ISA Certified Arborist in Salem, Oregon

The short version: our arborists are ISA Certified, and the owner holds the Tree Risk Assessment Qualification. They look at Salem trees in person, tell you what they find, and write it up when the city, an insurer or a buyer needs it in writing. Call or text (503) 551-5141.

When should you call an arborist instead of just a tree service?

• You want to know whether a big tree near the house is safe
• The City of Salem has asked for an arborist report with a tree removal permit
• A tree is declining and you want to know why before spending money
• You are buying or selling a house with large trees
• You have an ash or a birch and have heard about the borers

With us it is the same phone call. Our arborists hold both credentials, and the same company can do the work if work is needed. See what the certifications mean.

What an arborist looks for

At the base: mushrooms, soft wood, cracks in the soil, roots that have been cut. On the trunk: cavities, seams, old wounds, a lean that is new. In the crown: dead tops, heavy limbs with weak attachments, thin or off-color leaves. And around the tree: what it would hit, how the ground drains, what has changed since the tree was healthy.

Salem’s protected trees

Salem protects significant trees, including Oregon white oaks 20 inches or more in diameter. A removal permit usually needs an arborist’s written opinion on the tree’s condition. We write arborist reports for exactly that, and we will also tell you when a tree does not need to come down.

What happens at an arborist visit?

The arborist walks the property with you and asks what you have noticed and what has changed: construction, new irrigation, a neighbor’s tree removed, a storm. They look at each tree you are worried about from the ground up. For most questions you get an answer on the spot: leave it alone, prune this, watch that, or this one needs to come down and here is why.

If you need it in writing for the city, an insurer, an HOA or a buyer, that becomes an arborist report with photos and a recommendation. If the tree needs work and you want us to do it, you get a written estimate for that separately.

What can an arborist do besides remove a tree?

Quite a lot. Remove dead wood so nothing falls. Take weight off a long limb over the roof. Thin a crown so wind passes through it. Recommend cabling for a tree with two trunks that are starting to split. Test the soil when a tree is declining for no visible reason. Tell you to stop watering under a native oak. Or tell you the tree is fine and to call back in three years. Removal is one option out of many, and it is the only one that cannot be undone.

How often should big trees be checked?

Every few years for mature trees near a house, and after any major storm. Sooner if you see mushrooms at the base, new cracks, a change in lean, dead branches in the top or bark falling off. Trees usually give notice before they fail. The job is knowing what to look for.

Which pests is an arborist watching in Salem right now?

Emerald ash borer, confirmed in South Salem in July 2026, and bronze birch borer, which has been killing white-barked birch across the city for years. Both are far easier to deal with early. If the cause is not a pest, soil testing is often the next step.