Tree Trimmer Job Description

What does a tree trimmer do?

Using sophisticated climbing and rigging techniques, cut away dead or excess branches from trees or shrubs to maintain right-of-way for roads, sidewalks, or utilities or improve trees’ appearance, health, and value. Prune or treat trees or shrubs using handsaws, hand pruners, clippers, and power pruners. Works off the ground in the tree canopy and may use truck-mounted lifts.

What is a tree timmer?

The tree trimmer is a professional that uses a saw or a chainsaw to cut down trees and trim the branches into firewood. A tree trimmer will need tools such as a chainsaw, ladders, gloves, boots, earmuffs, sunglasses/goggles, and hardhats depending on the season and location of work.

A tree trimmer works in a variety of ways, such as trimming trees or shrubs to improve the health, value, and appearance of the tree. They also cut off dead branches that may overhang sidewalks, utilities, or roads and possibly pose a danger to cars or pedestrians. These workers use clippers, handsaws, hand pruners, and power pruners to trim and clip the trees or shrubs.

Primary Responsibilities of the Job Description

• Tree trimmers cut away dead, obstructive, or excess branches from trees and shrubbery.
• Utilize chain saws and work crews to safely cut down limbs.
• Climb trees with safety devices to properly cut down limbs.
• Prune or treat trees or shrubs using handsaws, pruning hooks, sheers, and clippers.
• Use lifts and power tools to gain access to high areas.
• Fill in cavities of trees with chemicals to promote healing.
• Remove debris and cart away large limbs for disposal.
• Tree trimmers cut branches away from power lines.
• Cable, brace, tie, bolt, stake, and guy trees and branches to provide support.
• Utilize climbing equipment or buckets of extended truck booms, and/or chainsaws, hooks, handsaws, shears, and clippers.
• Use shovels and rakes to clear debris.
• Submit job estimates.
• Manage work crews.
• Clear sites, streets, and grounds of woody and herbaceous materials, such as tree stumps and fallen trees and limbs.
• Tree trimmers spray and treat diseased trees.
• Reshape trees to create aesthetically pleasing shapes.
• Water and fertilize trees.
• Apply tar to cut surfaces to seal in moisture.
• Strip bark from trees.

Tree Removal Job Description

Remove dead or excessive branches from trees or shrubs to maintain right-of-way for paths, walkways, or utilities or enhance the tree’s appearance, health, and value. Cut or treat trees or shrubs using saws, pruning hooks, shears, and clippers. May use truck-mounted lifts and power pruners. Might fill cavities in trees to support healing and avoid decaying.

Duties of Tree Removal Job Description

1. Cord, brace, link, screw, stake, and also guy trees as well as branches to offer assistance.
2. Run boom trucks, loaders, stump chippers, brush chippers, tractors, power saws, vehicles, sprayers, and other tools and tools.
3. Clear sites, roads, and also premises of woody as well as floral materials, such as tree stumps and also fallen trees as well as limbs.
4. Climb trees, utilizing climbing up belts as well as hooks, or climb ladders to access to workplace.
5. Collect particles as well as refuse from tree cutting and removal operations into heaps, using shovels, rakes or other tools.
6. Cut excess as well as away dead branches from trees, or clear branches around power lines, using climbing equipment or containers of prolonged vehicle booms, and/or power saws, hooks, clippers, shears, and handsaws.
7. Evaluate trees to establish if they have conditions or pest problems.
8. Lots of particles as well as decline onto vehicles as well as carry it away for disposal.
9. Run shredding and also cracking tools, as well as feed limbs and also brush into the machines.
10. Spray trees to deal with unhealthy or infected trees, adjusting as well as consisting of mixing chemicals spray devices.
11. Prune, reduced, feed, and also spray trees as routed by tree doctors.
12. Remove damaged arm or legs from cords, utilizing connected extension posts.
13. Trim jagged stumps, using saws or trimming shears.
14. Trim, top, and improve trees to achieve attractive forms or to remove low-hanging branches.
15. Water, root-feed, and also fertilize trees.
16. Apply tar or other safety materials to cut surface areas to secure surfaces, as well as to shield them from insects and fungi.
17. Harvest tanbark by cutting rings as well as slits in bark and also stripping bark from trees, utilizing potatos or axes.
18. Hoist devices as well as equipment to tree trimmers, and lower branches with ropes or block and also take on.
19. Install lightning security on trees.
20. Plan and establish allocate tree job, as well as estimate the monetary worth of trees.
21. Provide details to the general public concerning trees, such as suggestions on tree treatment.
22. Scrape decayed issue from cavities in trees as well as fill up openings with cement to promote healing and also to protect against more degeneration.
23. Split logs or wooden blocks right into bolts, stakes, blog posts, or pickets, utilizing hand devices such as ax wedges, sledgehammers, as well as clubs.
24. Oversee others taken part in tree trimming job as well as train lower-level workers.
25. Transplant as well as remove trees as well as hedges, and prepare trees for relocating.

