FAQs

Contact the office to request an estimate and let us know the services you require with details about your job. If you’re not sure what you need, we can do a general assessment and provide recommendations. If you are a new client, you must fill out the contact form to provide us with your accurate contact information. Once we receive your request, we can then discuss your work over the phone. Repeat clients may email office@fullcircletreeandshrub.com or call with any questions.

All properties are assessed by our owner, Jeff Bergman, or our crew foreman, Tim Clifft, and are complimentary only if they can come by at their convenience (please allow up to two weeks, as they also work on job sites and their availability is limited). Advanced notice is attempted, but not guaranteed.

If you want to schedule a consultation so you can meet at a predetermined time on site, a $100 fee is charged and includes up to an hour on site. This fee does not lock you into our services and is credited towards labor only (no materials or planting), but is not refundable. All planting estimates require on-site consultations with a minimum $100, non-refundable fee. This fee covers time to discuss your landscape goals as well as time needed to source & price plants and determine logistics. Additional fees may apply depending on the scope of work and level of detail required for the planting estimate.

All estimates are emailed unless requested otherwise. Once you receive your estimate, email office@fullcircletreeandshrub.com with any questions or to add your work to our scheduling queue.

Every job is different and time on site depends on the scope of work. We can only provide a general timeframe as to how far out we are booking until we assess the work in person. Timeframes vary greatly depending on the type and size of the job, as well as weather and ground conditions. We prioritize emergencies and schedule most jobs on a first-come, first-served basis. When you accept your work, you will receive an email with confirmation that includes estimated time on site, as well as a target timeframe. We ask for patience and flexibility as there are many factors beyond our control. During peak seasons, lead times can be up to two months so advanced planning is encouraged. Email office@fullcircletreeandshrub.com to inquire about scheduling queue updates.

Job requests are handled on a case-by-case basis. Travel time, time on site, required equipment and accessibility are all factors taken into consideration when pricing jobs. While we try to accommodate jobs of all sizes, we also strive to provide our services affordably and safely. If your job is too large or difficult for us to handle with our equipment or a job is too small for us to complete at a reasonable cost to you, we will do our best to refer you to recommended companies. Contact us to provide details and request an estimate for your project.

Not only are we licensed and insured for your and our protection, our owner Jeff Bergman is an ISA-Certified Arborist® (#SO-1743A) and is also a certified, licensed and bonded pesticide applicator. Liability insurance certificates are available upon request.

We understand plans can change and postponing or canceling your tree work is necessary. To keep your place in the scheduling queue, you can postpone for a limited time. We will honor estimates on a case-by-case basis, provided the scope of work remains the same. With appropriate lead time, there’s no penalty to cancel work. Questions or concerns or changes to the scope of work? Call 615-710-5545 or email us office@fullcircletreeandshrub.com

While we leave communication between you and your insurance company, we are familiar with most policies and happy to provide guidance. Our office can provide documentation and our owner, Jeffrey Bergman, can help with litigation and expert witness needs on a case-by-case basis.

Email office@fullcircletreeandshrub.com with any questions or concerns.

The Full Circle tree crew works Monday through Friday, 8:00am – 3:00pm, as weather allows. Timeframes will vary greatly and consider the type and size of your job, routing, ground conditions, as well as urgency. We prioritize emergencies and schedule most jobs on a first-come, first-served basis. Smaller jobs are contingent on routing. Please notify us in advance of any required timeframes (NES or insurance company deadlines, construction projects contingent on work, or other urgent needs) so we can determine if we can meet your timeframe. We will not do your work without advanced confirmation so we can ensure the job site is accessible prior to arrival. However, as weather dictates our schedule, we cannot confirm your appointment too far in advance. Email office@fullcircletreeandshrub.com for scheduling queue updates.

Every tree is different so every job requires a site visit to get a visual assessment of the tree and its location. In fact, no tree company should ever give you a quote over the phone or based on photos alone! Be wary of anyone who has “set fees” for tree services. Many factors are taken into consideration including, but not limited to, estimated time needed on site, accessibility (the location of your trees and shrubs to structures, power lines, etc., as well as equipment placement), rigging requirements, supply costs, disposal costs, travel time and more. Contact us with any questions or budgetary concerns. We do offer payment plans.

As long as your yard is accessible, you do not have to be on site while we are working unless you want to be. Payment is not required at the time of work — we will email or mail an invoice to you after the entire job is completed, as scope of work can change or other elements of the job are done at different times (stump grinding, plant healthcare, etc.).

ACCESSIBILE = gates unlocked, cars moved, anything of importance is moved out of the work zone or protected, sprinkler heads are marked, pets are safely inside and any other obstacles are removed. Irrigation must be turned off days in advance (soft ground can be easily damaged). If you recently seeded or sodded your lawn, please let us know to delay work (we aren’t dropping pillows on your lawn!). NO OTHER CREWS ARE ALLOWED TO BE ON SITE while we are working – this is for accessibility and liability reasons. Our work zone includes not only your trees, but access to/from our equipment.

If the job site is inaccessible upon arrival and we have to reschedule, you will be subject to an additional trip fee for the inconvenience and time lost.

