Trees Have Been the Work Since 2003

Q: Who actually shows up to look at my trees?

Kevin Thompson, the owner. Every new job starts with him on the property — not a salesperson, and not a photo texted from the road. He looks at the tree, the ground it is in and what is underneath it, then writes the scope himself. That is slower than a phone quote and it is the reason the number holds.

Q: Do you keep records of the work?

Yes, on every job. For homeowners that means documentation if an insurance question comes up later. For commercial and HOA clients it means a maintained history of what was done to which tree and when.

Sylvan Scapes is owner-run out of Staunton, Virginia. Kevin Thompson walks every property himself before a crew is scheduled, which is why the estimate matches the job when the truck shows up.

Call 540-885-2199 Request an Estimate

Owner on every estimate ISA Certified CTSP Accredited

A Sylvan Scapes arborist meeting a homeowner on their property at the start of an estimate

Quick Answer

Sylvan Scapes is an owner-run tree service based in Staunton, VA, working across Augusta, Albemarle and Rockingham Counties since 2003. The company holds ISA Certified Arborist credentials and Tree Care Safety Professional accreditation through the Tree Care Industry Association, and crews work inside ANSI Z133.1. Call 540-885-2199.

How we work

The owner looks at the tree

Every new job starts with Kevin Thompson on the property. Not a salesperson, not a photo texted from the road. He looks at the tree, the ground it is in, and what is underneath it, then writes the scope himself.

That is slower than a phone quote, and it is the reason the number holds. When the crew arrives, the plan was made by the person who saw the site.

Detailed records get kept on every job. For homeowners that means documentation if an insurance question comes up later. For commercial and HOA clients it means a maintained history of what was done to which tree and when.

The Sylvan Standard

What you get on every job

The owner walks the property and writes the scope
A written estimate, not a verbal number
Crews working inside ANSI Z133.1
Pruning to ANSI A300 — never topping
Full insurance, certificate on request
Brush chipped, ruts repaired, lawn raked

Credentials

What the certifications mean

ISA Certified Arborist. Issued by the International Society of Arboriculture. Requires documented field experience, a comprehensive exam covering tree biology, diagnosis, pruning standards, soil and safety, and ongoing continuing education to maintain.

Tree Care Safety Professional (CTSP). Accreditation through the Tree Care Industry Association, holding the company to a written code of safety and ethics.

ANSI Z133.1. The national safety standard for arboricultural operations. Our crews work inside it on every job, which protects the people doing the work and the property they are working on.

ANSI A300. The pruning standard. It is the difference between a cut the tree seals over and a cut that lets decay into the trunk.

Certification: ISA Certified Arborist, International Society of Arboriculture
Accreditation: Tree Care Safety Professional (CTSP), Tree Care Industry Association
Safety standard: Work performed within ANSI Z133.1 arboriculture safety requirements
Pruning standard: ANSI A300 pruning specifications
Operating since: 2003, Staunton, Virginia
Service area: Augusta, Albemarle and Rockingham Counties

At a glance

The company, briefly

Sylvan Scapes has served Augusta, Albemarle and Rockingham Counties since 2003 — tree removal, emergency and storm response, pruning, cabling and bracing, stump grinding and plant health care, for homeowners, estates, commercial properties and HOAs. The company also provides landscape and grounds services. Trees are the specialty and the reason for the certifications.

Sylvan Scapes arborist cutting from an aerial lift inside a tree canopy — **Canopy work**
Cuts made from the lift, at the right point on the branch, to ANSI A300.

Chainsaw cutting a felled hardwood trunk into lengths — **Removal**
Trunk bucked to length once the tree is safely down.

Brush being chipped into the chip truck at the end of a Sylvan Scapes job — **Site left clean**
Brush chipped and hauled, ruts repaired, lawn raked before we leave.

Want an arborist to look at your trees?

An on-site assessment with the owner, then a written estimate.

Call now540-885-2199 Request an Estimate

Answers

About Sylvan Scapes

How the company runs, and what the credentials behind it actually require.

Call 540-885-2199

Who actually shows up to look at my trees?

Kevin Thompson, the owner. Every new job starts with him on the property — not a salesperson, and not a photo texted from the road. He looks at the tree, the ground it is in and what is underneath it, then writes the scope himself. That is slower than a phone quote and it is the reason the number holds.

What does ISA Certified Arborist actually require?

Documented field experience, a comprehensive exam and continuing education. The exam covers tree biology, diagnosis, pruning standards, soil science and safety, and the certification has to be maintained with ongoing education. It is not a membership you buy.

What is ANSI Z133.1?

The national safety standard for arboricultural operations. Our crews work inside it on every job. It governs how the work is set up, rigged and performed, which protects both the people doing the work and the property they are working on.

Do you keep records of the work?

Yes, on every job. For homeowners that means documentation if an insurance question comes up later. For commercial and HOA clients it means a maintained history of what was done to which tree and when.