Anyone Can Own a Chainsaw

Tree service is a trade with almost no barrier to entry. A truck, a saw and a phone number is enough to start taking money for work that involves heights, stored energy, heavy loads over houses, and frequently live electrical conductors. That is why credentials are the most useful filter a property owner has, and why it is worth understanding what the real ones require.

Every Branch Tree Service job is led by Christopher Johnson, who holds four of them: the ISA Board Certified Master Arborist credential (ISA #FL-6502BU), the ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification, the ISA Certified Arborist Utility Specialist certification, and the Tree Care Industry Association's Certified Treecare Safety Professional credential. Each page below explains, using the issuing organization's own published requirements, what the credential took to earn and which services it makes possible.

How the Four Fit Together

They are not four versions of the same thing. Each answers a different question.

  • Master Arborist (BCMA) — Is this the right thing to do to this tree? Diagnosis, prescription, and documentation that holds up.
  • TRAQ — How likely is this tree to fail, and what happens if it does? Standardized, defensible risk assessment.
  • Utility Specialist — Can this be done safely near the power line? Line clearance, right-of-way and storm response.
  • CTSP — Will everyone go home at the end of the day? Safety leadership, and the insurance question that becomes yours if nobody asks it.

What to Ask Before You Hire Anyone

Whoever you hire, ours or otherwise: ask for the ISA certification number, ask for certificates of both general liability insurance and workers' compensation, ask who on the crew holds a safety credential, and ask for the scope and price in writing. Every one of those is free to ask and expensive to skip. For what the work itself should cost, see our Brevard County tree removal cost guide.

Tree Service Credentials — FAQ

What certifications should a tree company have?

At minimum, an ISA Certified Arborist on staff, proof of general liability insurance and workers' compensation, and a willingness to put scope and price in writing. Above that minimum, the meaningful credentials are the ISA Board Certified Master Arborist (held by fewer than 2% of ISA Certified Arborists), the ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification for documented hazard evaluation, the ISA Certified Arborist Utility Specialist for work near power lines, and the TCIA Certified Treecare Safety Professional for crew safety leadership. Branch Tree Service holds all four.

Why do credentials matter for a job as simple as cutting down a tree?

Because the cutting is rarely the hard part. The judgment is: whether the tree needs to come down at all, how it will be brought down without hitting anything, whether a permit or insurance documentation is required, and whether the crew doing it is covered if something goes wrong. Credentials are how you check those things before the work starts rather than after.

Can I verify these certifications myself?

Yes, and you should. The International Society of Arboriculture publishes a credential verification tool on isa-arbor.com; Christopher Johnson's Board Certified Master Arborist number is FL-6502BU. The Tree Care Industry Association maintains information on the CTSP program. Each credential page on this site links directly to the issuing organization's own program page.