Ontario’s independent tree advisor

In most cases, yes. A significant proportion of tree health issues are visual: leaf symptoms, bark changes, crown dieback patterns, growth anomalies, site conditions. With good photos submitted in advance and a live walkthrough on video, I can reach a working diagnosis on most common problems a homeowner is likely to encounter. Most diagnosis comes down to pattern recognition built over years of looking at trees on purpose, and I keep a large reference library to check myself against.

Video has real limits. I can’t probe wood, smell decay, or assess root conditions below grade. When those things matter, I’ll tell you on the call, and if an on-site inspection is genuinely warranted I’ll say so plainly. For the questions homeowners most often bring me, though, video gets the job done.

If you’re not sure whether your situation is one I can assess remotely, book a Quick Question session. If I can’t give you a useful answer by video, I’ll tell you that within the first few minutes and we’ll talk about what would actually help.

A free quote isn’t really a consultation. It’s a sales visit. The arborist is there to assess the job and price it, not to give you independent advice. There’s nothing wrong with getting quotes, and most arborists are doing their best, but the model creates pressure toward quick answers and clear recommendations that lead to booked work.

Arboriculture is a complex field, and diagnosis can be genuinely difficult. An arborist walking your yard for twenty minutes, working toward a proposal, isn’t in the best position to give you a careful, considered opinion. They may be very skilled. The model just isn’t set up for that.

When you book with TreeTruth, I come prepared. I’ve reviewed your photos and background notes before we speak. I’ve had time to think about your specific situation. The fee is the same whether the answer is “act now” or “leave it alone”, which is the only way an opinion like that can be trusted. Sometimes that means confirming a contractor’s recommendation is exactly right. Often it does. Either way, you leave with a considered answer from someone who had time to think it through before the call.

No. This is a video service. If your situation genuinely requires an in-person assessment, I’ll tell you on the call.

I can give you an honest, expert read on risk based on what I can see. No one, on camera or in person, can guarantee a tree’s behaviour because trees are living things and conditions change. If your situation is one where a remote opinion isn’t good enough, I’ll tell you that on the call rather than give you an answer I don’t stand behind.

In most cases, no. Spray programs and soil injection treatments are among the highest-margin products in the tree care industry, and they’re rarely preceded by the kind of soil testing or diagnostic work that would justify them. There’s also no defined endpoint. A legitimate treatment program should have measurable outcomes and a point at which you stop. Most commercial programs don’t work that way: they continue until you cancel, and every service visit is an opportunity to identify additional work.

There are situations where intervention is genuinely warranted: specific invasive pests, documented deficiencies, targeted treatments with clear protocols. But the broad-spectrum spray program sold because your tree “looks stressed” is not that. Before you commit to a recurring program, it’s worth talking to someone who doesn’t sell one.

Usually not. Trees and insects are meant to coexist. Insects eat leaves because leaves are food, and trees have been supporting that relationship for a very long time. Most insect activity on trees is cosmetic, self-limiting, or both. A tree with chewed leaves usually isn’t under attack; it’s feeding the things that live on it, the way trees always have.

There are exceptions: specific invasive species, infestations that defoliate and kill, situations where timing of intervention matters. Knowing which category you’re dealing with is the whole question. It’s also the question that’s easiest to exploit commercially, because alarming-looking damage is easy to point at and the homeowner has no frame of reference. Most of the time, the answer is leave it alone and watch what happens.

Bring one quote or several. I’ll look at whether the price is reasonable, whether the work is actually what your tree needs, and which one represents the honest scope. The more quotes you have, the more useful the comparison. I’ll tell you which one I’d go with. What I won’t do is tell you which company is generally better or worse; I’m reviewing the quotes, not the companies.

Yes, and often this is exactly when it matters most. When you call around for quotes, you typically describe what you need: “I’m looking at a removal.” Every company that comes out is already framing the visit around that. They’re not arriving to assess whether removal is the right call. They’re arriving to quote the removal you’ve told them you need. Four companies quoting the same thing doesn’t mean four independent experts reached the same conclusion. It means four people responded to the same brief. A TreeTruth consultation starts somewhere different: with your tree, and no predetermined answer.

That disclaimer has no real enforceability against a homeowner seeking professional advice. You received the document as part of a sales process and you have every right to get a second opinion on it. This is no different from having a mechanic look at a quote from another shop.

Yes: that’s exactly what the Post-Work Review is for. Show me what was done on a live call and I’ll give you an honest assessment of whether the work met proper arboricultural standards, what the impact on your tree will be, and what your options are going forward. Most homeowners were never given the tools to tell good work from bad. After this call, you’ll have them.

A video consultation is advisory and educational. It isn’t a formal tree risk assessment, a written arborist report, or documentation for a permit, development application, hearing, or legal matter. Those services are available separately through Brent Hocking Consulting Arborist and require a site visit. I’ll tell you if your situation needs one.

A good answer usually takes more than a quick look. Before we speak, I go through everything you’ve submitted: photos, your description, your specific question, and spend time researching what’s relevant to your situation: species, common issues, site conditions, whatever applies. By the time we’re on the call, I’ve already been thinking about your tree. That preparation is part of what you’re paying for, and it’s what makes the advice more useful than a rushed conversation on someone’s way to the next job.

You’ll be part of it, not a spectator. I’ll ask what’s on your mind first, then guide you through whatever we need to look at: where to point the camera, what to touch, what to measure. You’ll learn what I’m looking for and why as we go. Most people hang up knowing something real about their tree they didn’t know before.

A phone or tablet with a camera and the ability to walk outside to the tree. No app to download, no account to create, no meeting code to hunt for. You’ll get a link in your booking confirmation; click it and you’re in. If you can make a video call to family, you can do this.