TAKOMA TREE EXPERTS
About us
WORK WITH ALL INSURANCE COMPANIES. SECOND CONTACT IS MARCELA.
Business highlights
Emergency services offered
40 years of experience
Services we offer
ANY COMMERCIAL ENTITY, CLEARING OF LIMBS OVER HOUSES, CRANE JOBS, DEADWOODING, DECKS, HOSPITALS, ICE MELT CHEMICAL APPLICATION, LARGE DEAD AND DANGEROUS TREE REMOVALS, MALLS, PARKING LOTS, PLOWING, POOLS, PRUNING, SEASONAL CONTRACTS FOR CONDO'S, STORM DAMAGE SPECIALISTS.24/7 RESPONSE TO EMERGENCIES. WINTER SERVICES INCLUDE COMMERCIAL SNOW AND ICE CONTROL, STUMP GRINDING, TRIMMING
Amenities
Emergency Services
Yes
Free Estimates
Yes
Accepted Payment Methods
- CreditCard
Reviews
4.925 Reviews
| Number of Stars | Image of Distribution | Number of Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 96% | ||
| 0% | ||
| 4% | ||
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| 0% |
Showing 1-25 of 25 reviews
Frank L.
Mar 2024
We hired Takoma Tree Svc to cut up and remove a large tree that had fallen during a windstorm. Bill Marvil kept in touch with us while coordinating the day and time, parking arrangements, etc. His crew worked quickly and knew exactly what they were doing, very professional. I learned about them from the Consumer Checkbook website, where they got very good ratings. I would not hesitate to hire them again.
Response from TAKOMA TREE EXPERTS
"Thank you for taking the time to write such a wonderful review and for supporting a small local business. We look forward to taking care of any future tree needs you may have, and remember, we're never too busy for your referrals! Thanks again, The staff and crew at: Takoma Tree Experts LLC MD Licensed Tree Experts DC DLCP Licensed ISA Certified Arborists EHAP Certified MD: 301-681-5800 DC: 202-387-8733 www.takomatree.com"
Wendell J.
Nov 2020
Service was excellent from point of contact to estimate to providing contract to setting service appointment and actual removal of tree. Their business office and experts were very responsive throughout the entire process. This tree had been fine for many years but, suddenly, this year the bark started falling off the upper branches and then off the lower branches; two thirds of the upper branches were dead. DC government determined that the tree was hazardous and needed to be removed. The tree was located in the front yard of my home; challenges included tree branches hanging over an electric line on one side and cable television line on the other as well as the trunk located next to the concrete walk to my door. Another challenge was that in recent storms three large (at least 10 feet long) branches fell off the tree. I contacted four tree service firms. All four responded. Notably, Takoma Tree Experts sent estimator within about a week, sent contract with a reasonable price within another week, responded quickly and informatively to questions I had such as stump grinding and tree location next to concrete walk. I mentioned my concern about the branches that had fallen and they assured me "We would certainly do this by mid next week, before Thanksgiving, might even be possible this Friday, but we will rush it, as long as the weather cooperates." That's all I needed, I signed the contract and their crew showed up the following week. The crew's work was excellent: they showed up on time, got to work, and finished in about 5 to 6 hours, much of which was spent navigating the close quarters challenges in my front yard. They exercised skill and care in cutting down the branches hanging over the electric line as well as the concrete walk so that no damage was done in the relatively close quarters of my front yard. You have to see this to appreciate the skill and care needed to bring these branches down while directing their fall away from the line and walk. This is far more involved than sawing and dropping where there is open area not near power lines, walkways, houses. And yes, they cleaned up and ground up the branches and debris as they went along and left my yard as well as my neighbors yard clear of debris. Still, you can't imagine my relief that this was concluded with any incidents or delays. Finally, it may not be important to some folks, but I also appreciated their variety and convenience of payment methods, including online methods.
Response from TAKOMA TREE EXPERTS
"Thank you for taking the time to write a great review, much appreciated. It was a pleasure doing business with you!"
Patricia R.
Nov 2020
I was impressed with the crew's skill at removing a large tree in a difficult location--hillside, power lines, adjacent vegetation--without damage or disruption. I have used this company since the 1990s, and can recommend them highly.
