Tree Shapers

We live in the Glen Park neighborhood and have 4 very large trees in our backyard(Monterey Cypress, Lowland Fir, and 2 Douglas Firs).

When we bought the house over 20 years ago all of the tree branches had become intertwined and were generally very unhealthy.

First thing we did was have all of them radically trimmed to restore health. What these guys do is real lumberjack stuff, with all the ropes, safety harnesses, chainsaws, etc. They are also very expensive, but you get what you pay for.

Since then we've had the trees trimmed every 5 years. Always done well, especially with neighbor relations. But again, not cheap. It may be less expensive for trees that aren't over 70 feet high.

Finally, both Ted and Phil are consummate pros and I just let them have it when the time is right, knowing it will be done well.

Can't rate them high enough.

I spent $300.00 for 15 mins and feel like I do not know anything more than I did before he came.

He was not friendly and looked at me confused when I opened the door as if I was supposed to know who he was. I took a soil sample, took a branch, and nothing. I feel like I was robbed. Don't use this person he was useless, and I could have spent 300.00 on replacing the one tree.

After seeing the nice job Tree Shapers did on my neighbors' Mayten street tree, I called them for my Pittosporum. Ted Kipping came out and spent time explaining how they would trim the tree, and I asked a lot of questions. Ted knows all about trees and told me things I hadn't learned in the years I have been reading and pruning on my own. I'm hands on, get-involved; I selected the baby tree at the nursery and planted it myself--I'm very protective over who I let prune it.

There was no need for any anxiety. Genaro came out on time, and Ted met him to relay what we had discussed. The tree was misshapen and had never been properly pruned and thinned out since it was planted several years ago. Genaro clearly knows what he is doing, and finished (without rushing) in less than two hours. The tree looks great, exactly what I wanted--shaped, thinned, balanced. I wanted it cleaned out, as I know it will grown in nicely that way.

Three of us neighbors have now used these guys for street trees and we are all happy. These pruning jobs will last for a good while.

Phil not only did a great job staking my young willow tree, but I overpaid him in cash, and he was honest enough to call me and bring back the overpayment. The guy's got ethics!

I called around for several estimates and Tree Shapers came in with the most affordable quote. They trimmed three trees in our front yard, leaving them looking healthy and lighter, with room for birds to fly through. They opened up views from our windows. We're very pleased with the results, and would definitely consider them for future work.

This morning, as I approached my car in Bernal Heights, I was greeted by Ted Kipping, owner of Tree Shapers, who told me "I was fucking lucky he didn't tow my car" because he was trimming trees. I pointed out that there were no signs indicating that I couldn't park here and he said they must have been removed. Not quite sure about the quality of Ted's work but I can certainly speak to his questionable character.

First off, note their name- TreeSHAPERS. When their nimble machete wielding crew are done with your trees, they will be expertly trimmed and not look like they were victimized in the Texas-Chainsaw-Massacre. I didn't do a lot of comparison shopping so I suspect TreeShapers may be more expensive than some services, but if you care about the health and appearance of your trees and aren't just doing it for regulatory compliance, I think it is worth it.

Also, their cleanup is immaculate, Our sidewalks have never been cleaner than after they finished the job.

I had a street tree that badly needed tending and Phil came to the rescue. The job was done well within budget and when I arrived home the day of the job I discovered a beautifully trimmed tree, well shaped, and ready for a couple more years of growth. The job site was immaculate and I received a courtesy call to check in on how I liked the work. I am totally and completely satisfied and would not hesitate to recommend or use Tree Shapers again.

RUDE, CRUDE, LOUD & UNPROFESSIONAL - AVOID!!!

The first two workers showed up in trucks around 7:30am. After some kind of altercation with a meter maid the "boss" then proceeded to berate the other fellow in the most demeaning manner possible: "You look at me when I'm talking to you!", "What the FxxX is your problem?!", etc., dropping the F-Bomb constantly (and they were SCREAMING). Not only is this crude & offensive, but we have lots of small children in the neighborhood. This went on for 5-10 minutes and then the fun began.....

The rest of the crew showed up and it's as if a tailgate party had arrive at 8am: shouting at the top of their lungs, crude comments, etc. After about 15 minutes of this (I was laying in bed listening to it all!), I yelled out the window "QUIET!", which was met with much laughter & derision: "Yeah, quiet, SSSHHHHH!", etc. Obviously I was not going to try some kind of face-to-face approach after that response. I called the office (no answer) and left a message, as well as sending an email asking them to please ask their crew to quiet down. The unbelievably loud & offensive behaviour continued FOR 5 HOURS - I was happy whenever the chainsaws started!

I decided to wait for some kind of response before writing this review - nothing. Two days later (on a Saturday) they were back at about 8:30am. Thankfully it was a smaller crew but the volume was unchanged. Once again, the party had arrived. I had not gotten a call back nor a response to my email so I was forced to respond in this forum - I think I'd been more than patient. So.....

a COMPLETELY UNPROFESSIONAL company who obviously doesn't care in the slightest about their behavior or neighborhood concerns. They had 2+ days to respond to me but chose not to. If you want a loud & offensive, rolling frat party that is sure to alienate your neighbors, then this company is for you.

JT

These guys are on the high side but have been arborists for many years they are in their 60s. Very professional group. Highly recommend.