We are the ones you ring when the other mob said no.
SOS'S Tree Services has been working Perth trees since 2008. Family run, properly qualified, and stubborn about doing the job the right way even when the shortcut would be easier.
How it started
SOS'S began in 2008 with one truck, one chipper and a phone that rang at odd hours. The name came from the work nobody else wanted: the callouts after a front came through, the tree that had already fallen, the job three other companies had walked away from. That is still where a good part of our week goes.
Since then it has grown to multiple crews across the Perth metro, but the operating principle has not changed. If a tree can be saved, we would rather save it. If it has to come down, it comes down properly, under control, without collateral damage to the pool, the pergola or the neighbour's colorbond.
The best seat on any job site
Every so often a trunk is too good to just cut into rounds and cart away. This one became an armchair, carved out of the butt with a chainsaw on the spot. Drag the handle to see the before and after.
What we are actually qualified to do
Arboriculture in WA is not a licensed trade, which means anyone with a chainsaw and a ute can print business cards. That is why qualifications matter and why we list ours plainly, along with what we do not do.
- Certificate III in Arboriculture held by our climbing team, covering climbing, rigging, aerial rescue and tree assessment. This is the qualification that governs the practical work: what gets climbed, cut, rigged and dropped.
- Elevated Work Platform tickets, chainsaw competencies, traffic management, working at heights and current first aid across the crew.
- Arboriculture Australia membership and all pruning work carried out to AS 4373-2007.
One thing we are straight about: where a council, a court or a development application requires a formal report from a consulting arborist, that is a separate qualification to ours and we will tell you so rather than pretending otherwise. We can assess the tree, document it properly with photos and recommendations, and point you to a consulting arborist for the formal report.
Insurance, in plain terms
We carry $20 million public liability, full workers compensation and professional indemnity cover. Here is why that matters more than it sounds: if an uninsured contractor drops a limb through your roof, or one of their people is injured on your property, that can become your problem. Ask every arborist you contact for their certificate of currency. If they hesitate, you have your answer.
The gear, because it changes what is possible
We own our equipment rather than hiring it job by job, which is why we can quote work other companies pass on. Professional rigging systems, narrow-access stump grinders that fit a 900mm side gate, elevated work platforms, crane access when a tree has no drop zone, and enough chipper capacity that green waste never sits on your lawn overnight.
Where we work
The full Perth metropolitan area, from Yanchep in the north to Mandurah in the south, west to the coast and east through the hills to Mundaring and Roleystone. No call-out fees and no travel surcharges. See the full list of suburbs.
Who we work for
Mostly Perth homeowners. Also a steady list of strata managers, property managers, schools, builders, developers and local councils who need the paperwork right as much as they need the tree gone. If you are managing a portfolio, a scheduled annual program is almost always cheaper than reactive callouts, and we are happy to price one.
Six things we will not budge on.
We will not top a tree
Even when asked, even when it costs us the job. Topping creates a bigger hazard three years later and we are not interested in that kind of repeat business.
Fixed prices, in writing
Never hourly. An hourly rate rewards a slow day, and you should not be carrying that risk.
We turn up when we said
If we are running late you get a call, not silence. It is a low bar and half the industry still trips over it.
Removal is the last option
If a reduction or a crown lift solves the problem, that is what we will quote, even though it is the smaller invoice.
The site gets left clean
Raked, blown down and walked through with you. Mulch stays if you want it for the garden.
Paperwork done properly
Certificates, SWMS, council applications and insurance documentation ready before you have to chase them.
About us, in detail.
Who actually turns up on the day?
Our own crew, in our own trucks. We do not subcontract residential work out to whoever is free, which is why the person who quoted your job is usually the person running it.
What qualifications does the team hold?
Certificate III in Arboriculture across the climbing team, which covers climbing, rigging, aerial rescue and tree assessment. Everyone holds current first aid, EWP tickets where relevant, chainsaw competencies and traffic management tickets.
Are you members of any industry bodies?
Yes, we are members of Arboriculture Australia and all pruning work is carried out to Australian Standard AS 4373-2007 Pruning of Amenity Trees. We also work to AS 4970 for tree protection on development sites.
Can I see your insurance certificates?
Always. $20 million public liability, workers compensation and professional indemnity. Ask and they are in your inbox the same day, along with SWMS and JSAs if your strata or site requires them.
Have a look at the tree yourself, then ring us.
Free assessment anywhere in the Perth metro. We will tell you what it needs, what it costs, and whether it can wait.