Terms & Conditions

Eric Putnam BCMA Inc. Terms and Conditions of Service

Thank you for choosing Eric Putnam BCMA Inc. By accepting a free-estimate appointment, consultation appointment, estimate, or work order, authorizing work in writing, or scheduling services, you enter into an agreement with Eric Putnam BCMA Inc. and agree to the Terms and Conditions.

1. Contract Documents and Order of Control

The Terms and Conditions, the Warranty and Disclaimer, the approved estimate, work order, invoice, and service-specific instructions supplied by Eric Putnam BCMA Inc. in writing must be read together. The estimate or work order controls the approved scope and price. The Warranty and Disclaimer controls warranty coverage, exclusions, and remedies. The Terms and Conditions control scheduling, access, payment, and other administrative terms. A more specific written service term controls for that service. A later change controls only when it is confirmed in writing by Eric Putnam BCMA Inc. and accepted by the client.

2. Scheduling, Weather, and Service Changes

Tree care work depends on weather and may be affected by rain, high winds, unsafe site conditions, crew logistics, equipment needs, route changes, emergencies, or other operational factors. If a scheduled service date, arrival window, access need, or approved scope changes, Eric Putnam BCMA Inc. will notify the client as soon as reasonably possible.



Weather or operational delays may require rescheduling based on safety, route availability, site conditions, and normal scheduling capacity. A delay does not invalidate an approved estimate, create a separate warranty claim, or guarantee completion by a particular later date.

Client-requested changes after approval may affect pricing, scheduling, crew preparation, equipment needs, or service availability. A change to the approved scope or price must be reviewed and confirmed in writing before the changed work proceeds.

When an accepted estimate becomes a pending work order, the ordinary completion expectation is within three months after acceptance. This does not apply to recurring treatment programs, a line item that states a different service window, or work intentionally scheduled for a later season, such as a planting accepted in June for recommended installation in November. Weather, emergency work, client delay, access restrictions, permitting, material availability, or a material change in site conditions may also require a different written schedule.

3. Site Access and Property Preparation

The client is responsible for providing full, safe, and legal access to the work area on the scheduled service date. This includes unlocked gates, clear pathways, secured pets or animals, reasonable parking, equipment access, and any required client or representative presence.

Eric Putnam BCMA Inc. may access the property without the client present only when access has been authorized in advance and the work area is accessible. If work requires access to neighboring, shared, HOA-controlled, tenant-occupied, commercial, gated, or other third-party property, we may require written authorization and release from the responsible person before entry.

When a tree, limb, work area, drop zone, cleanup area, or access route extends onto neighboring or third-party property, the client is responsible for helping obtain the access authorization or waiver we require. If debris must be removed from a neighbor's yard, we must be allowed to enter that property legally and safely. We will not enter neighboring property without authorization.

Work on a shared tree located on or materially across a property line may require both owners to approve the work and sign a shared-tree authorization or release. Additional paperwork, coordination, site meetings, or document preparation may carry an additional written charge. Eric Putnam BCMA Inc. may waive that charge in writing based on the circumstances.

The client must arrange entry through any locked gate, private guard entrance, or other controlled access point. If the arborist or crew arrives and cannot obtain the agreed access because the client or authorized representative is unavailable, a $150 site-readiness fee applies for the reserved and onsite crew time. Eric Putnam BCMA Inc. may waive the fee in writing based on the circumstances.

Most Plant Health Care work, including treatments and root-flare services, requires running water so the crew can fill its spray tank and perform required washdown. When client-supplied water is required, the client must provide a functioning and accessible outdoor water source. If water has been shut off or the required spigot is locked and water is not made available within 30 minutes after the crew contacts the client or site representative, a $150 site-readiness fee may be charged for the crew's dispatch and onsite time.



The water-readiness fee does not apply at an active construction site when the lack of running water should reasonably have been identified by Eric Putnam BCMA Inc. consulting arborist staff during the estimate. The fee may apply if water was verified and was later shut off, locked, removed, or otherwise made unavailable by a condition outside our control.

Eric Putnam BCMA Inc. may delay, reschedule, or stop work when access, site readiness, pets or animals, parking, utilities, authorization, or another condition prevents safe or lawful performance. If a pet or other animal prevents entry or safe performance and is not secured within a reasonable time after we contact the client or site representative, a $150 site-readiness fee may be charged for reserved, dispatched, and onsite time.

