Tree service crew dispatch checklist
Plan hazards, equipment and crews, set storm priorities, and prepare customers for the job.
Tree work is planned around hazards and equipment. A removal near a house needs a different crew and equipment than a pruning job in an open yard, and storm calls can reshape the whole week. A dispatch checklist helps tree service companies send the right crew, with the right equipment, to the right job, safely. This guide is for residential and commercial tree care companies.
1. Job record from the estimate
The estimate visit should leave a record that the crew can work from.
- Address, customer contact and site access.
- Trees involved, with location, species where known, approximate height and condition.
- Work: pruning, removal, stump grinding, cabling, or clearance.
- Targets near the work: house, garage, fences, cars, and other structures.
- Overhead power lines near the trees. Note distances as estimated.
- Equipment needed: bucket truck, crane, chipper, stump grinder, mats for lawns.
- Where debris will be chipped or loaded, and what stays on site, such as firewood.
- Photos of each tree and access.
2. Electrical hazards
- Only line-clearance qualified workers may work within the minimum approach distances of energized lines set by OSHA rules. If a tree is near power lines, decide whether the utility must be contacted and whether the job requires a qualified line-clearance crew.
- Record the utility contact and any work order numbers.
- Never send an unqualified crew to work near lines.
3. Crew and equipment planning
- Match crew size and skills to the job: climbers, a qualified crane operator for crane jobs, and a ground crew.
- Check equipment bookings so two jobs do not need the same crane or bucket truck the same day.
- Check equipment inspections and maintenance records.
- Confirm the personal protective equipment required by your safety program for the tasks.
4. Pre-job briefing
Before starting, the crew lead holds a short briefing on site.
- Work plan for each tree.
- Hazards: lines, structures, dead wood, traffic.
- Drop zones and roles.
- Emergency plan: nearest hospital, how to call for help, and the address of the site.
- Record that the briefing happened.
5. Customer preparation
- Send the date and arrival window.
- Ask the customer to move cars, outdoor furniture and anything in the work area.
- Tell them where trucks will park and whether the lawn may show tracks.
- Keep children and pets indoors during work.
- If neighbors are affected, such as shared access or overhanging branches, ask the customer to tell them.
6. Permits and rules
- Some cities and counties require permits to remove certain trees, or protect trees by species or size. Know the rules where you work, and record any permit number in the job.
- HOAs may also have rules. Ask the customer.
7. Storm work
After storms, call volume can jump.
- Set priorities ahead: trees on houses or blocking access first, then hazards near structures, then cleanup.
- Never work near downed lines. Tell customers to stay away and call the utility.
- Record each storm call with photos and the customer's priority.
- Tell customers honestly when you can reach them, and update them if that changes.
- Move scheduled routine work and tell those customers.
8. Weather and delays
- Have rules for wind, lightning and ice, under your safety program.
- Tell customers early when weather moves their job.
- Reschedule in route order where possible.
9. Closeout
- Photos of the finished site.
- Confirm cleanup with the customer.
- Record stumps left or to be ground later, and schedule stump grinding if sold.
- Invoice sent or payment collected.
- Thank-you and review request.
10. Weekly review
- Jobs completed per crew.
- Jobs that took longer than estimated, and why.
- Safety incidents or near misses, and the corrective action.
- Accepted estimates not yet scheduled.
11. Estimates and follow-up
- Send the estimate soon after the visit, with photos and a clear scope, including cleanup and what stays on site.
- Set a follow-up date for each estimate.
- Record the result and stop follow-ups when the customer decides.
- Offer to place stump grinding or pruning on a future date when the customer is not ready now.
Where software fits
Tree crew dispatch depends on estimate notes, photos, equipment and crew schedules being in one place. Monaxion is tree service CRM, scheduling and dispatch software that keeps photos and hazard notes with each job, schedules crews and equipment, and prepares customer messages your team approves before sending. Book a demo to plan a week of jobs in it.
Published 2026-10-31 · General guidance only; follow the codes, labels and rules that apply where you work.
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