Tree removal in Haines City and nearby towns
We take down big oaks, dead trees and trees close to the house, and we grind stumps.
Only need limbs cut back? See tree and palm trimming. Need brush or a fallen tree hauled off? See yard cleanup and hauling.
Needs Greg's OK (G14):
What's included
- Taking the tree down
- Cutting it up
- Hauling the wood away, or leaving it cut for firewood, as agreed
- Cleaning up
Your price text lists exactly what's included: haul-away, logs, stump.
For a tree close to the house, the crew works from a towable lift and takes it down in sections. A skid steer moves the big logs.
If not confirmed, launch leaves this out.
Needs Greg's OK (G14):
Before we arrive
- Move cars out of the way.
- Unlock the gate.
- Keep pets inside.
- Flag your sprinkler heads.
If not confirmed, launch leaves this out.
How a removal job goes
- Needs Greg's OK (G1, K10): Call Greg, text him a photo of the whole tree, or send a request. Launch: Call Greg, or send a request.
- Greg gets back to you.
- He gives you a price or comes to look.
- Needs Greg's OK (G14): On the day, the crew takes the tree down and cleans up. Launch: On the day, the crew takes the tree down.
What affects the price
- How tall the tree is and how thick the trunk is
- How close it stands to the house, a fence, a pool cage or power lines
- Whether the job needs a lift or a crane
- Access, including back yards and gate width
- Hauling the wood away or leaving it
- Grinding the stump
We don't post prices, because no two trees or yards are the same.
Stump grinding
A stump grinder cuts the stump down into wood chips. Tell Greg if you want the stump ground when you ask for a price.
Utilities don't mark private sprinkler lines. Tell us where yours run.
Needs Greg's OK (G6):
Do you call 811 before grinding a stump?
Yes. We treat stump grinding as digging under Florida's 811 law. The law covers work "intended to penetrate or disturb the surface of the earth."
The person doing the digging has to notify Sunshine 811 at least 2 full business days ahead. Plan for that wait.
The homeowner exemption covers digging by the owner of a single-family home, or by a utility working for them. It applies "only up to a depth of 10 inches." It doesn't cover a crew you hire.
General information, not legal advice. Check with your city or county before you cut.
Sources: Fla. Stat. 556.102, subsection 6 (what counts as digging); Fla. Stat. 556.105 (notice 2 full business days ahead); Fla. Stat. 556.108 (homeowner exemption); Sunshine 811: private locators
If not confirmed, launch leaves this out.
Stump grinder cutting a stump into chips 
Stump grinding next to a pool cage
Storm-damaged trees
Stay away from downed lines. Call your electric company, or 911 if anyone is in danger.
Tree on a house, car or fence? Call Greg.
Before you hire anyone after a storm, read the Florida Attorney General's advice on storm scams. It says to get written estimates and never pay in full up front.
Needs Greg's OK (G9):
What should I ask any tree company before hiring, especially after a storm?
The Florida Attorney General gives this advice:
- Get written estimates from more than one company.
- Ask whether debris removal is included.
- Ask for references and proof of insurance. Confirm the policy with the insurer.
- Never pay the full amount up front.
- Report scams to the Attorney General at 1-866-9NO-SCAM.
Source: Florida Attorney General: consumer alert after Hurricane Helene
If not confirmed, launch leaves this out.
Tree rules where you live
Do I need a permit to take down a tree?
It depends on where you live.
Needs Greg's OK (K5):
The table below shows the rules we found, town by town.
If not confirmed, launch shows:
Your city or county can tell you what applies at your home.
Fla. Stat. 163.045 limits what a city or the county can require for a tree on residential property. If you have the right documentation, they can't require a notice, permit, fee or replanting.
That documentation comes from an ISA Certified Arborist or a Florida-licensed landscape architect. It is a signed assessment, made on site. It shows the tree "poses an unacceptable risk to persons or property." It also shows that removal is the only practical way to bring the risk below moderate.
The law applies only to a single-family detached home, on a lot actively used as one. Duplexes and townhomes don't qualify.
Needs Greg's OK (G11):
We're not certified arborists, so we can't write that assessment, but we can tell you who to ask.
If not confirmed, launch shows:
We're not ISA Certified Arborists, so we can't write that assessment.
Check your HOA's rules too. State law speaks only to local governments.
General information, not legal advice. Check with your city or county before you cut.
Sources: Fla. Stat. 163.045; Florida tree law guide (fltreelaw.org); City of Tampa: how it reads the tree removal exemption
General information, not legal advice. Check with your city or county before you cut. Rules as of .
Anywhere in Florida
Fla. Stat. 163.045 limits what a city or the county can require for a tree at a single-family home. It applies when an ISA Certified Arborist or a Florida-licensed landscape architect signs an on-site assessment showing an unacceptable risk. Details are in the permit question above. Call before you cut; rules change.
Source: Fla. Stat. 163.045
Needs Greg's OK (K5):
Haines City
Removing naturally growing native trees needs a vegetation removal permit from the Building Department. The chapter is tied mainly to development, so call about a tree at an existing home. Emergencies can get verbal authorization. Dead or dying trees and three named invasive species are exempt from the fee. Call before you cut; rules change.
