Frequently Asked Questions

Often, yes. On a developed single-family lot the city requires a tree removal permit for trees with a trunk diameter of eight inches or more and for coconut, royal and date palms with eight feet or more of trunk. Some invasive species, including Australian pine, Brazilian pepper and melaleuca, need no permit. If a tree has been documented as an unacceptable risk by an ISA Certified Arborist or a licensed landscape architect, Florida law says no city permit is required.

National cost guides put most residential removals between about $200 and $2,000, with an average around $750 to $850. Palms usually cost less than hardwoods of the same height; Angi's 2026 figures average about $525 for a palm. Over a pool cage, a roof or a seawall, the price goes up because pieces have to be lowered. Your written estimate after the site visit is the price.

No. The City of Fort Lauderdale does not require a permit to prune a tree, but pruning has to follow national pruning standards. Flat-cutting the top off a tree, called hatracking, is defined in the city's tree code as tree abuse.

Florida Power & Light. FPL says only specially trained line-clearing crews should work near its lines, and that everyone else should stay at least 10 feet from neighborhood lines. Call FPL at 1-800-226-3545 or report it at FPL.com/trees, and we can work on the rest of the tree once the line is clear.

If the spear leaf has collapsed, the bud is usually dead and the palm will not recover. In Broward County, lethal bronzing is a common cause; UF/IFAS says infected palms should be removed promptly because there is no cure once symptoms appear. Nearby palms of the same type can be tested and protected with preventive injections.

Small amounts, yes. Fort Lauderdale collects yard waste weekly, and limbs can be up to 12 feet long and 12 inches thick. Bigger piles go out with monthly bulk pickup, limited to 10 cubic yards, and the city does not take stumps. Debris from a hired tree company is normally hauled away by that company, and our quotes say so in writing.

We work across central Broward, including Plantation, Davie, Lauderhill and Tamarac as well as Fort Lauderdale itself. Call or send the form with your address and we will tell you whether it falls inside our area before setting up the estimate.

It depends on the tree. In Fort Lauderdale, trees with a trunk diameter under eight inches on a developed single-family lot usually do not need a permit, and invasive species like Australian pine, Brazilian pepper and melaleuca are exempt. Larger trees usually need one, unless the tree is documented as an unacceptable risk under Florida Statute 163.045.

When a removal goes through the city permit process, Fort Lauderdale generally requires equivalent replacement or a payment into its Tree Canopy Trust Fund. Removals made under state law based on an unacceptable-risk assessment cannot be required to be replanted.

Most single-tree removals on a home lot take a day or less once work starts. Large trees over pool enclosures or roofs take longer because every piece is lowered. A permit, if one is needed, adds time before work can begin.

Only if the quote says so. We list stump grinding as its own line so you can choose. If the removal is under a city permit, note that the city expects the stump ground below grade.

Only the owner of a tree can authorize its removal. You can usually have branches cut back to the property line on your side, but cutting so much that the tree is harmed can cause problems. Talk with your neighbor first; we can quote the work for whoever owns the tree.

Watch for coconuts or dates falling early, dead flower stalks, and fronds turning color from the oldest at the bottom toward the top. The final sign is the spear leaf in the center turning brown and collapsing. A sample can be lab-tested to confirm it; UF/IFAS describes the process.

Not once symptoms appear. UF/IFAS says the labeled antibiotic dose is not enough to reverse the disease, so a symptomatic palm is considered lost. Injections are used to protect healthy palms nearby.

For a coconut, royal or date palm with eight feet or more of trunk on a developed single-family lot, the city generally requires one. Pygmy date palms and many other palms are not covered by that rule. If an arborist documents the palm as an unacceptable risk, state law removes the permit requirement.

A palm stump does not resprout, but it rots slowly and leaves a hard, fibrous lump that is difficult to mow or plant around. Grinding it out lets you replant, lay sod or extend pavers over the spot.

Planting another palm of a susceptible species in the same spot puts it in the same risk. Many homeowners pick a different species, or a tree such as a live oak or gumbo limbo, which UF/IFAS ranks high for wind resistance.

If a tree on a single-family property is documented by an ISA Certified Arborist or a licensed landscape architect as an unacceptable risk, Florida Statute 163.045 says the city cannot require a permit, fee or replacement. For trees that are already down, photographs of the damage are the first step; check with the city's building services before removing a standing tree that is merely damaged.

Often, when the tree damaged a covered structure such as the house or a fence, up to a per-tree limit set in your policy. A tree that fell in the yard without hitting anything is frequently not covered. Call your insurer and take photos before cleanup starts.

After a major storm, watch for the city's announcements about debris pickup. For normal bulk pickup in Fort Lauderdale, piles are limited to 10 cubic yards, no piece over 12 feet long, and stumps are not accepted.

Insurance questions depend on the policies involved, so both owners should call their insurers. The removal itself can be quoted to either owner; we just need to know who is approving the work.

Look for dead branches in the crown, mushrooms or conks at the base, cracks in the trunk, cavities, and a lean that is new or getting worse. Then look at what is under it. A weak tree over the house, the driveway or the pool is a bigger concern than one in an open corner.

Under Florida Statute 163.045, yes, if the property is a single-family home and you have a signed on-site assessment from an ISA Certified Arborist or a Florida licensed landscape architect showing the tree is an unacceptable risk. The city also cannot require you to replant.

Often a little, because dead wood is brittle and has to be lowered more carefully. HomeGuide notes that dead trees often cost more to remove because of the added safety risk. Removing it before it gets more brittle helps.

Yes, if you can. The Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30. Scheduling hazard removals in winter or spring avoids the rush and the risk of the tree failing first.

People use the words interchangeably. Pruning usually means selective cuts for the tree's health and structure; trimming often means cutting back for clearance or appearance. Done properly, both follow the same standards.

Removing dead, weak and overextended limbs and reducing heavy ends before June is worthwhile, and UF/IFAS research supports pruning for wind resistance. Stripping out most of the inner canopy is not; it can make limbs more likely to break.

Only as often as dead fronds, seed stalks or coconuts build up, which is often once or twice a year for coconut palms. Green fronds feed the palm and should generally stay.

Branches near FPL lines are trimmed by FPL's line-clearing crews. Request it at FPL.com/trees or 1-800-226-3545. We trim the parts of the tree that are well clear of the lines.

Usually several inches below the soil surface, which is deep enough for sod or a new planting bed. If you plan to plant a new tree in the same spot, tell us so the grinding can go deeper and wider.

When a tree is removed under a Fort Lauderdale tree permit, the city's permit guide says the stump must be ground below grade. Outside a permit, it is your choice.

Yes, but replace the wood chips with soil first, since chips settle and tie up nutrients as they decay. Many homeowners plant slightly to one side of the old stump to avoid leftover roots.

No. Fort Lauderdale's bulk trash rules exclude tree stumps and any tree section over 12 feet long, so stumps have to be ground out or hauled away privately.