4. Payment Terms

Payment is due immediately when each service is completed. The invoice may be sent on the morning of the scheduled service because our accounting staff batches invoices early in the business day, but receiving the invoice does not make it due before the work is completed. For payment purposes, each line item in an estimate or work order is a separate service. Multiple service line items may be assigned to the same crew and completed on the same day. Only the service line items completed that day are due and will be billed for that service date. A line item that is not completed, or that is scheduled for a separate day, will not be due until that service is completed. By confirming services, the client agrees to pay in full for completed work under the approved estimate or work order.



All payments are due immediately upon completion because Eric Putnam BCMA Inc. does not extend payment terms unless a separate written agreement states otherwise. A payment not received within three days, meaning 72 hours, after the applicable service is completed is subject to a one-time 10% late fee. Eric Putnam BCMA Inc. may pursue collection remedies available by law, including a lien when legally available and after required notices and procedures.

Texas sales tax

Eric Putnam BCMA Inc. collects Texas state and applicable local sales and use tax on taxable services and charges as required by law. The Texas state sales-tax rate is 6.25%. Applicable city, county, transit, and special-purpose district taxes may increase the combined rate to as much as 8.25%, depending on the location of the service. The applicable tax rate and amount are separately identified as tax on the estimate and invoice.

Sales tax is not an additional company fee or markup. Amounts collected as tax are remitted to the Texas Comptroller. For a taxable transaction, required tax must be collected from the client or treated as included in the stated price and remitted; it cannot lawfully be ignored. Eric Putnam BCMA Inc. does not increase its service price to hide required tax. Required tax is non-negotiable. We accept valid Texas tax-exemption certificates. The only way Eric Putnam BCMA Inc. will remove tax from an otherwise taxable transaction is after we receive and accept a properly completed, valid Texas Sales and Use Tax Exemption Certification or other exemption documentation legally required for that transaction. Until the required documentation is received and accepted, the tax remains due.

A 2.99% digital payment convenience fee will be added to eligible debit-card, credit-card, and ACH transactions only where permitted by applicable Texas and federal law, card-network rules, and the payment processor's requirements. It is not described or imposed as a credit-card processing surcharge. Texas restricts certain credit-card and debit-card surcharges; see Texas Business and Commerce Code Section 604A.0021. Any required disclosure will be provided before the transaction is completed.

We accept eligible online payments, checks, and cash. Checks and cash will ordinarily be collected by the field crew after the work is completed and must not be mailed. If an arrangement is made on the day the service is completed, a check or cash payment may be scheduled for pickup by another field crew, a consulting arborist, or another authorized representative of Eric Putnam BCMA Inc. The pickup must be scheduled and completed within the same three-day, 72-hour period after completion for the one-time late fee not to apply. This pickup window does not change the payment due date; payment remains due immediately when the applicable work is completed. We do not extend payment terms unless a separate written agreement is approved in advance.

The client account must be paid in full before Eric Putnam BCMA Inc. is required to provide a reassessment, retreatment, replacement planting, corrective work, or other warranty service. Eric Putnam BCMA Inc. may waive this requirement in writing while investigating or remedying the reported issue. A waiver applies only to the identified issue and does not waive the unpaid balance or change any other term.

5. Free Estimates and Paid Consultations

A free estimate is provided when the purpose of the visit is to evaluate potential work and provide pricing for services that may be performed by Eric Putnam BCMA Inc. It is intended for a client who has identified possible General Tree Care, Plant Health Care, planting, structural-support, tree-surveying, tree-cataloging, diagnostic-testing, disease-testing, or other tree-care work and needs a proposed scope and price. A condition of the free estimate is that our estimator has a meaningful opportunity to evaluate the requested work and present our recommended scope and pricing. The estimate is free; the survey, cataloging, sample collection, laboratory testing, diagnosis, interpretation, report, or other service is billable unless the approved estimate states otherwise.



