.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro

Allen C.
12/2013
5.0
tree service
  + -1 more
I can't add much more too what has been said in the other positive reviews. A+ service! The owner/operator Robert Appelbaum came out for the estimate. He spent his time helping me understand what I needed and provided a thorough itemized estimate. His crew was hardworking and professional, and left my yard cleaner than they found it. I will definitely use them again!!!
Description of Work: Major prunning of several large tress.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,700

Debbie S.
10/2013
5.0
tree service
  + -1 more
Crew was focused and worked efficiently. Cleaned up and removed all debris from the yard
Description of Work: Provider "pruned" several trees in our yard and cut down two other trees. Worked efficiently and cleaned up and removed all debris.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,600

Arthur H.
09/2013
4.0
tree service
  + -1 more
No doubt, Bob Applebaum knows his stuff. And he'll tell you about his stuff, and your stuff. Thing is, his crew came back for our 3rd pruning in about 5 years, and the last time they came, which was about 2-3 years ago, they had a new schtick: don't trim the trees and shrubs so much and you'll need us more frequently. We told the crew we wanted things trimmed back, like they had done previously, and they took 3 times to come back again and again to get it close to "correct". Bob was very defensive and almost abusive on the phone. It was a different side of him, and not so pleasant. End of connection with Jackstraw---and I had recommended him to many others.
Description of Work: Tree and shrub pruning.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
3.0
value
4.0
professionalism
3.0
responsiveness
4.0
punctuality
4.0

$1,000

Nichole U.
08/2013
5.0
tree service
  + -1 more
They removed the tree off my house, didn't damage the house further or the fences around that could easily have been damaged while removing branches. They grinded the stump into the ground and left a huge pile of wood chips (my only issue, but to be fair we never discussed the subject, and they cleaned up everything else perfectly well).
Description of Work: Remove 2 trees, one of which had a huge branch over my roof. Grinded one stump.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
4.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$2,400

Pat F.
08/2013
5.0
tree service
  + -1 more
I was very impressed with how knowledgeable Jimmy (supervisor of the crew) was of the varieties of bushes and trees. I had one bush which he pointed out was really a tree which he pruned to remove the bottom branches so now it looks like a tree and is really beautiful. their approach was to prune by hand from the inside out which results in removing a lot of dead wood. This is as opposed to my previous prunings which were done with electric trimmers from the outside of the bush. A very large tree which was overhanging the house to a large extent was trimmed extensively removing several branches. This took about four hours. Now it looks symetrical, lets a lot more sun into the house and yard, and is completely removed from the roof. I highly recommend Jackstraw Inc.
Description of Work: Crew was here for approx. 6 hours. Extensive trimming to several trees and pruning of several bushes.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
4.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$2,500

Jeffrey B.
04/2013
5.0
tree service
  + -1 more
I sent Jackstraw an e-mail request via their web site. An on-site visit took place and I spoke with the owner about the details and the estimated expense over the telephone. Since the job wasn't a big job, I waited about a week to have the job done. The weather was also a factor. The job was done before the trees had buds and flowers.
Description of Work: It had been 2 years since I last engaged Jackstraw. Jackstraw pruned 3 large crepe mrytles, trimmed a red bud and a dogwood. They removed 2 dogwoods from a rear patio area in order to allow the expansion of the patio. The crew did a great job and removed all the debris and waste. One would have never known that work had been done.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$460
    • 1(current)
    • 2

Contact information

8921 WATKINS RD, Gaithersburg, MD 20882

http://www.jackstrawinc.com

Service hours

Monday:
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday:
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday:
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday:
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday:
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Licensing

Insured
State Contractor License Requirements

All statements concerning insurance, licenses, and bonds are informational only, and are self-reported. Since insurance, licenses and bonds can expire and can be cancelled, homeowners should always check such information for themselves. To find more licensing information for your state, visit our State Contractor License Requirements page.

*Contact business to see additional licenses.


Service Categories

Tree Service,
Lawn and Yard Work,
Mulch and Topsoil,
Landscaping

FAQ

JACKSTRAW INC is currently rated 4.9 overall out of 5.

Monday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Tuesday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Wednesday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Thursday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Friday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

JACKSTRAW INC accepts the following forms of payment: Check,MasterCard,Visa
Yes, JACKSTRAW INC offers free project estimates.
No, JACKSTRAW INC does not offer eco-friendly accreditations.
Yes, JACKSTRAW INC offers a 10% senior discount.
Yes, JACKSTRAW INC offers emergency services.
Yes, JACKSTRAW INC offers warranties.
JACKSTRAW INC offers the following services: We offer a wide array of services, including: > Residential and commercial landscape services > Pruning of ornamental trees and shrubs > Weeding, edging and mulching > Mowing, seeding, aerating and dethatching > Leaf removal > Spring and Fall clean up > Pruning and removal of large trees > Stump grinding > Gutter cleaning > Residential snow removal > Bulk trash removal and light hauling > ASK ABOUT OUR NEW YEARLY MAINTENANCE PROGRAM!
Ask for details.

Contact information

8921 WATKINS RD, Gaithersburg, MD 20882

http://www.jackstrawinc.com

Service hours

Monday:
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday:
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday:
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday:
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday:
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM