The Associated Landscape Contractors of Mass. (ALCM) and Massachusetts Arborists Association (MAA) launched a Web site in February intended to prevent homeowners from hiring unreliable landscape contractors or arborists certified by their associations.
The Web site, www.certifiedtreeandlandscape.org, is maintained by both organizations.
More than 800 Mass. arborists voluntarily certified with MAA and more than 400 landscape contractors statewide certified through the ALCM.
Homeowners can search for an arborist or contractor by town, zip code or specialty.
Certification tests are offered by the two organizations twice a year. Those that pass must receive annual credits to maintain certification. The associations each test 100 candidates annually. Of those who took the tests last year 30 percent passed.
Certified contractors and arborists are issued cards and are authorized to utilize the associations’ seal in advertising and literature.
Last week the Mass. MetroWest Daily News reported that one area contractor has been brought to small claims court repeatedly since 2003 for taking down payments and not showing up to do work. He is not certified by either organization.
The state of Mass. does not issue business-specific licenses to contractors or arborists.