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Red brick street under arching moss-draped oaks, two-story frame homes with porches

Tampa Bay Tree Service Questions, Answered

Short, sourced answers to what Tampa Bay homeowners ask most about the free line, hiring a tree company, permits, storms and getting rid of the debris.

Call (689) 407-5379 How the free line works

The six questions above come up most often. The sections below answer more of them in a little more depth, with links to the guide or service page that covers each topic fully.

About the free line

Is anyone listening at 2 a.m.? An automated assistant answers (689) 407-5379 every hour of every day. It asks what kind of tree work you need, then takes your name, a callback number, your city or ZIP and a description of the tree, and transfers you to an independent, locally owned company. That company hears a short summary before it picks up. If it cannot answer, it gets your details to call you back. The how it works page goes through each step.

Is the line a tree company? No. It has no crews or equipment, holds no license or arborist certification, and never quotes or books work. The about page explains who runs it and how it is paid.

Homeowner on a lawn under a big oak in front of a one-story home

Hiring a tree company in Tampa Bay

Florida does not issue a state license for tree trimming or tree removal, so the checks below are up to you.

Ask for

  • A certificate of general liability insurance from the agent
  • Proof of workers' compensation, or a state exemption
  • The arborist's ISA certification number
  • A written scope: what is cut, hauled and ground
  • Who is pulling any permit the job needs

Be careful with

  • Someone who knocks on the door after a storm
  • A price given only out loud
  • Pressure to pay the whole bill before the work
  • Anyone who will not show insurance papers
  • A quote that never says who hauls the debris

Better Business Bureau tips published by ABC Action News in Tampa advise against hiring the person who knocks on your door, suggest getting at least three written quotes, and stress verifying the company's liability and workers' compensation insurance, since an uninsured worker hurt on your property can sue you.

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).

Permits and the rules on trees

Who issues tree permits around Tampa Bay? It depends on where the tree stands. Inside the City of Tampa it is the city; in unincorporated areas it is Hillsborough, Pasco or Pinellas County; and cities such as St. Petersburg, Clearwater and Zephyrhills run their own tree permits. The Tampa tree removal permit guide sorts out which applies to you.

What does Florida law say about a risky tree at my house? Section 163.045 of the Florida Statutes says a local government may not require a permit, fee or replanting to prune, trim or remove a tree on a single-family residential lot when the owner has documentation from an ISA certified arborist or a Florida licensed landscape architect that the tree poses an unacceptable risk to people or property. The City of Tampa asks owners using that exemption to give the city the documentation.

The tree is on the strip by the street. Is it mine? It may belong to the city or county. The free tree removal guide covers right-of-way trees, the East Tampa tree trimming program and who to call.

Cost

How much does tree removal or trimming cost in Tampa? The line does not set or know any company's price. The tree removal cost guide and the tree trimming cost guide quote published ranges, including Tampa figures from Angi, name their source and explain what pushes a Tampa Bay quote up or down: height, trunk size, a tree over a roof or a pool screen, access for a truck, and whether stump grinding and hauling are included. Real quotes vary.

Cut branches and logs piled at the curb

Storms, power lines and debris

A tree is on a line

Call 911 if a line is down or anyone is hurt, stay away from the wire and anything touching it, then report it: Tampa Electric 877-588-1010, Duke Energy Florida 800-228-8485, or Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative 352-567-5133.

Limbs near your service wire

Tampa Electric trims along its pole to pole lines but not the service line to your house, which the owner keeps clear. It asks for a call to 813-635-1500 two weeks before trimming so it can make that wire safe.

Branches at the curb

City of Tampa yard waste pickup takes up to 4 cubic yards, limbs in 4 foot lengths and no piece over 50 pounds. Companies must haul away the waste they create; curbside pickup is for what residents cut themselves.

Services and places

What kinds of tree work can I call about? Anything to do with trees on your property: taking a tree down, trimming, storm cleanup, stumps and palms. Start with tree removal or tree trimming, or browse all services.

Does the line cover my town? It takes calls from Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties. There are pages for Tampa, South Tampa and Zephyrhills, and the service areas page lists the rest.

What does the line not handle? Lawn care, landscaping, irrigation, pest control, fences, roofs, pools and firewood are outside its scope.

Tree Removal Cost in Tampa

Published tree removal price ranges, what moves a Tampa Bay quote up or down, and what a removal should include.

Tree Trimming Cost in Tampa

What tree and palm trimming usually costs according to published guides, and how to compare quotes fairly.

Tampa Tree Removal Permit Guide

When the City of Tampa, Hillsborough, Pasco or Pinellas County wants a permit, and what Florida law says about risky trees on residential lots.

How Often to Trim Trees in Tampa

Trimming cycles for oaks, pines and palms in the Tampa Bay climate, and the best time of year to schedule the work.

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.

Common questions

Is the tree service line free to call?

Yes. Calling costs nothing and the line never bills you. The independent company you are put through to sets its own price for any work and is paid by you directly. Companies may pay the line a referral fee. How the line works.

Who will actually come out to look at my tree?

An independent, locally owned tree service company that serves your part of Hillsborough, Pasco or Pinellas County. The line is not a tree company and sends no one itself; it transfers your call, and the company arranges any visit with you.

How do I know if a tree company is insured?

Ask for a certificate of general liability insurance sent straight from the company's insurance agent, and ask for proof of workers' compensation or the company's state exemption. You can search both in the Florida Division of Workers' Compensation proof of coverage and exemption databases.

Do I need a permit to cut down a tree in Tampa?

Inside City of Tampa limits, removing a tree with a trunk 5 inches or more in diameter (measured 4.5 feet above the ground) generally needs a city permit, invasive species excepted. Trees 32 inches and up are Grand Trees with extra review. A Florida law lets single-family homeowners skip the permit when a certified arborist documents an unacceptable risk. Details are in the permit guide.

Does homeowners insurance pay to remove a fallen tree in Florida?

Often, when the tree damaged insured property. The Insurance Information Institute says that when a tree hits your house or another insured structure, the policy covers the damage no matter whose tree it was, and pays to remove the tree up to a limit, generally about $500 to $1,000. Removal is usually not covered when the tree fell without damaging anything covered. Check your own policy. More in who pays for tree removal.

When is the best time to trim trees in Tampa?

Well before the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs June 1 to November 30 and peaks around September 10. Waiting for a storm watch means competing with everyone else and leaves cut limbs at the curb as the wind arrives. See how often to trim trees.

Still have a question about your tree?

Describe it on the call. The company you are put through to can look at the tree and answer questions about its own work and price.

Call (689) 407-5379

  • Answered 24/7An automated assistant picks up day or night, weekends and holidays.
  • Free to callYou never pay the line. Any price comes from the tree company.
  • Ask for proofBefore work starts, ask the company for its certificate of insurance and its arborist credentials.
  • You stay in chargeThe company looks at the job and quotes first. You decide whether to go ahead.