How we vet tree pros
What GivingStump checks before a company can be hired on the platform, what we only keep on file, and what we deliberately don't claim.
The honest version first: bidding is open, hiring is gated
Any registered tree company can place a bid, so you see the whole local market — but a company can only be hired and paid once it has passed verification and connected a verified payout account. Every bid card shows the company's verification badges, so you can compare an established, fully-credentialed outfit against a hungry newer crew with open eyes and pick the trade-off you want.
And whoever you pick, your payment is held by GivingStump, the platform, and not the contractor, until you confirm the work is done or it auto-releases 7 days after the pro marks it complete with no dispute open.
Business identity
Matched to a real, reviewed business.
We match each company to its public Google Business Profile — real name, real service area, real history. The star rating you see on a bid card is the company’s actual public Google rating, captured at verification and refreshed weekly. Pros cannot type in their own stars, and we never seed fake ratings. If a company has no public rating, we show none.
Licensing
Recorded, and labelled with who checked it.
Contractors can add their business and trade licenses by type and number. Licenses a contractor lists on their profile show as verified when a person here has checked them, and as self-reported otherwise. GivingStump does not require a license to bid or to be hired, and requirements vary by state and county, so check what your job needs.
Insurance
A certificate on file, not a promise.
We collect the Certificate of Insurance (COI) — carrier, coverage type, and expiry — plus workers’ compensation and bond certificates where applicable. Tree work is one of the most dangerous trades there is; a crew without liability coverage and workers’ comp is a risk transferred to the homeowner. That is a risk you should get to see before you hire.
Payout identity
Verified through Stripe.
Before a pro can be paid, they complete Stripe’s identity and bank verification — the same know-your-customer checks banks use. A crew that can’t clear identity verification can’t receive an award on GivingStump, full stop.
Professional credentials
Shown when held, and labelled with who checked it.
Contractors can list credentials like ISA Certified Arborist® on their profile. One a person here has checked shows as verified; any other shows as self-reported, so you can weigh them yourself. Not every good tree company has a certified arborist on staff, and an honest marketplace shows you who does rather than implying everyone does.
If a job calls for diagnosis rather than removal — a declining tree, storm damage that might be cable-and-brace work instead of a takedown — a credentialed arborist’s assessment is worth asking for in your job post. Removal is not always the right answer, and the right pro will tell you so.
What we don't claim
We won't tell you that every bidder has passed a screening or a background check — the lead-gen sites that promise that are usually describing a credit card on file. We verify what can actually be verified, we show you exactly which checks each company has passed, and we hold the money until the work is done. That's the deal.
Spot something that looks wrong about a company on the platform? Tell us: support@givingstump.com. Verification is a process, not a trophy — reports are read by a person here.