What is the Professional Name of a Tree Trimmer?

An arborist, tree surgeon, or (less commonly) arboriculturist, is a professional in the practice of arboriculture, which is the cultivation, management, and study of individual trees, shrubs, vines, and other perennial woody plants in dendrology and horticulture.

Tree Trimmer Job Summary:

The Tree trimmer and pruner will maintain trees and shrubs to improve the appearance, health, and value of trees and to maintain access to utilities, roads, and sidewalks.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

This job description is mostly geared toward tree trimmers that don’t have any supervisory roles. However, a tree trimmer job description may include a role that will supervise and train lower-level staff engaged in tree trimming work.

Duties/Responsibilities:

• Uses handsaws, pruning hooks, sheers, and clippers to prune and manage growth of trees and shrubs.
• Trims, tops, and reshapes trees to remove low-hanging branches and to create more attractive shapes.
• Removes dead and excess branches from trees and/or from around power lines.
• Operates truck-mounted lifts, power pruners, boom trucks, loaders, tractors, power saws, and other necessary equipment and tools.
• Climbs trees or ladders to access work areas using climbing hooks or belts as needed.
• Executes recommendations of tree surgeons in pruning, cutting down, fertilizing, and spraying trees.
• Fosters healing and impedes decay by filling cavities in trees.
• Maintains tools and equipment by cleaning, sharpening, and lubricating.
• Safely operates shredding and chipping equipment, feeding limbs and brush into machines.
• Loads and hauls away debris and trash.
• Adheres to all applicable safety rules and regulations.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.
• Operate boom trucks, loaders, stump chippers, brush chippers, tractors, power saws, trucks, sprayers, and other equipment and tools.
• Operate grounds maintenance equipment.
• Drive trucks or other vehicles to or at work sites.
• Supervise others engaged in tree trimming work and train lower-level employees.
• Instruct staff in work policies or procedures.
• Supervise maintenance workers.
• Climb trees, using climbing hooks and belts, or climb ladders to gain access to work areas.
• Clean, sharpen, and lubricate tools and equipment.
• Clean equipment or supplies.
• Tree trimmers cut away dead and excess branches from trees, or clear branches around power lines, using climbing equipment or buckets of extended truck booms, or chainsaws, hooks, handsaws, shears, and clippers.
• Trim trees or other vegetation.
• Operate grounds maintenance equipment.
• Trim, top, and reshape trees to achieve attractive shapes or to remove low-hanging branches.
• Trim trees or other vegetation.
• Prune, cut down, fertilize, and spray trees as directed by tree surgeons.
• Tree trimmers trim trees or other vegetation.
• Treat greenery or surfaces with protective substances.
• Hoist tools and equipment to tree trimmers, and lower branches with ropes or block and tackle.
• Operate grounds maintenance equipment.
• Operate shredding and chipping equipment, and feed limbs and brush into the machines.
• Operate grounds maintenance equipment.
• Tree Trimmers load debris and refuse onto trucks and haul it away for disposal.
• Remove debris from work sites.
• Drive trucks or other vehicles to or at work sites.
• Inspect trees to determine if they have diseases or pest problems.
• Inspect landscaping to determine treatment needs.
• Cable, brace, tie, bolt, stake, and guy trees and branches to provide support.
• Install equipment to protect or support trees.
• Collect debris and refuse from tree trimming and removal operations into piles, using shovels, rakes or other tools.
• Remove debris from work sites.
• Provide information to the public regarding trees, such as advice on tree care.
• Tree trimmers provide information about landscaping services or costs.
• Spray trees to treat diseased or unhealthy trees, including mixing chemicals and calibrating spray equipment.
• Prepare chemicals for work application.
• Treat greenery or surfaces with protective substances.
• Operate grounds maintenance equipment.
• Plan and develop budgets for tree work, and estimate the monetary value of trees.
• Estimate maintenance service requirements or costs.
• Clear sites, streets, and grounds of woody and herbaceous materials, such as tree stumps and fallen trees and limbs.
• Remove debris from work sites.
• Remove broken limbs from wires, using hooked extension poles.
• Remove debris from work sites.
• Trim jagged stumps, using saws or pruning shears.
• Tree trimmers trim trees or other vegetation.
• Water, root-feed, and fertilize trees.
• Irrigate lawns, trees, or plants.
• Apply tar or other protective substances to cut surfaces to seal surfaces, and to protect them from fungi and insects.
• Treat greenery or surfaces with protective substances.
• Transplant and remove trees and shrubs, and prepare trees for moving.
• Plant greenery to improve landscape appearance.
• Harvest tanbark by cutting rings and slits in bark and stripping bark from trees, using spuds or axes.
• Trim trees or other vegetation.
• Scrape decayed matter from cavities in trees and fill holes with cement to promote healing and to prevent further deterioration.
• Treat greenery.
• Split logs or wooden blocks into bolts, pickets, posts, or stakes, using hand tools such as ax wedges, sledgehammers, and mallets.
• Operate grounds maintenance equipment.
• Install lightning protection on trees.
• Install equipment to protect or support trees.

