Tree removal in Brandon, Florida, is governed by Hillsborough County, because Brandon has no city government of its own. Most of the work is ordinary: a dead pine, a laurel oak gone hollow, a camphor crowding the fence. The part homeowners trip over is the paperwork, and the cleanup afterward. This page covers both.
Tree Service Tampa FL does not cut down trees. It is a free phone line. Dial (689) 407-5379, give the automated assistant your Brandon address and what the tree is doing, and you are transferred to an independent, locally owned tree service company that handles removals in east Hillsborough. That company inspects the tree, prices the removal and is paid directly by you.
The county permit path for a Brandon removal
On a lot with a house on it, follow these steps in order. Your tree company can do most of them for you.
- Measure the trunkMeasure the diameter 4.5 feet above the ground. At 12 inches or more, a permit is generally required; the county's Residential Tree Removal Guide helps confirm it.
- Check for an exceptionA dead tree may be exempt; the county's Residential Tree Removal Guide says which trees are. A tree an ISA certified arborist documents as an unacceptable risk falls under Florida Statute 163.045, and the county cannot demand a permit or fee for it.
- Draw the site planA plan to scale showing property lines, buildings and existing trees, with the ones to go marked with an X. Photos are optional but the county strongly recommends them.
- Apply on HillsGovHubThe online portal is the only way in. If the company applies for you, sign the authorized agent consent form.
- Pay and waitThe listed fee is $81.65 for any number of trees on up to 5 acres. County staff inspect the tree unless a certified arborist's affidavit is attached; with one, the county says it issues the result in five days.
Building a pool, garage, carport or shed? The tree can go on that building application instead of a separate one.
When the tree is a Grand Oak
Hillsborough County protects its largest oaks. A tree in the oak genus with a trunk of at least 34 inches, in good condition or better and scoring at least 175 points on the county's rating system, counts as a Grand Oak. It must be kept unless removal is authorized.
If one is approved for removal, the county asks for replacement trees on a sliding scale: one to one for trunks from 34 to under 48 inches, one and a half to one from 48 to under 60, and two to one at 60 inches and above. Violations can bring a penalty and an order to make up the lost trees. A company quoting a very large oak in Brandon should raise this before you do.
Signs a Brandon tree has reached the end
Removal is a last step, and a good company will say so when pruning would do. These are the conditions that usually tip the decision toward taking the tree out:
| What you see | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Fungus or a hollow at the base of an old laurel oak | UF/IFAS notes laurel oaks often rot inside from about 50 years of age and do not wall off decay well |
| A pine with a brown top | Whether the whole tree is dying or only the top decides between pruning and removal |
| A new lean after a storm, with soil heaved on one side | The roots may have moved, so have it inspected before the next storm |
| A camphor or Chinese tallow along a fence line | Both are listed as invasive in Florida |
| Roots lifting a slab, pool deck or driveway | The county issues permits for trees causing damage that cannot be fixed another way |
If you have repair receipts for damage the tree already caused, keep them. The county says they help verify the damage in a permit review.
After a storm drops a tree
A tree on the roof is an emergency, and the first calls are about safety, not cutting. Keep everyone out of the damaged part of the house. If a wire is involved, call 911 and then Tampa Electric at 877-588-1010, and stay at least 30 feet away. Photograph the tree and the damage from a safe spot before anything is moved; your insurer will want the pictures.
Insurance often pays for removal only when the fallen tree hit something the policy covers. Florida's Department of Financial Services says that in those cases most policies cover tree and debris removal, up to a limit, whoever owned the tree, while a tree that lands on open lawn usually is not covered. Its consumer helpline is 1-877-693-5236. A Florida permit exemption applies here too: if a certified arborist documents the tree as an unacceptable risk, the county cannot require a permit to remove it.
Where the wood goes
One mature oak can fill a driveway with logs and brush. Hillsborough County's curbside service is sized for routine yard waste, and the county does not let a tree trimming business dump a customer's debris on the resident's account; the business pays its own disposal fees. In practice, that means hauling should be part of the deal. A quote that does not mention it may leave you with a pile you cannot easily get rid of.
Ask about the stump too. Many companies price stump grinding separately, and a stump near a slab or fence is easier to deal with in the same visit. The stump grinding page explains what is involved, and the main tree removal page covers methods such as sectional takedowns and cranes.
If a limb over the house is near the service drop from the pole, Tampa Electric can disconnect that line for the work when you call 813-635-1500 about two weeks ahead. The lines running pole to pole are the utility's to clear.
Questions to ask before you sign
- Is this tree over 12 inches, is it a Grand Oak, and who files the permit?
- Does the price include the county fee, hauling, chipping and the stump?
- Does my HOA need to approve this first, and will you wait for that letter?
- How will you protect the roof, pool cage and fence while the tree comes down?
- Can you send a certificate of insurance from your agent before the work date?
Check the company yourself. Florida has no statewide license for tree trimming or tree removal, so a truck and a business card prove very little. Ask the company for a certificate of general liability insurance sent by its insurance agent, proof of workers' compensation coverage, and the ISA certification number of its arborist. A company that sprays or treats trees for hire needs a pesticide license from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. You can confirm an ISA certification with the ISA's credential lookup (opens in a new tab).
Describe the Brandon tree when you call: how tall, how close to the house, and whether it is dead, leaning or already down. The company you are connected with quotes after it sees the tree.
For the wider picture of tree work in this community, including history, neighborhoods and yard waste limits, see the Brandon tree service page.
How the free line works for a Brandon removal
- Call any hourAn automated assistant answers (689) 407-5379 and asks what kind of tree work you need.
- Describe the jobGive your name, a callback number, your city or ZIP and what the tree is doing, including anything on a roof, a car or a line.
- Get put throughThe call goes to an independent, locally owned tree service company, which hears a short summary before it picks up.
- Deal with them directlyThat company looks at the tree, quotes, does the work and is paid by you. If it cannot answer, it gets your details to call back.
How this line works: Tree Service Tampa FL is a free phone line, not a tree service company. It does not trim, remove, quote or schedule tree work and holds no license or arborist certification. Calls are transferred to independent, locally owned tree service companies in the Tampa Bay area. Those companies may pay Tree Service Tampa FL a referral fee. You never pay the line. How it works.