Hot take: I used to think topping trees was fine until I saw the aftermath up close
Honestly, I was that guy who thought cutting a tree down to a stump was no big deal. Last summer, I took a job trimming a big oak in a backyard near Austin, and the owner insisted on topping it. I did it, and six months later, the whole thing rotted from the inside out. The bark peeled off, and I had to take it down completely for $400 less than I charged. Ngl, that moment convinced me to never top a tree again. Has anyone else had a job go bad from following a client's bad idea?