Hiring a Hedge Trimming Service: What to Ask, and What a Good Answer Sounds Like

Before you hire a hedge trimming service, ask seven things. Are you insured, and can I see proof? Are you in good standing for workers' comp? How far will you cut, and will you stay in the green? When will you do it? Do you check for bird nests first? Who cleans up the clippings? What happens if I'm not happy? A good crew answers each one fast and plain. A vague answer on any of them is your cue to keep looking.

Why does a hedge trim need its own questions?

A bad mow grows out in a week. A bad hedge cut can take years to fix, if it ever does. Penn State Extension says that, except for yews, cutting back to brown wood won't bring new growth on that branch. The University of Maine says the top of an arborvitae (cedar) won't regrow once it's removed.

So the stakes are higher than mowing. A power trimmer runs beside windows, fences, cars and the neighbour's side, often up high. That's why these questions go past the basics. For the general ones, see our post on questions to ask before hiring lawn care.

Are you insured, and can I see the certificate?

Don't settle for a yes. Ask for the certificate of insurance and read the dates. Hedges sit next to glass, siding, fences and parked cars. One slip can cost more than the job.

A good answer sounds like: "Sure, I'll text you the certificate." A bad one sounds like: "We've never had a problem." Our post on how to check a lawn care company is insured shows how to read the certificate and confirm it's real. Every Golden Oak partner crew shows proof before they join. See what vetted and insured means.

Are you in good standing for workers' comp?

Hedge work means blades, ladders and reaching. If a worker gets hurt in your yard, you want their company covered. In some provinces you can be on the hook if it isn't.

• British Columbia. WorkSafeBC tells homeowners to get a clearance letter for each contractor. Without one, you could be held jointly liable for unpaid premiums.
• Alberta. WCB-Alberta says to get a clearance before you hire and before you release payment. If the contractor hasn't paid premiums, you may be liable.
• Ontario. A WSIB clearance is a number that shows a business is registered and up to date on premiums. You can search for a business online by name, phone or address.

Our posts on the WorkSafeBC clearance letter, WCB-Alberta clearance letters and the WSIB clearance certificate show how to get each one. If the company doesn't know what you mean, that tells you something.

How far will you cut it back?

This is the hedge question that matters most. The answer you want is: "Into the green, not past it." Cedars and most evergreens won't fill in from bare wood, per Penn State. The University of Arkansas Extension says to try not to remove more than one third of the plant, and to leave green foliage on the branch.

Hedge way too tall? Ask for a plan over more than one season. The University of Maine suggests spreading a big height cut over 2 to 3 years so the plants can adjust. Take too much at once and you risk dead spots on top.

Walk away if you hear: "We'll take it down by half today, it'll grow back." On a cedar, it won't.

What shape will you cut?

A hedge should be a bit wider at the bottom than the top. Penn State calls it an inverted V. Iowa State Extension says that shape lets sun reach the lower branches, so the hedge stays full from top to bottom. It also means less snow piles up on top, which can break branches.

A good crew says "level on top, a little wider at the base" without being asked. Ask how they keep the top level. A string line beats guessing. A top-heavy hedge goes bare near the ground, and that's hard to undo.

When will you do the work?

Timing changes how a hedge heals. Ask when they plan to come and why. Iowa State Extension gives these guides:

• Evergreen shrubs like juniper and yew: late March or early April, before new growth. Light pruning is fine in mid-summer.
• Evergreen hedges: start shearing in late spring or early summer, right after the new flush of growth.
• Deciduous hedges: start shearing in spring just after the new flush appears.
• Spring bloomers like lilac: right after they finish flowering.
• Avoid pruning evergreen shrubs in fall. Fall-pruned evergreens get more winter injury. Pruning in August or early September can push a late flush of growth.

Those are Iowa dates, so in most of Canada the spring window lands a bit later. Right now it's October. A crew that offers to shear your cedars this month, no questions asked, isn't thinking about the plant. A better answer: "Let's lock in your price now and book it for early spring." See our post on when to trim cedar hedges.

Do you check for bird nests first?

Hedges are a favourite nesting spot. Environment and Climate Change Canada says the general nesting period can start as early as mid-March and run until late August, and the dates can be off by 10 days or more. Under federal rules, a migratory bird nest is protected when it holds a live bird or viable egg. It's prohibited to damage, destroy, disturb or remove it.

