Plant Health Care Specialists
Certified Arborist Consultation in North Augusta, Augusta, and Aiken
Got a tree you are worried about, a quote that does not sit right, or a report someone is asking you to provide? Arborwright puts an ISA Certified Arborist and a biology-degreed plant health care specialist on your property to tell you what is actually going on, in plain language and in writing when you need it. Free on-site assessment across North Augusta, Augusta, Aiken, and the rest of the CSRA.
- ISA Certified Arborist®
- Written Arborist Reports
- Tree Risk Assessments
Get your FREE
Tree Inspection
We’ll call you within one business day to schedule your free on-site inspection. No obligation, no hard sell, no upsells you don’t need.
By submitting, you agree we may contact you by phone, text, or email about your request. Msg/data rates may apply. Reply STOP to unsubscribe. See our Privacy Policy.
What is a certified arborist consultation?
A certified arborist consultation is an on-site evaluation by a credentialed tree expert who diagnoses a tree’s condition and gives you documented, professional recommendations. An ISA Certified Arborist has passed an exam, met an experience requirement, and follows a code of ethics, so the credential is verifiable, not self-assigned. Arborwright provides certified arborist consultations and written reports across North Augusta, Augusta, Aiken, and the CSRA.
When do I need a certified arborist?
You are in the right place if you have a tree you are unsure about, conflicting advice from tree companies, or a situation that calls for documentation. Across the CSRA these come up most around mature live oaks, water oaks, and storm-damaged trees near the house.
- A second opinion before paying for removal
- Conflicting quotes or advice from tree companies
- A property purchase or sale involving trees
- An insurance claim or storm damage to document
- A permit, HOA, or municipal report requirement
- Construction or grading planned near mature trees
Not sure if your situation needs a full report? Send us a photo for free input within 24 hours.
ISA Certified Arborist® On Staff
Thomas Wilson
Certification number: SO-3193887A
Biology-Degreed Team
Burns Newsome
B.S. Biology + M.S. Genetics
ISA Member On Staff
Thomas Wilson
International Society of Arboriculture
SC Licensed Applicator
Burns Newsome
SC Dept. of Pesticide Regulation
Why does it matter whether your arborist is actually certified?
The difference between a certified arborist and anyone else with a chainsaw is verification. Anyone can print “arborist” on a truck, but the ISA Certified Arborist credential is earned: it requires years of documented experience, a passing exam, ongoing education, and adherence to a code of ethics. It can be confirmed by certification ID on the ISA directory, and Tom Wilson’s, SO-3193887A, is public and checkable. That is what separates a credentialed opinion from a sales pitch.
The other thing a real evaluation protects you from is the wrong call. The default in this industry is to recommend removal, because removal is the biggest invoice. A correct diagnosis often finds that a tree most homeowners would cut is structurally sound, or treatable, or fixable with targeted pruning. Burns Newsome came out of a research background and brings two degrees in the biological sciences to that question, because the answer usually rewards looking closely before cutting.
A consultation also gives you something a verbal estimate cannot: documentation. A written arborist report records the species, the condition, the risk where it exists, and a prioritized plan, in language an insurer, a permit office, or an HOA will accept. The findings reference recognized standards, including the ANSI A300 standards for tree care and the ISA Best Management Practices, so the recommendations are defensible. That matters most when money or liability is on the line.
What does an Arborwright consultation cover?
Step 01 · Full tree inspection
We examine the whole tree: trunk, canopy, root flare, defects, lean, and what sits within reach if a limb or the tree fails. Nothing gets diagnosed from the driveway.
Step 02 · Root cause diagnosis
The goal is the cause, not the symptom. Disease, pests, soil problems, and structural defects each leave different evidence, and the diagnosis follows the ISA Best Management Practices.
Step 03 · risk and honest options
A sound tree, a treatable tree, and a genuine hazard are three different conclusions. The assessment weighs the likelihood and the consequence of failure before any recommendation is made.
