Storm damage tree removal in Florida

Many Florida cities and counties normally require a permit to remove larger trees. Florida Statute 163.045 creates an exception for residential property, defined as a single-family detached home actively used as a residence. If the owner has documentation from an ISA-certified arborist or a Florida licensed landscape architect that a tree poses an unacceptable risk to persons or property, the local government may not require a notice, application, approval, permit, fee or mitigation for pruning, trimming or removing it, and may not require a replacement tree.

The documentation has to be an onsite assessment done under the ISA's Tree Risk Assessment Best Management Practices and signed by the arborist or landscape architect. "Unacceptable risk" means removal is the only practical way to reduce the tree's risk below moderate. The law doesn't cover condos, townhome associations or commercial property, and it doesn't override HOA covenants; check those separately.

University of Florida IFAS researchers rated common urban trees for wind resistance using damage surveys after hurricanes. Live oak, sand live oak and sabal (cabbage) palm are among the most wind-resistant; sand pine rated poorly. Within any species, the trees that fail are usually those with decay, codominant stems with included bark, roots cut by construction, or crowns left dense or lopsided.

That's why a storm-damage visit should look past the obvious. A live oak that lost a limb may be fine with a clean pruning cut; a pine that is now leaning with lifted soil, or a laurel oak with a crack at a main fork, is a removal candidate before the next storm.

After declared storms, Florida counties and cities usually run separate curbside collection for storm vegetation, often with FEMA reimbursement. It only covers debris you place at the curb, separated from construction debris, and kept clear of hydrants, meters, mailboxes and storm drains. Cutting a tree off your house and moving it to the curb is still a private job.

Ask your tree crew for two prices: cut and stack at the curb, and cut and haul. When county pickup is running, the first is usually cheaper. Check your county's storm-debris announcements for dates before you agree.

Florida homeowners policies generally cover removing a tree that damaged an insured structure, often with a dollar cap per tree or per loss, and many policies carry a separate hurricane deductible, frequently a percentage of the dwelling coverage. A tree that fell in the yard without hitting anything is commonly not covered.

Ask the tree company for an itemized invoice that separates removal from the structure, hauling, and any stump work. That lets an adjuster match each line to the policy. Read who pays when a tree falls for neighbor-tree situations.

Out-of-state crews arrive within days of a major Florida hurricane. Most are legitimate; some aren't. Ask for a written quote, a certificate of insurance sent directly from the insurer, and a local address and phone number. Avoid anyone who wants full payment up front, pressures you to sign an assignment of your insurance benefits at the door, or can't say where the debris will go.

If you need the arborist documentation for the 163.045 exemption, ask the company whether an ISA-certified arborist on staff will do the assessment, or hire one separately. The hiring guide has a full checklist.

The best time to reduce storm risk is late winter and spring, well before June 1. Have dead limbs removed, dense crowns thinned to the ANSI A300 standard, and trees with decay, lean or cracks assessed. Don't top trees or strip palms with a "hurricane cut"; both make them weaker. Remove coconuts and fully brown fronds from palms near the house.

The hurricane season guide covers what to cut and what to leave.