Required Skills/Abilities:

• Ability to work independently and in a group with other tree trimmers.
• Ability to learn quickly and to follow instructions accurately.
• Ability to adhere to safety requirements.

Tree Trimmer Education and Experience:

Previous experience preferred; completion of on-the-job training required. A driver’s license, good driving records, and experience driving a truck are highly preferred.

Physical Requirements:

• Prolonged periods climbing and standing on ladders and raised platforms at extreme heights.
• Must be able to lift up to 20 pounds for extended periods of time.
• Must be able to push or pull up to 70 pounds.
• Must be able to work in all types of weather and at extreme temperatures.
• May be exposed to higher-than-average risk of work-related injuries and illnesses from exposure to dangerous working conditions, machinery, and heights.

Job Description

Tree trimmers and tree pruners use sophisticated climbing and rigging techniques to cut away dead or excess branches from trees or shrubs to maintain right-of-way for roads, sidewalks, or utilities, or to improve the appearance, health, and value of the tree. Prune or treat trees or shrubs using handsaws, hand pruners, clippers, and power pruners. Works off the ground in the tree canopy and may use truck-mounted lifts. They also operate shredding and chipping equipment, and feed limbs and brush into the machines.

Other tasks include:

• Operate boom trucks, loaders, stump chippers, brush chippers, tractors, power saws, trucks, sprayers, and other equipment and tools.
• Cut away dead and excess branches from trees, or clear branches around power lines, using climbing equipment or buckets of extended truck booms, or chainsaws, hooks, handsaws, shears, and clippers.
• Clean, sharpen, and lubricate tools and equipment.
• Hoist tools and equipment to tree trimmers, and lower branches with ropes or block and tackle.
• Climb trees, using climbing hooks and belts, or climb ladders to gain access to work areas.
• Supervise others engaged in tree trimming work and train lower-level employees.

Thank you for reading our article that describes what a tree trimmer does. Be sure to check out our other posts about tree services. 

A Tree Trimmer Job description can vary from state to state.

The Tree Trimmer job description above is for reference only. It’s important to review the tree trimming job duties, requirements, and qualifications before applying for a tree trimmer position in your state.