Tree Service in Winter Park, FL

Winter Park takes its trees seriously, and good Tree Service in Winter Park starts with that fact. The city's urban forestry division counts more than 75,000 trees on public and private land inside a city of under nine square miles of land, and over 25,000 of them stand in city rights-of-way. In Olde Winter Park the brick streets run under live oaks and camphor trees hung with Spanish moss. Most of what we do here is careful, permitted work on big trees that are close to old houses.

Permits are still part of the job

Winter Park requires a permit to remove protected trees on single-family lots, except where Florida Statute 163.045 overrides it (that is the state rule for trees an ISA-certified arborist or licensed landscape architect documents as a danger). The city has said it is reviewing its residential permit program under Ordinance No. 3374-26, but that no changes are in effect yet. The residential permit fee listed by the city is $35. Work on a tree in the right-of-way or on city property needs city authorization no matter what, so we confirm where the property line sits before we price anything.

Replacement and the tree trust fund

When a permit calls for mitigation, Winter Park takes either new trees or a deposit to its tree trust fund. Replacement trees must be Florida No. 1 grade and at least 3 inches in caliper, and each extra caliper inch planted cuts the deposit by $110. Miss the 30-day replanting window and the city bills for the inches owed plus a $150 administrative fee. We can plan a removal and a replanting together so the timing works.

Why old oaks here need a closer look

When Hurricane Charley crossed Central Florida in August 2004, Winter Park had many large old oaks that had never faced winds that strong. Falling trees tore down power lines and smashed cars, and some roots lifted underground water and sewer lines as they came up. That history is a good reason to check old oaks for decay at the root flare and for heavy, end-weighted limbs before hurricane season, not after.

Lakes, canals and soft spots

The Winter Park Chain of Lakes is tied together by canals first dug for flood control and for floating logs to a sawmill on what is now Lake Virginia. Lakefront yards often have high water tables and trees leaning toward the light over the water. The city is also known for a 1981 sinkhole, a reminder that the limestone under Central Florida is porous. On lakeside jobs we plan where the cut wood lands and where equipment can sit without rutting a soft lawn.

Typical Winter Park jobs

1. Reduction pruning on live oaks over slate, tile and older shingle roofs 2. Removal of camphor trees, a non-native species, where owners want room for native replacements 3. Clearance pruning along brick drives and narrow side yards where trucks cannot fit 4. Hazard assessments before a sale or a renovation 5. Stump grinding after permitted removals so replacement trees can go in on time

Getting started

Call (407) 641-4203 or send the form. We visit, note which trees are likely regulated, and give you a written quote that separates the tree work from any permit or replanting steps. Get a free estimate