Tree Removal in North Lauderdale, FL

Tree Removal in North Lauderdale is mostly about trees planted during one decade. Before the city incorporated in 1963, its land was pasture and farmland, including the Anderson Dairy Farm and the Lena Lyons Stringbean Farm. The Osias Organization, led by Colonel Nathan Rood, bought most of it in the late 1960s, and a building boom of about ten years through the 1970s brought in many single-family homes. The population went from 1,213 in 1970 to 18,653 in 1980.

50-year-old trees, 50-year-old houses

Those 1970s yards were planted all at once, and the trees have now had about 50 years to grow. That's long enough for a shade tree to be wider than the house, for roots to reach the slab, driveway and sewer lateral, and for internal decay to start where old limbs were cut badly. Many of the removals we do here are trees that the homeowner inherited with the house and that were too close to it from the start.

A designer city

Architect Morris Lapidus, best known for Miami Beach hotels, laid out North Lauderdale and called it a rare chance to work with a blank slate. His plan includes the amoeba-shaped Boulevard of Champions and whimsical "beacons" around the city. It's a compact place, about 4.6 square miles, with 44,794 residents and 14,920 housing units at the 2020 census. Lots are small, so almost every removal is done in sections.

Storm exposure

After Hurricane Wilma in October 2005, an aerial survey found that about 70% of homes and businesses in North Lauderdale and five nearby cities had some degree of damage. The city sits about 10 feet above sea level and has a tropical rainforest climate bordering on tropical monsoon, with frequent summer downpours. Heavy, mature crowns on 1970s-planted trees are the ones most likely to break in the next big storm.

What North Lauderdale homeowners ask for

• Removing oversized trees over roofs and carports
• Taking out trees whose roots are cracking driveways and plumbing
• Removing palms leaning over pools and fences
• Storm cleanup and hazardous limb removal
• Stump and surface-root grinding before new sod or pavers

A smarter replacement

When the old tree comes out, think about the next one. FPL recommends medium trees, which top out between 14 and 49 feet, be planted at least 30 feet from power lines, and large trees of 50 feet or more at least 50 feet away. Small trees under 14 feet can go right next to the lines. On North Lauderdale's compact lots, that usually points to a small or medium native planted well away from the house, rather than another large shade tree that will cause the same problems in 2075.

Permits

Check with the city before removing a tree. If the tree is a hazard on a single-family lot, Florida Statute 163.045 lets the owner skip the local permit, fee and replanting requirement with a signed risk assessment from an ISA-certified arborist or Florida-licensed landscape architect. Call (954) 314-3415 or send the form for a free estimate. Get a free estimate