ISA Certified Arborist

Definition

The trade credential that wins contracts and keeps a tree company insurable.

Why It Matters

The certified staff win the contracts and price the risk, so a good book worked by uncertified climbers is fragile in two directions at once: the work is harder to sell and the insurance is harder to hold. The value transfers only if the crew stays, which makes retention the deal question. Ask who holds the credential, what they are paid, and whether anyone else is close to earning it.