Dale Whitaker
Owner · ISA Certified Arborist
Started climbing at 19 on his uncle's crew; bought his first bucket truck in 1998. Still writes and signs every estimate.
About Stone Fence
Three Generations in the Canopy
Since 1998 · family-run · the dog rides in the chip truck
Dale Whitaker started climbing at 19 on his uncle’s crew, the summer he was supposed to be deciding on college. He got his ISA certification instead, bought a tired bucket truck in 1998, and named the company after the dry-laid limestone fences that line the lanes he grew up on.
Today his son Cody runs the technical climbs, his nephew Reese owns the fastest ropes in the family, and Birdie — a heeler mix of strong opinions — supervises from the chip truck. Dale still writes and signs every estimate himself.
The ice storms are the family scrapbook. In 2003 and again in 2009, the crew worked three weeks straight, street by street through Ashland Park and Chevy Chase, cutting driveways open and getting limbs off roofs. Ask Dale about it and he’ll tell you which houses still wave.
Who shows up
Meet the Crew
Cody Whitaker
Crew Leader & Climber
Dale's oldest. Does the technical rigging over roofs — the picks you hold your breath for.
Reese Whitaker
Climber
The nephew. Fastest ropes in the family, to his uncle's public irritation.
Marlon Briggs
Crane & Equipment Operator
Twenty years on cranes. Puts a 4,000-lb trunk section on a trailer like he's setting down a coffee cup.
LaDonna Pruitt
Office Manager
Answers the phone, runs the schedule, and sends the insurance certificate before you finish asking.
On paper
Credentials You Can Check
- ISA Certified Arborist on staff — certification number on every estimate.
- Fully insured — general liability and workers’ compensation. The certificate lands in your inbox before the estimate does.
- TCIA member company — safety training on a calendar, not a whim.
- Free written estimates — signed by the owner, honored as written.
On safety: this is dangerous work done by people who plan it like it’s dangerous. Ropes inspected weekly, saws maintained in-house, drop zones walked before the first cut, and nobody — nobody — climbs tired. That’s how a family crew stays a family.
Talk to Dale about your trees
We answer 7:30–5 weekdays — and most estimates come back the same day.