Tree Work Specification Writing
When
it becomes necessary to undertake any work on your tree(s) it is very important
that the work done, is exactly what was required. Following a thorough inspection
of the tree(s) three items to be addressed and clearly defined are: -
·
Define
the Objectives of the work.
Clearly and concisely state what the purpose of the work is and what you
want or need to achieve.
·
Clearly
communicate how the work should be done without causing further damage to your
tree(s).
By stipulating “ANSI (American National Standards Institute)
A-300 For Tree Care Operations-Tree, Shrub and Other Woody Plant
Maintenance, Standard Practices, pruning
standards”, you are using a “common language”, accepted and understood by professionals
in the tree care industry across the country. The A-300 defines terms and operations
thereby eliminating the likelihood of confusion or errors in respect of the proposed
work, e.g. “ Crown Cleaning” as defined by the standards is “The removal of dead,
dying, diseased, crowded, weakly attached, low vigor branches and water sprouts
from a tree’s crown”. This clearly does not include removal of any live material
other than that included above. If the objective is to also increase the permeability
of the crown to wind then “Crown Thinning”, which is defined as “The selective
removal of branches to increase light penetration and air movement, and to reduce
weight”, would be appropriate. However, in this instance reference to the standard
is not sufficient on its own and a specification is required, see below.
·
Clearly
state the Quantity of the work required.
Clearly
state the quantity of work required, e.g. “Crown Cleaning deadwood greater than
one inch diameter” or “Crown Raising to ten feet from yard” or “Crown thinning
by fifteen percent, no pruning cuts greater than one inch diameter”.
Preparing
written documents detailing tree care operations can frequently be exceedingly
frustrating, both for the person preparing the documents and for the contractor
trying to interpret them. In the past we have seen many instances where problems
have occurred due to the lack of a “common language” clearly defining what is
required. The A-300 Standards give us the means to compare “apples to apples”.
Writing specific details of work to be performed, using A-300 standards, provides the client the means to compare competitive bids for required work, based on the same quality and quantity of work.
We can prepare written bid specifications in a format, which would be immediately usable to solicit competitive bids for tree work. Specifications would be written in a manner that would preclude the likelihood of work being performed that would be detrimental to the tree(s).
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