Every consulting arborist who evaluates a property and prepares an estimate for Eric Putnam BCMA Inc. is an ISA Certified Arborist® or holds a higher ISA credential and may hold additional qualifications. ISA credential holders are subject to the ISA Code of Ethics. Our internal Eric Putnam Standard requires the arborist to educate the client, become familiar with relevant landscape conditions, cultural practices, and history, and prepare a detailed written scope.

A free estimate is an abbreviated ground-based evaluation for identified potential work. It uses many of the same observational principles as a Level 2 inspection because the client meets with an ISA Certified Arborist® or higher, but it is not a complete paid Level 2 inspection, written report, testing service, or comprehensive risk assessment unless stated in writing.

A paid consultation applies when the purpose is professional advice, diagnosis, planning, documentation, a second opinion, written recommendations, property guidance, risk discussion, insurance or real-estate input, legal or dispute-related support, or another advisory service without a direct work order attached. Eric Putnam BCMA Inc. determines whether a request qualifies as a free estimate or paid consultation based on the purpose and requested deliverable.

Whether a request appears to qualify as a free estimate or paid consultation will ordinarily be discussed during the initial point of contact, typically with one of our Client Onboarding Specialists. Based on the information the client provides, the specialist will explain the expected classification before scheduling. For example, a request for professional advice about whether tree roots are damaging a foundation is ordinarily a paid consultation rather than a free estimate for proposed tree-care work.

Occasionally, the full depth or advisory nature of a requested visit is not clear from the initial information, and our office may mistakenly schedule the visit as a free estimate. If the consulting arborist arrives, has the initial onsite conversation, and determines that the requested service requires a paid arborist consultation, the arborist will explain the classification and fee before continuing with the paid consultation. The consultation fee applies if the client chooses to proceed. If the client declines at that point, Eric Putnam BCMA Inc. will not charge a consultation fee, cancellation fee, no-show fee, or site-readiness fee solely because the visit was reclassified.

Most paid arborist consultations are Level 2 basic inspections performed from the ground to evaluate overall tree health, visible structure, site conditions, and other reasonably observable conditions. A Level 3 advanced inspection is a separate paid service that may be recommended after a Level 2 inspection or a free estimate. When aerial inspection is included, a qualified tree climber inspects specified upper-canopy areas, such as branch unions, cavities, decay, or suspected topside rot. The estimate or work order controls the inspection scope, methods, access, documentation, and price. Level 2 and Level 3 inspections are one-time observational services and carry no warranty. The complete limitations in the Warranty & Disclaimer apply. Arborists are fallible and may revise a diagnosis or recommendation when treatment response, testing, inspection, or new information shows that a different cause or service is more appropriate. A materially different service may carry an additional approved charge, which Eric Putnam BCMA Inc. may waive in writing at its discretion.

The standard diagnostic arborist consultation fee is $150 unless a different amount, credit, discount, or waiver is confirmed in writing. Eric Putnam BCMA Inc. may credit all or part of a paid consultation to the client account at our discretion, including when the consultation later results in scheduled work.

Arborist reports start at $350 and use a scaling price structure. Complex, high-level, or legal-grade reports supporting major lawsuits, insurance claims, property-damage disputes, municipal matters, or other high-stakes proceedings may be significantly more expensive based on research, exhibits, expert analysis, meetings, and writing time. The written estimate or work order controls the report scope and price.

Residential tree surveying and cataloging are billed at $150 per hour. Commercial clients, contractors, cities, municipalities, governmental entities, and similar organizational clients are billed at $250 per hour unless a different written rate applies. During the associated free estimate, we estimate the total billable hours. Final billable hours may vary by up to 20% above or below the estimate when the written scope has not changed. If the scope changes, revised billable hours must be agreed to in writing before changed work proceeds. Drive time may be billable depending on distance and will be disclosed in writing before charges are incurred.

6. Cancellations, Rescheduling, No-Shows, and Site Readiness

A cancellation must be communicated to our office at least 24 hours before the scheduled appointment or service. A cancellation received less than 24 hours before an estimated appointment or a scheduled Plant Health Care, general tree-care, planting, or other service provided by Eric Putnam BCMA Inc. may be charged a $150 cancellation fee. Eric Putnam BCMA Inc. may waive the fee in writing based on the circumstances.