The Full Circle crew will remove wood, brush and debris incidental to the work. Clean-up is included in the estimate cost, unless otherwise noted on the estimate. Leaving debris on-site can reduce the cost, but cutting logs into firewood size incurs an extra charge. Please notify us in advance if you want additional disposal options so we can plan accordingly.

We are proud to partner with Blue Ox/Gold Fern for your stump grinding needs.  As stump grinding is subcontracted, Full Circle will cut all stumps low, within approximately twelve (12) inches of ground level, unless otherwise specified on the estimate. Standard grinding depth is 4-6 inches below ground level, though if feasible, they may grind to a deeper depth upon request. Grindings and shavings from stump removal are not hauled away unless specified in your estimate. Surface and subsurface root running beyond the stump incurs an extra charge. Please allow 1-3 weeks for our stump grinder to complete the work post-removal and know that costs are subject to change as they may run into unforeseen obstacles (e.g. rocks, extra root flare, etc.). Contact us if you have any questions.

We work in Davidson County and parts of Williamson County. Due to increased travel time, fuel costs, and wear & tear on equipment, working outside of our radius increases the expense to our customers. We prefer to avoid upcharging, but may consider day rates in outlying areas on a case-by-case basis. Contact us for more details: office@fullcircletreeandshrub.com.

All tree and shrub work will be performed in a professional manner by our experienced crew, outfitted with the appropriate tools, equipment, and safety gear to complete the job properly and safely.

The Full Circle Tree & Shrub team works carefully to avoid any damage to structures, driveways and sidewalks, as well as extreme disturbances to your lawn. In the event that our equipment causes avoidable settling, cracking, or other damage to driveways and/or sidewalks or any damage is incurred due to negligence of a FCTS employee, damages will be repaired or you will be compensated. FCTS is not responsible for damages to underground sprinklers, drain lines, invisible fences or underground cables unless the system(s) are adequately and accurately marked or mapped and a copy is presented before or at the time the work is performed. While the crew takes great care to mitigate damage to your lawn, but please keep in mind that while moving heavy branches and logs through yard, there may be some unavoidable disturbances.

Prevent damage to utilities! Contact TN One Call to request complimentary underground facilities markings: www.tenn811.com or dial 8-1-1.

Invoices are emailed after work is complete. We prefer to email invoices for efficiency and ecological reasons, so please specify if you would like a printed copy mailed to your home. We accept Cash, Checks, Money Orders and Cashier’s Checks. We charge a $35.00 fee for all checks returned to our office for non-sufficient funds. Visa, Mastercard, Discover & American Express payments include an additional 3% processing fee. We also accept checks processed through your banking institution’s online bill pay system or Zelle. **Interest-free payment plans are available upon request.** PLEASE NOTE: All accounts are net payable upon date of invoice (sent via email or traditional mail), unless previous terms have been accepted. Accounts not fully paid 30 days subsequent to the invoice date, incur a 5% late fee, with additional fees for each subsequent month. If we use outside assistance to collect the account, you are responsible for all costs associated with the collection, including, but not limited to, attorney fees and court costs.

We are glad you asked! If you are highly motivated to work outdoors, we want to hear from you! Fill out our online application – we accept all skill levels if you are willing to learn or want to hone your skills. We require a valid drivers license and proof of legal authority to work in the United States. Compensation and work duties are based on experience. Click here: Apply To Work With Us or call our office for more information.

We recommend planting during the dormant season – typically late October to early February in Nashville – so plants can focus their energy on establishing their root system. Although we carefully source quality plants, installing new plants while they are in their growing period can stress them out, so anything we plant during the Spring will not come with a guarantee. We do not plant during the hot, summer months as even mature, established trees are susceptible to drought stress. If plantings are done when weather is conducive (consistently low temperatures and ideal ground conditions), we do provide a conditional one year warranty on most new plants.

Tree topping = butchering a tree. It is one of the worst “practices” and by removing a tree’s canopy, makes it more dangerous, leaving it susceptible to pest, disease, sun scald, poor quality growth and more. Indiscriminate chopping of limbs also makes trees look ugly and unnatural. If a tree has grown too big for the space in which it was planted, removal/replacement is typically the best and most economical option. Read more at TreesAreGood.org or read our blog

The Bradford pear tree, (Pyrus calleryana or Callery pear), is a deciduous tree easily identified by its white blossoms and the rotting fish smell it can give off during the spring and summer. While Bradford pears grow quickly, their branches are very thin, so they are highly susceptible to high wind conditions & split easily. Even with very weak branches, they are quite dense, which prevents sun getting through the branches, denying grass underneath the nutrients needed to grow. Typically we do not recommend investing any money in their maintenance, as removal and replacement with a sturdier tree is the most economical long-term option. In fact, Davidson County lists Bradford Pears as prohibited trees so they can no longer be planted. However, if you love your tree and want to maintain it, the best time to prune or trim it is dormancy after leaves fall. New growth occurs in Spring and Summer, so only branches close to your roof or power lines should be trimmed/pruned during these seasons. For more information, read this article from USA TODAY: https://tinyurl.com/4cvyz7cu.