Response from TAKOMA TREE EXPERTS
"Thank you for taking the time to write a great review and for your continued business over the last many, many years! We look forward to working with you in the future and continuing to earn your trust and business."
Michael F.
Nov 2020
I've been an Angie's List member for well over 10 years, and have hired over $130K of work on my home over the years from AL. I hired Takoma Tree Experts based on Angie's List Reviews. My experience was mixed. The short review is that I am satisfied with the actual work done, but the company did a very poor job communicating with me. I understand now that I reached out at a very busy time (2nd week of August), but after speaking with the company and requesting a quote, I heard nothing for over a week. Eventually, I was told that during my original call, I should have been informed that the estimate would take a while; however, no timeline had been given. Then, after accepting their bid and signing a contract, I was told that work would be done within 3-4 weeks. I didn't hear anything for more than 5 weeks, so I reached out again to check what their schedule was looking like. They promptly responded that they should be scheduling "relatively soon". Then, I received an email a week later requesting to schedule the work the following day. So, I was told it would take 3-4 weeks when I scheduled the work, and it ended up taking over 6 weeks. All work or scheduling updates only came when I reached out to the company - there were no proactive updates to inform of delays. I had just finished over $40K in landscaping, and was waiting on the tree work to finish the planting. Ultimately, I had to do the planting before the tree work to ensure the plants would root properly before winter. Also, I had a new sod lawn that I had cared for meticulously. My plan was to overseed the day following the tree work to keep foot traffic down on the new seed. The delayed timeline meant that I had to seed about 10 days before the work, and the workers ended up walking all over my newly sprouted grass seed. While this isn't the end of the world, if the timeline been properly communicated, I could have tried to plan better by planting earlier. Ultimately, the work they did seems to have been good. They removed a lot of dead branches, and the trees look better. My only complaint on the work was that I witnessed one of the workers literally walking back and forth on a patch of over 30 ground cover bushes that I had planted 2 weeks earlier - for no reason other than not to walk around them. I expected some branches to land on my newly planted bushes, but I didn't expect someone to just have no regard for them and walk back and forth on them like they were nothing. I spoke to the workers at this point. They apologized, and I did not see this again. A final note on the work is that Bill, who did the estimate, has the words "MD Licensed Tree Expert", "ISA Certified Arborist", and EHAP Certified" in his signature line of emails. These terms lead a consumer to believe they are getting someone with significant qualification overseeing a job. When the guys came to work on my trees, I asked the foreman if he was Bill. He said no, Bill is not here. It never actually occurred to me that he wouldn't be there during the work since it's a dynamic job. Then, this other gentleman left my job after about an hour or so, leaving 6-7 laborers to choose what is being cut. To my knowledge, Bill never showed up to check on the work that was done, but he did inform one of the guys to pick up a check from me at the end of the day. I purposely waited a few weeks to see if anyone from Takoma Tree Experts would reach out to me before writing a review. I have heard nothing from them. So, Bill, who is the tree expert (and I assume company owner) came out and estimated the cost of the work done. Then, he sent a team out to do the work using their own skills and ability to the scope of the work. They requested my $4100 for the day, and were gone. And ultimately, the person who is the expert on trees never checked on the work for which they collected the money. My personal assessment is that they were very busy, and probably overwhelmed with work when I called for my job. I am generally pretty forgiving and empathetic to understanding situations. Takoma Tree Experts did everything wrong in making me feel like anything other than $4100 in their pockets as a consumer. Their communication was extremely poor, and, had I understood the timeline better from the beginning, I would not have hired them. In general, my message to other consumers is make sure to get a clear timeline of the work from this company. If your timeline is flexible, I'm guessing you'll be happy. If you have other work floating on either side of their visit, you may want to go with a company that is better at managing their own work timeline. If having the tree expert onsite is important to you, clarify whether or not he will be there during the job. My message to Takoma Tree Experts is that your customers may have other things going on around your work schedule, and simple communication can help them immensely. While I understand that you can not speed up other jobs, you may want to work on your skills at assessing job timelines. Furthermore, when a customer is paying over $4000 for a single day's work, it might make them feel better if you reach out, even in some minimal fashion, to check on the work or even see how they feel the work went.
