Be sure to ask the right questions before making your purchase. After all, the tree you end up having planted is an investment, and your tree supplier should be willing to help answer your questions.
We've got you covered with our checklist of the most important questions you should be asking your tree supplier before making a purchase.
Find our FREE downloadable checklist at the bottom of this post!
Ask the Right Questions →
The first thing we recommend you do is to verify where your tree is coming from:
- Are the trees locally grown? The answer you're looking for here is, "YES." You want locally-grown trees. Locally-grown trees will be well-acclimated to our climate, and they will do well in most Chicagoland site conditions. Whereas, trees grown in states outside of our area and brought into big box stores won't be well-acclimated. These trees may come with a cheap price tag, but they won't survive our summer droughts and harsh winters.
- Are they ball & burlap, or are the trees in a container? Shoot for B&B trees. B&B trees are dug directly from the field where they've been growing without the restriction of a container. The nursery will wrap the rootball in a burlap bag and wire basket and place your tree on drip irrigation in a holding yard where it is maintained and cared for until being planted.
Find out if there are any hidden costs:
- Is there a separate delivery fee? Most tree planting companies and nurseries will have a service area. If you're within their service area and having them plant your tree, they shouldn't be charging a separate delivery fee. If you're outside of their service area, but they choose to accommodate you, you should expect a delivery fee based on the cost of the tree and your location.
- Is the planting cost included? The quote you get should be inclusive, meaning the pricing should include delivery, PLANTING, and a 1 Year Full Replacement Warranty.
Find out the timeline for your tree planting. What happens from the time you place your order to the time your tree gets planted:
- When will my tree be planted? Your supplier should give a general time frame for planting, and your supplier should stay in communication with you as things progress. Everything is dependent on the weather. So, your tree planting timeframe might change. In the Chicagoland area, tree planting can happen anytime during spring, summer, and fall— up until the ground begins to freeze. It matters more so when the tree's dug from the nursery's field than when it gets planted.
- Can I pick out my tree beforehand? Most nurseries will have a yard where you can come out and pick out your tree. Some nurseries will dig your tree fresh from the field to order, and either one of these options could be dependent on the weather. Having said this, most online tree farms probably don't have that option. iTrees.com is hip to what our customers need. While we are e-commerce, we are also the real deal, and you can come to our family partner nursery and tag your tree!
Make sure you understand how the actual delivery & planting will work:
- What all does the delivery and planting include? The delivery of your tree should be a seamless process, and the tree planting crew should take proper precautions to protect your existing landscape. Our general rule of thumb is to leave a homeowner's yard the way it was. Only now it's better because now it has a tree in it! Planting should include digging the hole, planting the tree, mulching around the tree, and hauling away any leftover dirt or sod. There should be no mess left behind for you to clean up. Also- the person doing the digging should contact JULIE or Digger to ensure it's safe to dig the hole.
- Will the crew use any equipment? The tree planting crew may use equipment, and it's important to know ahead of time what to expect. The iTrees.com crew uses a turf-safe piece of equipment called a Toro Dingo. The Toro is great because it's only 3 ft wide and can cruise right through most standard gate openings. Your tree planting crew may choose to use a ball cart to move the tree.
Identify any potential hiccups:
- Can I plant near where an old tree was? The answer you're looking for here is, "We can get close but not right on top." It's not good for the health of your new tree to be planted right on top of an old stump. Also, it's not always possible logistically because, for B&B trees, we need to dig down about 3', and most stumps only get ground down about 12 -18" at best. So long as you're flexible on your tree planting day, your tree planting crew should be able to get your new tree as close as possible to where you want to plant it. Sometimes they can get as close as 1-2 ft out from the old spot.
- What happens if you need to cancel your order? If you decide to cancel your order before your tree gets planted, let your supplier know, and they should work with you to cancel and refund your order. For orders with a large number of trees, you may have had to pay a deposit to hold the trees. If this is the case, you may not get your deposit back.
- How will my replacement and warranty be handled? If your tree planting doesn't come with a full replacement warranty, your tree supplier likely won't replace your tree. Be sure that your tree has a guarantee of at least 1-year.
Now, let's get down to the nitty-gritty.
The BIG Question → How much does a professional tree planting cost?
Answer → You should expect tree planting pricing to begin at around $775 - $800.
So to recap, the price point is just a starting line. Pricing may change since pricing is dependent on the tree, tree size, where and how the tree was grown, and how the tree's maintained while growing in the field. Also, this pricing should be inclusive, including delivery in the designated service area, the cost of the individual tree, the cost of the labor (digging the hole, planting the tree, mulching around the tree, and hauling away any leftover dirt or sod), a 1 Year Full Replacement Warranty.
Final thoughts →
All too often, homeowners call around for tree pricing, and they only get a quote for the cost of the tree. Unfortunately, if they don't take time to double-check the full cost of tree planting, they'll be in for a big surprise when they see their bill— added labor, warranty, and delivery costs to boot!
For this reason, we make sure that what you see on our website is what you will get. There are NO hidden fees. We do offer additional warranties that you can purchase separately.
Sometimes, homeowners will try and save themselves the planting cost. In the long run, that may not be the best decision. The iTrees.com crew are experts on proper tree planting and take the appropriate precautions to ensure you have the BEST tree planting experience!
Keep in mind these points are just suggestions based on our professional experience and the state of the green industry right now.
To read more of our customer's frequently asked questions, head to our FAQ page or feel free to give us a call or send an email at (815) 448-2138 | info@itrees.com.
So, are you ready to join the #TREEVOLUTION & Start Planting Online?
Get your FREE downloadable checklist here: iTrees.com Tree Purchasing Checklist PDF
Resources: https://howmuch.net/costs/tree-install
