Tree Service in Orlando, FL

Tree service in Orlando starts with the weather. The city averages about 51 inches of rain a year, most of it from June through September, and during the hot months strong afternoon thunderstorms roll through almost daily with gusty winds and lightning. Hurricane season sits on top of that. Orlando is about 42 miles from the Atlantic and 77 miles from the Gulf, so storms usually weaken before they arrive, but not always: in August 2004, Hurricane Charley passed directly over Orlando and gusts of up to 106 mph were recorded at Orlando International Airport. Irma in 2017, Ian in 2022 and Milton in 2024 each brought their own round of fallen limbs and uprooted trees. Nearly every job we do comes back to the same question: will this tree stand up to the next big wind, and if not, what is the safest way to fix that?

Which trees hold up and which do not

After studying trees through ten hurricanes, University of Florida researchers grouped common species by wind resistance. Live oak, sand live oak, southern magnolia, bald cypress, crape myrtle and cabbage palm landed in the highest group. Laurel oak, water oak and sand pine landed in the lowest for the Southeastern Coastal Plain, and queen palm rated poorly in South Florida. That lines up with what Orlando homeowners see after storms. Laurel oaks are a particular concern: UF/IFAS gives them a life span of about 50 to 70 years, says the trunk tends to hollow as the tree nears 50, and notes that a small wound can lead to decay columns more than 10 feet long. Many neighborhoods built in the middle of the last century were planted with laurel oaks that are now reaching that age.

Pines can fail months after a storm

Pines rarely look hurt the day after a hurricane. UF/IFAS reports that three months after Charley, 27% of the standing slash pines and 48% of the standing longleaf pines in the areas studied had died, and that pines can decline over six months to two years from hidden bending and root damage. If a tall pine in your yard rode out a storm and has since started browning from the top, or the soil has cracked on one side, get it looked at before the next season.

Sand, limestone and a high water table

Orlando sits on flat, sandy ground over porous limestone, with hundreds of lakes in the region and low, wet areas between them. Sandy soil drains fast in spring and turns soft after a week of summer rain, which is when shallow-rooted trees tip. Root damage from trenching, pool construction or a new driveway can take years to show in the canopy. When we look at a tree, we look at the ground around it as closely as the branches.

City trees, private trees and permits

Inside city limits, the City of Orlando issues tree removal permits so that only unhealthy, dead, hazardous or problematic trees come out. For residential property, the city's permit page lists a $25 application fee, says a permit is not required when the owner has a report from an ISA TRAQ-qualified arborist or a Florida-licensed landscape architect confirming the tree is dangerous, and requires any replacement trees named in a permit to be planted within 60 days. Trees in the public right-of-way that threaten roads or sidewalks are trimmed or removed by the city, and trees in power lines go to OUC. We confirm which rules apply to your address before quoting.

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What a visit covers

• Species, age and condition of each tree, with special attention to laurel oaks, water oaks and pines
• What sits under the canopy: roof, pool cage, lanai, fence, driveway and the neighbor's side
• Overhead lines and whether OUC or another utility needs to be involved
• Whether the property is inside City of Orlando limits and a permit may apply
• Access for climbers, a lift or a crane, and where a chipper can park
• Palm fronds, seed pods and dead wood that could become debris in a storm
• What happens to logs, chips and stumps, and the written price for each tree

Orlando is the center of our service area, from the brick streets and old oaks of College Park, Thornton Park and the Lake Eola neighborhoods to newer communities on the east and south sides of the city. From there we work across Orange County and into neighboring areas: Winter Park and Maitland to the north, Winter Garden, Ocoee and Windermere to the west, Apopka to the northwest, Belle Isle and Edgewood to the south, and communities toward Oviedo and Kissimmee. The storm risk is much the same everywhere. What changes is who regulates tree removal: each city has its own rules, and unincorporated Orange County has others, so the area pages cover what we know about each place.