A request to move an appointment or service to a specific active replacement date is treated as a rescheduling request, not a cancellation, when our office confirms the new date. The $150 cancellation fee does not apply to that confirmed rescheduling. If the client provides timely notice and we cannot reasonably accommodate the requested administrative or scheduling change, that limitation on our side does not create a cancellation fee. A request that does not identify an active replacement date, or for which no new date is confirmed, may be treated as a cancellation. If a $150 fee was charged because no replacement date was identified and a later date is agreed to, the paid fee will be credited to the client account toward the rescheduled service or work approved from the rescheduled estimate. The credit is not a cash refund and applies only to work already approved or later agreed to in writing. Eric Putnam BCMA Inc. may waive the fee or credit limitation in writing at its discretion.

A $150 cancellation or site-readiness fee may also apply when our arborist or crew arrives or dispatches and cannot complete the scheduled appointment or service because the client is unavailable when required, access is not provided, pets or animals are unsecured, required third-party authorization is missing, the work was already completed, another provider is performing the contracted work, or another client-controlled condition prevents the work. This expressly includes a free-estimate appointment because the estimator must have a meaningful opportunity to evaluate the requested work and present our recommended scope and pricing for the appointment to qualify as a free estimate.

The fee helps offset costs committed before and during the appointment, including advertising, search-engine and geographic visibility work, intake and scheduling staff, arborist routing, reserved staff or crew time, equipment preparation, onsite waiting, and the lost opportunity to schedule another client. No more than one $150 local cancellation or site-readiness fee will be assessed for the same failed dispatch. A disclosed travel fee may apply separately.

7. Travel Fees

Travel immediately outside our ordinary service area is usually quoted at $150. More distant travel may be quoted up to $300, and extensive travel may be higher based on distance, travel method, airfare, ground transportation, lodging, and other reasonable costs. Travel fees may apply to consulting arborists and to Plant Health Care crews because our treatment work is specialized and we may travel to perform a premium treatment prescribed by a consulting ISA Certified Arborist® or higher. The applicable fee will be disclosed in writing before the appointment or service is confirmed.



If a chargeable trip has begun or nonrefundable travel costs have been incurred, a later cancellation does not eliminate the disclosed travel fee or those disclosed nonrefundable costs. A local cancellation or site-readiness fee and a disclosed travel fee may both apply when they cover different costs.

8. Communication and Required Notice

To schedule, reschedule, cancel, update access instructions, or request a change to approved services, contact our office at 832-385-1836 or Contact@EricPutnamBCMA.com. Notice must be received within the time required by these Terms. A rescheduling request is effective only when our office confirms the replacement date.

The 24-hour notice period continues to run after business hours, on weekends, and on holidays. Messages sent during those times may not be reviewed immediately, but Eric Putnam BCMA Inc. will make reasonable efforts to accommodate timely notice. If timely notice was provided and we could not make the required adjustment before routing or dispatch, that administrative limitation on our side does not create a cancellation fee. The client should retain the sent message or other written confirmation.

9. Estimate Expiration and Re-Evaluation

Estimates for General Tree Care, diagnostic testing, and other services provided by Eric Putnam BCMA Inc. are valid for four months from the date issued. Estimates for Plant Health Care treatments are valid for six months from the date issued. A service-specific written validity period controls when different.

Trees, plants, soil, pest activity, disease pressure, site conditions, and seasonal timing can change. Storms, drought, freezes, flooding, construction, irrigation changes, pruning by others, or changes in tree condition may affect recommendations, scope, and price. After a major storm or other significant weather event, an estimate or work order may be revised in scope, price, method, equipment, or scheduling when the event materially changes the condition of the tree, property, access, or necessary work. This right to re-evaluate supersedes the four-month or six-month estimate-validity period when a significant weather event materially changes the work.



If an estimate has expired, Eric Putnam BCMA Inc. may, upon the client's request, review or re-evaluate the property before confirming updated pricing, scheduling, or recommendations. We do not automatically return to a property or initiate a new visit solely to renew an expired estimate. A client is not charged again only because an estimate expired. If the requested visit meets the paid-consultation criteria, a consultation fee may apply and will be communicated in advance.