Sources: Haines City land development regulations, Sec. 10.4.1; Haines City land development regulations, Sec. 10.3.1
If not confirmed, launch shows:
Haines City
Ask the city about a tree at your home. Call before you cut; rules change.
Source: Haines City land development regulations, Sec. 10.4.1
Needs Greg's OK (K5):
Winter Haven
Since September 2024 (Ord. O-24-40), single-family detached homes and duplexes are exempt. So are dead, diseased or fallen trees and listed invasive species. Call before you cut; rules change.
Source: Winter Haven code, Sec. 21-183
If not confirmed, launch shows:
Winter Haven
Ask the city about a tree at your home. Call before you cut; rules change.
Source: Winter Haven code, Sec. 21-183
Needs Greg's OK (K5):
Lakeland
Since September 2024 (Ord. 6053), single-family and two-family lots under one acre are exempt from tree preservation rules. Street trees are still protected. The city posts a permit application for dead, diseased or damaged trees, so check with the city first. Call before you cut; rules change.
Sources: Lakeland land development code, Sec. 4.5; Lakeland urban forest page
If not confirmed, launch shows:
Lakeland
Ask the city about a tree at your home. Call before you cut; rules change.
Needs Greg's OK (K5):
Davenport
The city can order removal of a hazardous dead or diseased tree within 60 days of written notice. Owners must keep 8 feet of clearance over streets and sidewalks. Call before you cut; rules change.
Source: Davenport code, Sec. 6.5-57
If not confirmed, launch shows:
Davenport
Ask the city about a tree at your home. Call before you cut; rules change.
Source: Davenport code, Sec. 6.5-57
Needs Greg's OK (K5):
Unincorporated Polk County
County tree rules apply to new development. For a tree at an existing home, check with the county. Call before you cut; rules change.
Sources: Polk County land development code, Sec. 720; Polk County land development code, Sec. 679
If not confirmed, launch shows:
Unincorporated Polk County
Ask the county about a tree at your home. Call before you cut; rules change.
Lake Hamilton, Dundee, Lake Alfred, Lake Wales, Auburndale, Eagle Lake, Bartow, Kissimmee and Poinciana
We haven't researched the rules in these towns. Kissimmee is in Osceola County, and Poinciana spans Polk and Osceola counties. Ask your city or county. Call before you cut; rules change.
HOAs
State law speaks only to local governments. Check your HOA's rules too. Call before you cut; rules change.
Not sure we work in your town? See where we work.
Removal questions
Needs Greg's OK (G11, G12):
Are you licensed or certified arborists?
Florida has no state license for tree work, and local tree-trimmer licenses ended in July 2025. We're an experienced tree crew, not ISA Certified Arborists.
If you need a formal risk assessment, for example to skip a city permit, hire an ISA Certified Arborist. You can find one in ISA's Find an Arborist directory.
General information, not legal advice. Check with your city or county before you cut.
Sources: Fla. Stat. 163.211; UF/IFAS: Beyond the license (July 2025); ISA: Find an Arborist FAQ (PDF)
If not confirmed, launch shows:
Are you licensed or certified arborists?
Florida has no state license for tree work, and local tree-trimmer licenses ended in July 2025. We're a tree crew, not ISA Certified Arborists.
If you need a formal risk assessment, for example to skip a city permit, hire an ISA Certified Arborist. You can find one in ISA's Find an Arborist directory.
General information, not legal advice. Check with your city or county before you cut.
Sources: Fla. Stat. 163.211; UF/IFAS: Beyond the license (July 2025); ISA: Find an Arborist FAQ (PDF)
What does tree removal cost?
It depends on the tree and the yard. The list under "What affects the price" shows what changes it.
We don't post prices, because no two jobs are the same. Greg gives you a price for your job, or comes to look first.
There's a big nest in the tree. Can you still take it down?
It depends on the nest. Bald eagle nests have their own rules.
FWC, Florida's wildlife agency, recommends a 660-foot buffer around an eagle nest. Since 2017, only a federal permit is needed, not a state one.
Needs Greg's OK (G14):
If it may be an eagle nest, we stop and check FWC's guidance first.
If not confirmed, launch shows:
If you think it may be an eagle nest, tell Greg before the job.
General information, not legal advice. Check with your city or county before you cut.
Sources: FWC: bald eagle questions and answers; FWC: bald eagle management
What customers say
4.8 out of 5 from more than 260 reviews on Thumbtack, checked . On Thumbtack you'll find us under our earlier name, Top Of The Line Tree Service. Read all our reviews on Thumbtack, good and bad.
Recent removal jobs
Needs Greg's OK (G15):
Large oak taken down in sections next to the house If not confirmed, launch leaves this out.
Needs Greg's OK (G15):
Large trunk taken down in a narrow side yard If not confirmed, launch leaves this out.
Large oak taken down beside the street 
Tall tree taken down in sections, with a skid steer for the logs 
Tall tree cut down to the trunk, logs on the ground 
Branches piled for pickup during a tree removal Needs Greg's OK (G15):
Needs Greg's OK (G15): Crane lifting cut limbs out of a large oak Launch: Cut limb lifted out of a large oak If not confirmed, launch leaves this out.
Needs Greg's OK (G15):
Dead tree behind a house taken down from a lift If not confirmed, launch leaves this out.
Needs Greg's OK (G15):
Loader moving a cut oak log after a removal If not confirmed, launch leaves this out.