I have a 30 year old maple tree that needs to be trimmed/pruned. Called a couple of people for estimates and they don't agree on the type first off. One says red the other says silver. Second they don't agree on the best time to prune. One says fall and winter the other says all year. Finally they disagree about the roots. There are a lot of small roots above ground surrounding the main trunk. One says they have to go or they will cut off the main trunk. The other says nothing to worry about. How do I know who to believe. Where do I find the information to figure this out? There is a big difference in price so I need to know which one knows what he is talking about.

I have several red maples on my property, it doesn't matter what type of maple it is, and I prune whenever I see a branch that is not conforming to my garden structure. Maple trees are extremely hardy and take any amount of pruning, any time of year. Just prune it

Thanks for the information. But what about the roots? Do they need to be pruned also or is it safe to leave them alone?

Unfortunately maple tree roots eventually reach the surface and I don't think they should be touched. If you plant maple trees you should have been aware of this situation. No don't prune any roots.

To help Identify:
About a third of the page down has the red and silver drawings:
http://www.maple-trees.com/pages/maple-tree-identification.php
Also:

About Maple Trees (http://www.aboutmapletrees.com/)