Response from TAKOMA TREE EXPERTS
"I, the owner, during the estimate, explained the process, answered all questions, then e-mailed a detailed, clear, itemized, bid. We were punctual in providing the quote as the customer indicated he was still waiting on 2 more bids-so obviously not late. With the bid we e-mailed a blurb about scheduling and possible weather related delays as well as a full page fact sheet, that explained scheduling info, terms and conditions, crew info, payment options, FAQ’s etc. We responded to each e-mail, he had our numbers, including the office managers cell. He never communicated his planting schedule to us-communication works both ways. The fact sheet makes it clear that: “We will perform all work per prevailing industry standards...all foremen and crew leaders are highly experienced and skilled, as are the climbers and general crew. We follow all ANSI A300 and Z133.1 pruning and safety standards”, yet the customer assumed, never asked if I would be on the job site and then seems upset that an estimator who showed up with the crew, left “leaving 6-7 laborers to choose what is being cut.” Yet, we made clear that our crews are “highly experienced and skilled!” There were 3 climbers on the job, each with ~ 20 years’ experience and 3-4 grounds men with 8-15 years. And indeed there was no issue with the work itself. Inexplicably, he was also upset when the crew asked for payment-apparently feeling under appreciated-we can assure this customer that his business as well as that of all our customers is always valued and appreciated. He could have told the crew that he would prefer to pay online, or call with a credit card, send a check or he could have requested to be billed-all viable, common and disclosed options, especially during the pandemic. And although, we are truly sorry for this customers’ frustration, in reviewing the process from start to finish, we find that we performed exactly as we said we would, as we always do, providing professional, high quality services for a fair price in the time frame specified."
Anne S.
Aug 2020
All work completed by a crew of five in one day, limbs cleaned off roof, all wood taken away, grounds left clean.
Response from TAKOMA TREE EXPERTS
"Thank you for your business as well as taking the time to write a review-very much appreciated."
Cheryl S.
May 2020
I chose Takoma Tree because of their price and follow-up provided by their office assistant. I was first impressed when the team showed up early and with all the equipment they needed. You could tell the team had worked together before and that each man knew his job. TASK: remove 40' remainder of a very large oak tree TIME: Job completed in same day SCOPE OF WORK: Location of the tree was backyard which has a narrow path to reach it. Remaining tree was 3 feet in diameter. Access was by a narrow path along side my house. TEAM: Tree climber plus 4 men. EQUIPMENT: Ropes, chain saws, gasoline and oil for saws, heavy duty plastic trash cans, Bobcat slender hauler, and bucket truck as alternative backup. Start time was close to Noon and they even brought their lunch with them. Taking down the remaining tree was completed the same day. The process was very interesting to watch as the tree climber was quick and precise in his roping off a section, making his cuts, and then directing the path where the segment should fall without damaging my property. Ground crew knew exactly what to do and when so they made the take down in 4 sections. Four sections were then cut into 18' to 24" rounds which were taken by the Bobcat along the narrow path to the waiting truck out front. Even when the truck had to be unloaded, work did nor stop because the men moved as many of the rounds manually to the front until the truck returned. The tree site was raked and sawdust blown away and large debris removed before the crew left. Because they bought the bucket truck, I was able to "add on" a trim job needed to remove dead branches from a tree in my front yard. I thanked the crew for a very well done job and provided them cold water. An excellent job!
Response from TAKOMA TREE EXPERTS
"Thank you so much for your business as well as taking the time to write such a glowing review-very much appreciated."
Charlie W.
Apr 2020
Thank you again for your superlative, professional, expedient, and neighborly service, as well as that of your expert crew. In the over fifteen years that our cooperative has contracted with you, you have always been straightforward and helpful. Your responsiveness at this time is so heartening especially at this moment of such worldwide suffering. Sincerely, Judy Twenty-four unit cooperative in DC
Response from TAKOMA TREE EXPERTS
"Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a glowing review! We've thoroughly enjoyed working for your cooperative for the past 15 years and look forward to many more going forward. Thanks for your business and support!"
Johanna T.
Apr 2020
Takoma responded promptly and professionally. They did a remarkable job and left the yard as tidy as it could be. Now we need to find folks to do the structural repair!