10. Approved Scope, Changes, and Completion

Crews perform only the work written in the approved estimate or work order. Additional work, a change in method, or a change in objective may require a revised price, schedule, crew, equipment, or written approval. A request made directly to field personnel does not change the agreement unless Eric Putnam BCMA Inc. confirms it in writing.

If changing conditions make the approved work unsafe, unlawful, unnecessary, or materially different, Eric Putnam BCMA Inc. may pause, modify, or cancel the affected service and will communicate the reason as soon as reasonably possible. The client remains responsible for approved work completed before a client-requested stop or change.

Some cities, municipalities, homeowners associations, and other authorities require a tree-removal permit, application, report, or supporting documentation. Eric Putnam BCMA Inc. may assist with that process when stated in writing. Paperwork, meetings, document preparation, or agency coordination may carry an additional charge, which we may waive in writing at our discretion. We do not guarantee permit approval or a particular agency decision.



For tree-swing installation, the client supplies the preferred swing. The approved price ordinarily includes selection of the tree, limb, through-bolted galvanized hardware, chain, qualified climbing labor, installation, and attachment of the swing if it is present. If the swing is unavailable, we may leave the chain long for later client adjustment; a return trip solely to shorten the chain is not included unless stated in writing. The complete 20-business-day workmanship and safety limitations are stated in the Warranty and Disclaimer.

11. Warranty, Notice, and Opportunity to Correct

The complete Warranty and Disclaimer is incorporated into the Terms and Conditions. It states the applicable warranty periods for Plant Health Care, planting, manual PHC, general tree care, tree swing, structural support, reporting, disease testing, surveys, and other services, as well as remedies, exclusions, and client responsibilities.

The client must provide timely notice and a reasonable opportunity for Eric Putnam BCMA Inc. to inspect and, when appropriate, correct covered work before another provider changes the tree, site, treatment area, planting, or equipment. Immediate action may be taken when reasonably necessary to protect people or property.

No refund or credit is automatically promised. Eric Putnam BCMA Inc. must receive a reasonable opportunity to inspect and remedy a legitimate issue. If the client remains genuinely dissatisfied, a real arboricultural problem remains unresolved, and we determine no reasonable service remedy is available, we may authorize a full or partial refund or account credit for the affected service at our discretion as described in the Warranty and Disclaimer.

12. Personnel and Subcontractors

Services will be performed by trained employees or thoroughly vetted subcontractors working for or under the direction of Eric Putnam BCMA Inc. We do not knowingly assign specialized work to untrained personnel working independently. Subcontractors are long-standing business partners, affiliated family-operated service companies, or vetted firms whose work we are willing to place under the Eric Putnam BCMA Inc. name. The consulting arborist's detailed written scope and instructions ordinarily provide the direction trained personnel need to complete the work correctly. The applicable warranty provides a defined correction process if covered workmanship does not match that scope.



An ISA Board Certified Master Arborist® or ISA Certified Arborist® is not automatically present throughout every service. Continuous onsite attendance by an ISA Board Certified Master Arborist® or ISA Certified Arborist® must be arranged in advance and may require an additional fee.

13. Insurance and Special Entity Accommodations

Eric Putnam BCMA Inc. maintains business insurance appropriate to its operations. You may request proof of current insurance and a downloadable certificate of liability insurance from our office; these are also available through a dedicated public insurance page on our website.

Municipal, commercial, governmental, institutional, or other entities may require procurement, access, insurance, invoicing, scheduling, or contracting terms that differ from ordinary residential service. Eric Putnam BCMA Inc. may approve a written accommodation for a particular entity or service. An accommodation applies only to the identified written term and does not waive any other provision.

14. Severability and Nonwaiver

Nothing in these Terms is intended to eliminate a right or remedy that cannot lawfully be limited. A provision determined to be unenforceable will be applied only to the maximum extent permitted without affecting the remaining provisions. A waiver must be in writing and applies only to the specific circumstance identified.

15. Acceptance of Terms

By accepting a free estimate appointment, consultation appointment, estimate, or work order, authorizing work in writing, or scheduling service with Eric Putnam BCMA Inc., the client acknowledges and agrees to the Terms and Conditions of Service and the incorporated Warranty & Disclaimer.

Current online policies: Terms and Conditions and Warranty and Disclaimer.

Effective date: 09/24/2026 at 2 pm