Most people with a leaning laurel oak or a split limb over the roof do not know which of the many companies in a search result actually works on their street. The line is a shortcut: you describe the job once, and a company that serves your part of Tampa Bay comes on the phone.
The call, step by step
- Dial (689) 407-5379.An automated assistant picks up at any hour, including nights, weekends and holidays. Nothing to download, no account and no form.
- Say what kind of tree work you need.Taking a tree down, trimming, a stump, a palm, a tree that fell in a storm. Plain words are fine. If there is more than one job, mention all of them.
- Give your name and a callback number.The number matters most: it is how the company reaches you if the transfer does not connect.
- Give your city or ZIP code.Tampa, Brandon, Zephyrhills, Clearwater, wherever the tree is. The line uses it to find a company that works in that part of Hillsborough, Pasco or Pinellas County.
- Describe what the tree is doing.Dead, leaning, cracked at the fork, dropping limbs, rubbing the roof, lying across the fence or the driveway. Say what it could hit: the house, a car, the pool screen, a neighbor's yard, the wire running to your house.
- Your call is transferred.It goes to an independent, locally owned tree service company. That company hears a short summary of what you told the assistant before it picks up, so you do not have to start over.
- If nobody can answer, expect a call back.When the company cannot take the call right then, your details are passed on so it can phone you.
- From there, you deal with the company.It sets up a visit, looks at the tree, recommends the work, gives you its price, does the job if you agree, and bills you directly.
Who does what
Two separate businesses are part of one phone call. Knowing which one handles what saves you time later.
Tree Service Tampa FL, the phone line
- Answers around the clock with an automated assistant
- Asks about the job and where the tree is
- Transfers you to an independent local company
- Passes your details on when a call back is needed
- Never charges you anything
The tree service company
- Visits and looks at the tree
- Recommends the work and names its own price
- Handles any permit it agrees to take care of
- Does the cutting, cleanup and hauling it quoted
- Bills you and answers for its own work
The line does not look at trees, quote prices, book visits or vouch for anyone's work. It owns no equipment, employs no tree workers and holds no license or arborist certification.
What to have ready before you call
None of this is required, but each item helps the company understand the job before it ever sees the tree.
- Where the tree stands.Front yard, back yard, beside the pool cage, along the fence line, on the strip by the street. A tree near the street may belong to the city or county instead of you.
- A rough idea of size.Taller than the house or not, and about how thick the trunk is. In the City of Tampa, removing a tree with a trunk 5 inches across or more (measured 4.5 feet up) generally needs a city permit, so trunk size matters.
- What it is close to.Roof, screen enclosure, driveway, fence, overhead wires, a septic area or a neighbor's property.
- How a truck gets in.A side gate and its width, a back alley, soft ground or a low carport all affect how the work is done.
- Photos.Take a few from the ground, from a safe distance. The company may ask you to text them.
- Who decides.If you rent, or an HOA or a neighbor shares the tree, say so. The owner or the association may need to approve the work.
Questions to ask the company before work starts
Florida does not issue a state license for tree trimming or tree removal, so the paperwork you ask for is your best way to tell a careful company from a risky one. An ABC Action News consumer report in Tampa warns that an uninsured worker hurt on your property can sue you as the homeowner.
| Ask for | Why it matters | How to check it |
|---|---|---|
| A certificate of general liability insurance | Covers damage to your house, cars or a neighbor's property during the job | Ask the insurance agent to send it to you directly, with you named as certificate holder |
| Proof of workers' compensation, or the company's state exemption | Covers the people working on your property if one of them is hurt | Search the company in the Florida Division of Workers' Compensation proof of coverage and exemption databases |
| The arborist's ISA certification number | Shows someone on the job passed the International Society of Arboriculture exam | Look the number up in the ISA credential directory |
| A written scope and price | Settles what is cut, what is hauled, whether the stump is ground and who handles any permit | Compare it line by line with any other quote you get |
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).
What the line does not do
Not part of the line's job
- Inspecting a tree or judging whether it is safe
- Quoting, discounting or setting any price
- Booking a time or sending anyone out
- Pulling permits or dealing with your insurer
- Taking payment or handling complaints about work
What it does
- Answers every call, at any hour, for free
- Takes down the details a company needs
- Connects you with an independent local company
- Passes your details on for a call back if needed
- Tells you plainly that companies may pay it a referral fee
If it is an emergency
A tree on a house or across a road is stressful, but a downed wire is the real danger. Tampa Electric tells customers to assume any downed line is energized and to stay away from it and from anything it touches, such as a branch, a fence, a car or standing water.
- Call 911 firstif a power line is down, a tree is blocking a road, or anyone is hurt or trapped.
- Get people and pets clear.Keep everyone out of the room or yard where the tree landed and away from any wire.
- Report the line to your electric company.The name is on your bill. Tampa Electric serves Hillsborough County and parts of Pasco and Pinellas. Duke Energy Florida serves customers in Pinellas and Pasco, and Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative serves parts of Pasco.
- Photograph the damage from a safe spotfor your insurance company.
- Then call the lineto reach a tree company for the cleanup once the utility has made any wire safe.
| Electric company | Outage and downed line reporting |
|---|---|
| Tampa Electric | 877-588-1010, or text OUT to 27079 |
| Duke Energy Florida | 800-228-8485, or text OUT to 57801 |
| Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative | 352-567-5133, or text OUT to 855-938-3431 |
Tampa Electric trims trees along its pole to pole lines but not along the service line that runs from the pole to your house; keeping that wire clear is the owner's job. Tampa Electric asks customers to call 813-635-1500 two weeks ahead so it can make a service line safe before a tree company trims near it.
Where to go next
Read up before the company arrives: the Tampa tree removal permit guide, who pays when a tree has to come down, and the FAQ. Or see the services and service areas the line covers.
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.