Step 04 · documented findings
Findings and a prioritized plan are written up referencing ANSI A300 standards, in language an insurer, permit office, or HOA will accept.
What to expect from your arborist consultation
DAY 0
Book the visit
We schedule around your situation and whatever documentation you need.
DAY 1 TO 5
On-site visit
Tom inspects the tree, diagnoses what is happening, and gathers what the report needs.
DAY 5 TO 10
Written report
You receive a written arborist report with findings, photos, and prioritized recommendations.
ONGOING
Clear next steps
We point you to the right service, or a trusted local removal company, with no pressure.
What You Receive
You walk away with a plain-language answer the day of the visit, and a written report within about a week when your situation needs one. The report is yours to act on, hand to an insurer or permit office, or keep on file.
Why CSRA homeowners choose Arborwright
Diagnostic-first tree care
Most tree services start with “what do you want us to do?” We start with “what’s actually going on?” Arborwright is built around plant health care and diagnostic-first work, which means we look at your tree, identify what’s wrong, and tell you honestly what it needs. Sometimes that means treatment. Sometimes it means a pruning plan. Sometimes it means removal. We tell you which, with the evidence to back it up.
Our arborists know the CSRA’s clay-heavy soils, humid subtropical climate, and the tree species that thrive and struggle here. Local conditions matter. We show up prepared for them.
Science-based diagnostics
Every recommendation backed by plant pathology, soil science, and real evidence.
Honest recommendations
We tell you what your tree actually needs, even when it's less work for us. No upsells.
The people behind Arborwright
Real credentials. Real expertise. Real local knowledge.
Burns Newsome
Founder & Plant Health Care Specialist
Licensed Applicator | B.S. Biology + M.S. Genetics | Former Vanderbilt Research Team
I come from a research background. Before founding Arborwright Tree Care, I spent several years as part of a research team at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where careful observation and methodical thinking defined the job. I hold two degrees in the biological sciences, and I apply that same research-first mindset to every tree I evaluate.
What drives my work is a deep passion for healthy ecological landscapes. I believe most struggling trees can be saved when the right diagnosis comes first. Removal is a last resort, not a default. Across North Augusta, Aiken, Augusta, and the rest of the CSRA, I help homeowners understand what’s actually happening with their trees, from crape myrtle bark scale to root stress to storm damage, and build treatment plans backed by evidence instead of guesswork.
When I’m not in the field, I’m on my own land with my two boys: catching critters, fishing, and managing the property to support the greatest diversity of life it can hold. That’s how this business started. At some point, working within the constraints of my own backyard wasn’t enough. I wanted to care for the landscape around me in a meaningful way, and help the people in my community do the same. Arborwright is how I do that.
Thomas Wilson
ISA Certified Arborist®
ISA Certified Arborist® | ISA Member | 13 Years of Field Experience
I came up in tree work in Tennessee, where I spent years climbing, pruning, and learning how trees actually behave under load and stress. There is no shortcut for that kind of time in the canopy. When I moved to the CSRA, I brought that hands-on foundation with me and adapted it to a new set of species, the region’s clay-heavy soils, and a much longer growing season.
Earning my ISA Certified Arborist® credential held that field experience to a documented, tested standard. My focus is structure and risk: how a tree is built, where it is weak, and what it is likely to do in the next storm. I would rather find a failure point on a calm afternoon than after a limb is already down on someone’s roof.
What I value most is the work that keeps a mature tree standing. A large, established tree takes decades to replace, and most of the ones I assess can be kept healthy and sound when someone reads them early and acts on what they find. That is the part of this job I care about, and it is why I am glad to do it here in the CSRA.
Arborist consultation pricing
The on-site assessment is free. A formal written arborist report typically ranges from $X to $Y, depending on the factors below.
