Below are some of the most frequently asked questions we encounter, organized by Landscape and Tree divisions.

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Landscape Services Division

1. Does your plant material or installations have any guarantees?
Yes. We guarantee the best quality service from certified staff; and also provide you with the necessary information to keep your landscape looking its best. Our one-year conditional warranty will assure you we can accommodate any problems you may have. Your commitment for on-going care and maintenance of your landscape is required to keep it alive and well.

2. If I buy the material will you install it?
We generally don't do this type of piecework. We install only quality materials that our suppliers will stand behind in the unlikely case of a product failure. When homeowners want to install some of their own landscape products, this has impact on warranty coverage of our products.

3. How much is it to plant a large tree in my back yard, and what happens if there is limited access to my backyard?
We will consult with you, looking at every option. With limited access, options can include:

• Hiring a crane that charges by the hour to hoist it over the property
• Removing a section of fence to allow entrance with a bobcat or truck
• Using a tree wheeler if the tree is a manageable size

All options will be a different price foe equipment, labour and degree of difficulty. Please call and talk to our staff to get the best option for your budget.

4. Does your landscape division travel out of town?
Yes. Although our greatest demand for service is in Saskatoon, we will do landscape work out of town in late summer. As summer holidays approach, we generally have time to look at our customers out of town landscape needs.

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Tree Services Division

1. How much does it cost to cut down a tree?
It is difficult to give a fair and accurate price over the phone, as each removal is unique based on:

• Tree access
• Available access to our wood chipper and stump grinder
• Other sensitive materials around the tree
• Unique conditions of the tree itself

Most clients are surprised how inexpensive it actually is to have a tree removed. However, for clients with very, very large trees, they are usually aware of how expensive it can sometimes get.

Do not be afraid to get a free estimate by our ISA Certified Arborists. Depending on the size of the tree, prices range from $60 to $2000 to have a tree professionally removed and cleaned up, and it is as low as $30 for bushes and shrubs. However, the average price is between $100 and $450 per tree.

2. How much does it cost to prune a tree?
Like removals, the same issues listed above affect pruning prices. Pruning is also dependent on the health of the tree, the length of time it has been since the last pruning, and the number of mistakes made by inexperienced past pruners, as well as particular customer requests. As a rule we generally do not top trees.

A proper pruning does take time because careful consideration for the tree's long-term health is involved. The Arborist must consider the tree's structure (what should stay and what should go), and its vision of future growth (because the tree will continue to grow). Once the Arborist starts the actual cutting, a number of professional techniques are employed to ensure the future health of the tree and to maximize the aesthetic value. Large elm trees are generally the most expensive to prune and could cost up to $400 (for a very large and neglected tree, with difficult access).

Call for a free estimate and get one of our ISA certified arborists to look at your trees. You can substantially raise the value of your property with healthy cared-for trees.

3. Is Sawyer's insured?
Yes, both our work and each of our employees are fully insured. Due to the nature of our work we must actively keep our workers informed on many safety issues. We have also designed a ''best practices policies'' that encourages healthy and active lifestyles to ensure that we minimize workplace injury. We also take pride in bringing all trees and branches down in a safe manner to ensure your property is not damaged.

4. When can we do it?
We can usually meet any customers' special requests. However, it is difficult when people have not planned appropriately ahead of time. Also, telephone/cable wires and especially high voltage wires must be considered and cleared by a utility company, which can take a couple of days. Furthermore, some projects take a higher priority due to storm damage. Depending on availability we can generally complete a project within one week of confirmation. However, we do like to schedule birch and maple prunings in July, and the elm tree pruning ban is always in effect between early to mid April until early to mid August.