The Certified Arborist credential represents arborists who have completed an exam covering aspects of arboriculture and who have a minimum of six years of full-time involvement working in the arborist industry. In this country, the term ‘certified arborist’ can refer to any one of these specialists. However, when we refer to the term ‘Licensed Arborist’, what we mean is that he or she has met the criteria for taking the arborist licensing examination. This profession is regulated by state law in every state of the union. The most common certification is the International Society of Arborists. There are other organizations which certify arborists, but they do not meet the standards as the ISoA.
The licensing requirements of arborists depend on several factors including the area in which they work, their experience, their standing in society and the specific branches they represent. Some states permit tree care professionals without the ISoA designation if they show that they are experts in their particular field. In these cases, the individual is referred to as a ‘Master’. In the majority of states however, the only way to become a ‘Master’ is to complete a specific number of hours of training with a certified arborist before qualifying for the designation. Tree care professionals wishing to be referred to as ‘Certified Arborists’ need to fulfill the ISoA requirements.
After the ISoA has been passed, the next step is for the arborist to obtain his or her license. In general licensed arborists must go through two steps: the first is the process of application and the second is the subsequent examination. All applicants for the profession must pay a fee which is quite nominal in some areas and more in others. In many areas, it can be expected that this examination is not expensive. Many states however have very specific regulations in terms of what must be provided in regard to compensation insurance and other financial matters before being issued a license.
One of the most important aspects of becoming a licensed arborist is to find a tree care company in your area that will provide you with an initial visit. The arborist needs to be able to assess the damage and the type of work which will need to be carried out to correct it. In some cases, an inspection may be enough however in other cases an actual assessment is required. In the case of an assessment, the arborist will take measurements of the property in question and will also take the opinion of a trained person about the condition of the affected trees. In some states, a certificate of investigation can be issued by the local board of examiners which will indicate the condition of the affected trees.
Once the initial visit has been completed, the arborist will then submit a report which will be forwarded to the board of examiners who will confirm that the conditions presented were actually present on the property. If the report is found to be inaccurate, corrections will need to be made prior to the certificate of examination being granted. In many cases, this means that the arborist will need to reapply for his or her license and this can often prove to be a lengthy process. For this reason, it is highly recommended that anyone considering tree care in Connecticut contact a reputable tree care company in order to ensure that the arborist they are hiring is trustworthy, experienced and qualified to carry out work on the property which they have been contracted to do.
A reputable tree care company will always carry out an inspection of the property prior to any tree services being carried out on it and they will use their own high quality equipment in carrying out the work. These inspections are not as frequent as they used to be in the past as society has changed and there are now more safety concerns raised by the general public about tree shock and the associated danger that it poses to people when using power tools. This is why a reputable and properly licensed arborist in CT should always carry out an inspection on your property and should never recommend that you carry out any tree work without first having carried out an inspection. This is especially important if you have a gas line or other electrical system on the property.