- Number of trees assessed
- Scope and depth of findings
- Purpose of the report
- Property size and access
- Turnaround time requested
- Verbal assessment or written report
Free assessment includes
Your free assessment includes an on-site structural evaluation, identification of deadwood and weak unions, and a written pruning plan with itemized scope and pricing. Tom or Burns answers your questions on site, with no obligation and no pressure.
Frequently asked questions
Everything homeowners ask before scheduling a certified arborist consultation.
The on-site assessment is free. A formal written arborist report typically ranges from $X to $Y, depending on the number of trees, the depth of the findings, and whether the report is for insurance, a permit, or a sale. Arborwright sets the scope with you up front, so the fee matches what the situation actually requires.
A certified arborist is a tree care professional credentialed by the International Society of Arboriculture. Earning the credential requires years of documented experience, passing a comprehensive exam, and following a code of ethics, and it is maintained through ongoing education. Unlike the general label “arborist,” an ISA certification is verifiable by ID on the ISA directory.
The initial on-site assessment is free, including verbal findings and a recommendation. A fee applies only when the situation calls for a formal written arborist report, such as documentation for insurance, a permit, an HOA, or a property sale. Many homeowners need only the free assessment, and the report fee can be discussed before any work is committed.
A written arborist report documents the tree species, its condition, any structural or health concerns, the level of risk where it exists, and a prioritized set of recommendations. The findings reference recognized standards, including ANSI A300 and ISA Best Management Practices, and include photos. The result is documentation an insurer, permit office, or HOA will accept.
Yes, and a second opinion is one of the most common reasons homeowners call. Many trees recommended for removal are structurally sound, treatable, or fixable with targeted pruning. An ISA Certified Arborist diagnoses the actual condition first, so the decision to keep or remove a tree rests on evidence rather than on whichever company quoted the largest job.
Most tree companies lead with a price to cut. Arborwright leads with a diagnosis. Burns Newsome brings two degrees in the biological sciences and a research background, and Thomas Wilson is an ISA Certified Arborist® with 13 years of field experience and a verifiable certification ID. Recommendations are documented and honest, even when the answer is to do nothing.
Verification is straightforward and encouraged. Thomas Wilson holds ISA Certified Arborist credential SO-3193887A, which can be confirmed on the International Society of Arboriculture’s public Verify a Credential directory. A real credential is checkable by ID, which is exactly why it carries more weight than the word “arborist” printed on a truck.
Yes. Written arborist reports are available for insurance claims, storm-damage documentation, building or grading permits, HOA requirements, and real estate transactions. Each report documents the tree’s condition, risk, and recommendations in language reviewers accept, and references ANSI A300 standards. The scope is set with you in advance so the report meets the specific requirement you are facing.
A free estimate answers one question: what a company will charge to do a specific job. A consultation answers a different one: what is actually happening with the tree and what should be done about it. An estimate is a price; a certified arborist consultation is a diagnosis, with documentation when the situation requires it.
Being present for the on-site visit is helpful so the findings and recommendations are clear, but it is not strictly required if access is arranged in advance. Most residential consultations take under an hour on site. When a written report is requested, it typically follows within about a week, depending on scope and documentation needs.
Trusted by homeowners across the CSRA
Real reviews from real customers across North Augusta, Augusta, Aiken, and the CSRA. Want to be one of them? Schedule your free inspection.
A certified arborist near you
Certified arborist consultations and written reports across North Augusta, Augusta, Aiken, Evans, Martinez, and the surrounding CSRA. Find your area below.
Hammond’s Ferry, Riverview Park, downtown North Augusta. Our home base.
West Augusta, Summerville, National Hills, Forest Hills, downtown.
Downtown Aiken, Houndslake, Woodside, Hitchcock Woods area.
Riverwood Plantation, Evans to Locks, Kiokee.
Photo Credits
Soil injection treatment — Mengmeng Gu, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Bugwood.org.
White, waxy bark spots in branch crotches; black sooty mold on trunk; reddish-pink crush test — Jim Robbins, University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, Bugwood.org.
Healthy crepe myrtle bloom photographs — open access.