I've heard good things from two clients about "The Tree Cowboy" - inexpensive, nice and good service. Regarding the low bid, I know as a landscape contractor, that low bids are usually from people who are uninsured or otherwise unprofessional. There is a cost of doing business (overhead) that legitimate companies must incur. We just finished a job for a client whose previously low bidding contractor dissappeared with the job 1/3 finished and all of her materials deposit ($4000) gone.

Ask to SEE proof of insurance and bond. If you have any questions regarding their insurance, call their carrier. Ask for their references and call them. They should present YOU with a contract that specifies all of the parts of the job, including stump grinding if you've asked for it, removal of wood, and total clean-up of the site. Do not pay in advance.

By the way, you must make sure that they are insured for personal and property damage. Did you know that YOU could be held responsible should an accident occur? Workman's' Compensation insurance is a must. Many communities require that tree professionals carry certain credentials, and have tree removal permits, etc. You better check into that yourself, though the company doing the job should secure any permits, if necessary.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of dishonest people in this business. It's well worth taking a few hours to weed out the bad guys, right?

They should also present you with a copy of a job specific insurance contract when they arrive to do the job. Apparently for each job they get a special insurance contract. When I had it done, they showed it to me before proceeding.

Last job I had done, I got 3 different quotes and they were all different also. The Atlanta area is so big that it is hard to recommend a specific one. We use Engram's, a small company nearby but they don't travel more than 20-30 miles to do a job. If you mention what city you're in, that might help get more local recommendations.

Thanks for all of the help so far! We definitely will get proof of insurance before signing any contract. We don't want some fly-by-night operation that will leave the job half done, damage our or our neighbors' property, etc.

esh_ga: We are in the city of Atlanta, close in. It looks like Engrams is way out in Canton--we could be outside their coverage area.

I'm almost afraid to weigh in on this one with all the comments about checking for tree removal permits and insurance yourself, and so forth. I hired a local company and never did any of that. But I was pleased with their service, so in case the company I hired might be one of the 3 you are considering, I would like to put in a good word for King Tree Service. They removed a huge sweetgum limb that had broken off and was hanging above my house and the sidewalk, and that was in danger of falling on down to the street at any moment. I won't say they were cheap, because they weren't. But they had all the equipment they needed; they brought plenty of trucks and workers; they were very professional and obviously knew what they were doing; they cleaned up well afterwards, even sweeping up the street and sidewalk with a broom; and they left me with a nicely chopped load of mulch. I think that some of the larger companies, like King, have to charge more because they have invested in the big equipment like bucket trucks. If your job requires that equipment you'll understand and appreciate the extra cost. One other good thing I can say about King is that they were respectful of my fences, bushes, lawn and house. They didn't damage anything and didn't cut down anything that didn't have to be cut. I've hired other people before for other jobs, large and small, about whom I couldn't say the same thing.

To all the other advice people have offered, though, I would add: Stick around outside while they are working. People are always more careful about their work when they know they are being watched, as long as you do it in a friendly way.