Response from TAKOMA TREE EXPERTS
"Thank you for your review and for contacting us for the emergency removal of the large tree that fell on your garage. We're always available 24/7 for emergency response. Thanks again, we appreciate your business."
Claire D.
Sep 2018
A 100 year old oak tree fell on our house. It was a horrendous experience, and the process of removing the tree from the room was overwhelming. Takoma Tree was incredibly helpful throughout the entire process. They were thorough, knowledgeable, professional; and the skill level was excellent. I can't recommend them enough!
Response from TAKOMA TREE EXPERTS
"Thank you for this great review and for choosing us to provide emergency tree services-we know that many tree companies showed up. We realize how difficult and stressful it is when a huge tree is blown over by a storm and causes major and extensive damage to your home. We're glad that you trusted us and our exceptionally skilled crews to do our part to start the ball rolling in what I know is a long, arduous process in having your house repaired. Our dedication to getting that monster tree off your house was fueled by the knowledge that you and your family absolutely needed to have crews start tarping and repairing your home, without delay to prevent further damage. We worked form 7:00 am in the morning to 10:00 pm at night with a crane company that supplied a 400 crane that was able to reach from the street way to the back of the house and pick up tons at a time. We're glad it all worked out and again that you trusted us with this highly complex, technically difficult and time consuming, emergency job."
Valerie A.
Aug 2018
Excellent company. Excellent service. Very professional and courteous. I will recommend TTE to family and friends. Happy customer!
Heidi U.
Jun 2018
the crew did a good job. They were very careful to do as little damage as possible .
Response from TAKOMA TREE EXPERTS
"Thanks for the great review and taking the time to provide feedback. We appreciate your business!"
Beverly P.
Oct 2017
Takoma Tree Experts came out quickly to remove the limb. They did a clean cut on the tree and removed all the debris.
Response from TAKOMA TREE EXPERTS
"Thanks for the continued business as well as referral(s) to your neighbors and friends!"
Janice L.
Sep 2017
Excellent job. Takoma's crew fit in my job ahead of the scheduled appointment day. They quickly and professionally took down the tree, working carefully to avoid damage to the townhouse and nearby plants - a real feat in such a small yard. They staged equipment off of the pedestrian sidewalk and halted work if anyone came by so there was no blockage. The estimator had arranged for Miss Utility to mark the yard and learned that gas lines ran under the tree, so we were not able to grind the stump.
Response from TAKOMA TREE EXPERTS
"Thanks for taking the time to provide such wonderful feedback-we really appreciate it!"
Beverly P.
Jun 2017
This was my second time using them. They basically did the trimming of another tree in the previous visit. The two trees in the yard even though they are on county property, were dropping a lot of limbs. I took care of it myself because the county was not giving me any response. I would say what they gave me, I thought was a fair price.
Response from TAKOMA TREE EXPERTS
"Thanks so much for your great review and continued business!"
Pamela B.
May 2017
Takoma Tree Experts were very professional and responsive.
Response from TAKOMA TREE EXPERTS
"Thanks for the great review-we value our customers and always strive to provide the best service"
Beverly P.
Apr 2017
I am pleased with the trimming that was done. I have peace of mind that my property will not be damaged by falling limbs and my front lawn gets a lot more sunlight now.
Response from TAKOMA TREE EXPERTS
"Thank you very much for the great review and for your continued business! We really appreciate it! Bill"
Duncan C.
Jan 2016
unknown
Response from TAKOMA TREE EXPERTS
"Thank you for contacting DC's premier tree service and entrusting your tree work to us. We appreciate your business and taking the time to write such a great review-your feedaback is valuable and much appreciated!"
Edward J.
Nov 2015
unknown
Response from TAKOMA TREE EXPERTS
"Thanks for taking the time to review our company and also for the repeat business-we appreciate your patronage over the years. Thanks again."
Mary V.
Oct 2015
unknown
Response from TAKOMA TREE EXPERTS
"Thank you for taking the time to write a nice review-we appreciate the feedback. I'm a little confused by the C rating for price, not complaining, just a little confused as in an e-mail from 8/12/15 shortly after we provided the proposal, the customer indicated that "The price seems very reasonable" thats a direct, verbatim qoute. But anyhow, we really appreciate the business, the review and look forward to serving this customers tree needs in the future."