The answer you want: "We look first. If there's an active nest, we skip that section and come back later." If the crew shrugs, keep looking. More in our post on trimming hedges in nesting season.

What tools will you use, and how do you reach the top?

You don't need to know trimmers. You just need a plan that sounds safe. The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) says to pick a trimmer that fits the size and height of the hedge. For tall hedges, it says to use a long-reach or telescoping trimmer, not a ladder or a chair.

Ask these three things:

• "How do you reach the top?" Good: a long-reach trimmer from the ground. Bad: a running trimmer on a wobbly ladder.
• "What if the hedge touches a power line?" Good: they stop and call the utility. Alberta's tree pruning sheet says not to prune under power lines.
• "Do you check the hedge first?" CCOHS says to check for metal posts and wires before trimming, and never to run electric tools in rain or on wet shrubs.

Our partner crews handle hedges you can reach from the ground or a short step ladder. If a job needs a bucket truck or an arborist, your crew will tell you plainly.

Who cleans up, and where do the clippings go?

Hedge trimming makes a surprising pile. Ask who rakes it and where it goes. A good answer: "We rake the lawn, beds and walk. We haul it away, or bag it for your city's yard waste pickup." Then ask if haul-away is in the price or extra.

Cities differ on what they take at the curb. Some want paper bags, some want a bin, and many cap branch size. Our post on yard waste bags vs bins covers the common setups. If you'd rather not deal with it, get haul-away written into the quote.

How do you set the price, and can I get it in writing?

Every hedge is different, so we won't quote a price here. What you want is a clear answer on what changes it:

• Length and height. A long, tall hedge takes more time than a few shrubs by the door.
• How overgrown it is. A hedge left for years takes longer than one trimmed each season.
• Access. Narrow gates, slopes and beds under the hedge slow the work.
• Cleanup and haul-away. Big hedges make a lot of clippings.
• How often. Once a season, or twice for fast growers.

Get the number by text or email, with what's included. Our post on hedge trimming cost factors walks through each one. With Golden Oak, you send your address and we text your price within 60 minutes, 7am to 8pm. You don't need to be home.

What happens if I'm not happy?

Ask this before the trimmer starts, not after. A cut can't be undone. But an uneven top, a missed section or clippings left in the beds can all be fixed. Ask what they'll come back for, and how fast.

With a Golden Oak crew, the answer is set in advance. Not happy? Text us a photo within 24 hours. Your crew re-cuts it free within 48 hours. That's the Love-It Guarantee. If your crew misses the scheduled window, that cut is free under the On-Time Guarantee. You also get the same crew each visit and a photo texted when the job is done. Read the full Golden Oak Guarantee.

What does the quick checklist look like?

Ask down the list. One minute on the phone saves a season of regret.

Ask	Good answer	Keep looking if
Insured?	"I'll text you the certificate."	"Never had a problem."
Workers' comp clearance?	"Here's the number."	"What's that?"
How far will you cut?	"Into the green, not past it."	"Down by half today."
What shape?	"Level top, wider base."	"Straight up and down."
When?	"Spring, after new growth. Light trim in summer."	"Any time, it's all the same."
Bird nests?	"We check first and skip active nests."	A shrug.
Cleanup?	"Raked, hauled or bagged, in the price."	"You can rake it."

Who trims your hedge with Golden Oak?

Golden Oak Lawn Care matches you with a vetted, insured local crew in your city. They do the work. We stand behind it with the Golden Oak Guarantee. Hedge trimming isn't weekly work, so most people add hedge and shrub trimming to their Worry-Free Lawn Season, and the same crew does both. The season is paid up front, and your first cut is free when you book it. See how it works in three steps.

Want it handled? Get your price in 60 minutes, or call 1-866-904-LAWN.

Hiring a Hedge Trimming Service: Questions

Sources: Penn State Extension, University of Maine Extension, University of Arkansas Extension, Iowa State: when to prune, Iowa State: formal hedges, CCOHS, ECCC: nesting periods, ECCC: Migratory Birds Regulations FAQ, WorkSafeBC, WCB-Alberta, WSIB, Government of Alberta: tree pruning.