Insurance, paperwork and paying for tree work
What our insurance covers and why it matters more than a license in Florida, what your homeowners policy pays when a tree falls, and how people pay for a removal they didn't plan on.
Our insurance — and why there's no license
Florida does not license tree services at the state level. There is no exam, no registration and no bond requirement for a tree company — which means the only thing standing between you and a lawsuit when a climber falls or a limb goes through the neighbor's roof is the company's insurance. Crews working through Lakeland Tree Co. carry general liability and workers' compensation, and the certificate of insurance is available before anyone climbs; call the agent named on it if you want to be sure. Insist on the same from anyone else who quotes you. The ISA Certified Arborist credential our staff holds is a professional certification, not a state license, and it's what qualifies the hazard-tree letters we write under F.S. 163.045.
Your homeowners insurance
A standard Florida homeowners policy covers damage a falling tree does to covered structures — the house, the garage, a fence if it's on the policy — and the cost of removing the tree from that structure, as part of the loss. Most policies also pay a small amount, typically $500 to $1,000, to remove a tree that fell without hitting anything if it blocks a driveway or a handicap ramp. What they don't cover: removing a standing tree, dead or alive, because it might fall; preventive pruning; stump grinding; or a tree that fell and hit nothing and isn't blocking anything. Hurricane claims carry the separate hurricane deductible, usually 2% to 5% of the dwelling coverage, which on a $350,000 house is $7,000 to $17,500 — so a single tree on a roof may or may not clear it.
After a storm: photograph everything before anyone cuts, keep the emergency-removal invoice separate (it's mitigation), and file the claim yourself. We provide dated photos and itemized invoices; we don't negotiate claims, and in Florida only a licensed public adjuster can do that for you. If a neighbor's tree falls on your house, your policy generally pays and the neighbor's isn't involved unless they'd been notified the tree was dangerous — which is one reason to put a concern about a neighbor's dead tree in writing.
Paying for it
Most residential jobs are paid on completion by card, check or bank transfer — no deposit until the written price is approved and the work is scheduled. Emergency work after a storm carries a surcharge stated before the crew is dispatched. For a big removal you didn't plan on — a crane job, a whole-lot cleanup — we can connect you with third-party financing offering fixed monthly payments, applied for online in a few minutes with no effect on your credit to check the rate; we don't lend money ourselves and we don't mark up the financing.
Reports and letters
When a lender, a buyer, an HOA, a carrier or a city wants a written opinion on a tree — risk, condition, whether it should be removed — our arborist writes it, with photos. A formal tree risk assessment or an F.S. 163.045 hazard-tree letter is a small flat fee, credited toward any work we do. We write them only when the tree meets the standard.