The short answer
Questions to ask any tree service
| Ask | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Are you insured, for public liability and WorkCover? | If something goes wrong, you want the cost covered by insurance, not by you. Ask to see both. |
| Which qualification does the arborist hold? | Redland City Council recommends at least AQF level 3 for routine pruning, and requires at least level 5 for assessing a hazardous protected tree. |
| Can I have the quote in writing? | A written quote shows what is and isn’t included, and gives the invoice something to match. |
| What happens to the wood and green waste? | Clean-up is a price factor, and the place where expectations differ most. |
| Do I need council approval, and who handles it? | Removing protected vegetation without approval is an offence. |
| How will the job be done, and when? | Climbing, a platform or a crane changes the price. A date in writing beats a promise. |
| How do you work near power lines? | A business must keep people and plant out of an unsafe distance of overhead lines so far as reasonably practicable, or assess the risk and follow the line owner’s requirements. |
Insurance: public liability and WorkCover
Public liability insurance is the cover that responds if the work damages your property or someone else’s, or hurts someone who is not part of the crew. WorkCover is workers’ compensation insurance for the people doing the work. Ask to see both, and be wary of a firm that is vague about which cover it has.
Tree Problem No Problem carries public liability insurance and WorkCover insurance, and our truck says “Fully insured”.
“Insurance was important to me and the invoice matched the quote. No hidden extras.” Shane D., Google review
Qualifications: what AQF level 3 and level 5 mean
The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) ranks qualifications by level. Two levels come up in tree work.
Swipe sideways to see every column →
| Level | Qualification | What it is for | Where councils use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| AQF level 3 | Certificate III in Arboriculture (AHC30824, current since 1 May 2024) | Trade-level roles in arboriculture: 18 units, including ground-based rigging, pruning operations, identifying trees, maintaining chainsaws, manual felling and first aid. | Redland City Council recommends at least AQF level 3 for routine tree maintenance. |
| AQF level 5 | Diploma of Arboriculture (AHC50524, current since 11 February 2025) | Consulting arborists and tree managers, who assess trees and produce reports on tree health and risk. Entry needs three Certificate III units or equivalent. Core units include tree defect evaluation, arborist reports and interpreting legislation. | Redland City Council says an arborist assessing a hazardous protected tree must hold at least AQF level 5, with a Tree Assessment Report. Brisbane City Council asks for an AQF level 5 arborist report for works on a significant landscape tree. |
Arboriculture Australia, the industry’s peak body, also publishes Minimum Industry Standards: Series 3 for practising arborists and Series 5 for consulting arborists.
What this means for you: for pruning and removal, ask what qualification the people doing the cutting hold. If a council asks for an arborist report, ask for a consulting arborist with a Diploma (AQF level 5). At Tree Problem No Problem, Andrew is a certified and accredited arborist and the crew are qualified. Whoever you hire, ask which level they hold.
A written quote: what it should say
- which tree or trees, and what is being done to each (removal, pruning, reduction)
- how it will come down, and when
- what happens to the wood and the green waste
- whether the stump is in or out, and how deep it is ground
- who deals with council approval, if it is needed, and whether the fee is in the price
- the price, and whether it includes GST
Our quotes are free, and we invoice on completion. See how much tree removal costs and how to compare quotes line by line.
“Gave a written quote which some others were reluctant to do.” Shane S., Google review. “It’s so refreshing to meet a man who gives an honest quote.” Dagmar Y., Google review.
Clean-up
Ask what happens to the branches, logs and chipped green waste, and whether the stump is ground or left. With us, green waste is taken away unless you ask otherwise. Customers describe it in their own words:
“great friendly crew who cleaned up beautifully.” Kylie H., Google review. “the garden left tidy afterwards.” Glynis J., Google review.
Council approval
Some trees in Redland City are protected, and removing protected vegetation without approval is an offence. Whether yours is protected depends on your property, so a good tree service asks for your address and looks at the tree before it answers. If approval is needed, we tell you during the quote and can handle the approval from Council. Read the Redland City Council tree rules guide.
Trees near power lines
Energex says never to try tree work near powerlines yourself. Under the Electrical Safety Regulation 2026, a business must make sure, so far as reasonably practicable, that nobody and nothing comes within an unsafe distance of an overhead line, and if that is not practicable it needs a risk assessment and controls consistent with the line owner’s requirements. Ask any firm how it would handle your job. More in our guide to Queensland tree laws for home owners.
“TreeProbNoProb completed a disciplined example of safe working…Right equipment…Right attitude…Right training.” Peter S., Google review, about a tree near power lines.
Turning up
Reliability matters, and it is hard to judge before you book. One way is to read what past customers say. Here is how ours put it:
“THE COMPANY THAT TURNS UP.” Peter S., Google review. “he has always turned up when he says.” Mark S., Google review.
Red flags
- No written quote. If a firm will only quote verbally, you have nothing to hold the invoice against.
- Vague about insurance. Ask which covers it holds, and to see them.
- “No approval needed”, without asking about your property. Whether a tree is protected depends on the zone, overlays, covenants and conditions on your land.
- Cutting a tree back to stubs. That is lopping, not pruning. See lopping vs pruning.
- No plan for power lines. If a tree is near a line, the firm should be able to tell you how it will keep a safe distance.
- Vague about what is included. Green waste, the stump and clean-up should all be spelled out.
- Can’t say which qualification the arborist holds.
Questions
How do I check a tree service is insured?
Ask for proof of both public liability and WorkCover cover, and ask to see it. A firm with proper insurance will be happy to show you.
What qualification should an arborist have?
The Certificate III in Arboriculture (AQF level 3) is the trade qualification for pruning, climbing and removal. Redland City Council recommends at least AQF level 3 for routine tree maintenance. The Diploma of Arboriculture (AQF level 5) is for consulting arborists, and Council requires at least level 5 for assessing a hazardous protected tree.
Do I need an arborist report?
Only in some cases, for example when Council asks for a Tree Assessment Report on a hazardous protected tree. Guides put an arborist report at about $300 to $700, or $400 to $1,500 when it is needed for a permit. See arborist reports.
Should I get more than one quote?
Comparing written quotes can help, as long as each covers the same job: the same trees, the same clean-up, the same stump work. See how to compare quotes.
Does Tree Problem No Problem give free quotes?
Yes. Quotes are free, 7 days a week, and there is a pensioner discount: ask when you book.
Can you handle council approval for me?
Yes. If approval is needed, we tell you during the quote and can handle it from Council. Approval is Council’s decision, so we can’t promise the answer.
Sources
- training.gov.au, AHC30824 Certificate III in Arboriculture (current release 1 May 2024), and AHC50524 Diploma of Arboriculture (release 2, current 11 February 2025).
- Australian Qualifications Framework, AQF qualifications.
- Arboriculture Australia, Minimum Industry Standards.
- Redland City Council, Trees on private property, and Brisbane City Council, Protected vegetation permits.
- Energex, Trees and powerlines, and the Electrical Safety Regulation 2026 (SL 2026 No. 113, s 13).
- What’s The Damage, Tree removal cost Brisbane (updated October 2026), Airtasker, Tree removal cost guide (17 March 2025) and Yakka Labour, Tree removal cost Australia 2026 (1 October 2026): arborist report costs.
Also: about Andrew and the crew, customer reviews, storm damage tree removal and tree removal in the Redlands.