Lance P.
Jun 2015
unknown
Response from TAKOMA TREE EXPERTS
"Thank you for taking the time to write such a great review-much appreciated."
Robert S.
Jan 2015
My experience with them was great. They're professional and on time. They took care of cleaning up after themselves. It went pretty well. They got the job done. They're great.
Response from TAKOMA TREE EXPERTS
"Thanks for the great review. Some clarification regarding the county tree: We have an ongoing contract with Montgomery County and were removing a tree on a school's property adjoining this reviewers back yard. He kindly let us use his yard to remove wood, brush and debris and of course we made sure to thouroughly clean it up after the job. A lot of customers wisely have questions about a companys credentials, license, certifications, liability insurance, Workmens Comp, overall reputuation and abilities. Be assured that we are MD licensed, ISA ceritifes and properly and fuly insured-as long time contractors for Montgomery County we have been thoroughly vetted and checked out. So you can be confident that when you hire us you are getting the services of one of the most reputable tree services in the Maryland/DC/VA area with not only a BBB A+ rating but fully insured, licensed and certified."
Marianne S.
Dec 2014
I was actually very pleased. We had other estimates and this company was much more professional and their cost wasn’t any more.
Response from TAKOMA TREE EXPERTS
"Thank you for the great review-we appreciate you taking your time to provide feedback. As this customer noted we are professional "real" arborists with Maryland licensed and ISA certified arborists on staff. And the amazing thing is we're usually not all that much more expensive and sometimes cheaper than some of the unlicensed and uninsured wannabes! And there are a lot of these folks out there-buyer beware. Protect yourself and hire only legitimate companies-if a company is uninsured and property damage occurs or worse a worker is injured, you, the customer may be on the hook and liable. At the very least it will be a huge legal mess. Stick with insured, licensed, repuatable companies, no matter what kind of work you're having done-whether it be roofing, electrical, remodeling, etc.-the little you may save going with an unlicensed, uninsured compoany or individual simply is not worth the risk in sub par work or potential huge liability. Always ask that the insurance agent e-mail or send you a copy of the insurance certificate directly-don't accept a certifiacte that a contractor simply produces and shows you-get it from the agent and make sure it has workmens comp, liability and commercial auto (covers any danage done by the trucks.) Call the agent if in any doubt."
Deborah R.
Dec 2014
I am so very pleased with the work of Takoma Tree Service. This is the second occasion that Takoma Tree Service has performed similar work at my residence. Mr. Marvil, who inspected the trees and provided an estimate, was very detailed in his explanation of what need to be dome. The work crew arrived at the scheduled time, and devoted full attention to the job until the work was complete. The crew also removed all debris, and left the yard in perfect condition. I expect to call Mr. Marvil and Takoma Tree Experts when I am again in need of such services.
Response from TAKOMA TREE EXPERTS
"Thanks for taking the time to write a great review. Much appreciated"
Beverly P.
Dec 2014
During a freak wind storm in July, a tree in my yard spit and fell on my neighbors property. I got in touch with a couple of tree services, but only Takoma Tree could respond quickly to remove the tree. They were very prompt and professional. The fallen tree was removed quickly and the crew cleaned up the yard very well.
On the advice of Takoma Tree, I also had them remove ivy from the trunk of my oak tree and prune the tree to open it up. It looks much more beautiful and healthy now.
I was very pleased with the work they did and will use them in the future.
Response from TAKOMA TREE EXPERTS
"Thank you for taking the time to write such a great review-we appreciate it very much"
Philip C.
Dec 2014
unknown
Response from TAKOMA TREE EXPERTS
"Thank you for taking the time to wite a reveiw. Much appreciated."
Licensing
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FAQ
TAKOMA TREE EXPERTS is currently rated 4.9 overall out of 5.
TAKOMA TREE EXPERTS accepts the following forms of payment: CreditCard
Yes, TAKOMA TREE EXPERTS offers free project estimates.
No, TAKOMA TREE EXPERTS does not offer eco-friendly accreditations.
No, TAKOMA TREE EXPERTS does not offer a senior discount.
Yes, TAKOMA TREE EXPERTS offers emergency services.
No, TAKOMA TREE EXPERTS does not offer warranties.