It depends on the tree — its size, what's under it, how close it is to the house, and whether it can be dropped whole or has to come down in sections. A small pine in an open yard and a 70-foot laurel oak over a pool cage are different jobs by a wide margin. Danny looks at the tree in person and gives you a written price the same day. Call and describe the tree and we'll tell you roughly what to expect before he comes out.
Sometimes. The City of Ocala and Marion County each have tree ordinances, and protected species and larger trees can need a permit, especially inside city limits. Danny knows which trees need paperwork and handles it as part of the job. If the tree is dead or hazardous, that usually changes the answer. Tell us where it is and we'll tell you.
Laurel oaks are the tree that fails most often in Marion County. They grow fast, look like live oaks, and start hollowing out from the inside around 40 to 50 years old. If yours has mushrooms or shelf fungus at the base, dead limbs in the crown, a cavity, or a new lean, call. It may still be fine — but that's a tree you want an opinion on before hurricane season, not after.
Cutting the big leaders off an oak doesn't make it safer. It makes a flush of weak, fast growth attached to stubs that decay, and those are the limbs that come down in the first real wind. Proper pruning thins the crown and takes out deadwood while keeping the tree's structure. We don't top trees, and we'll explain why if someone else told you to.
No, and we'll talk you out of it. Stripping a sabal palm to a few upright fronds weakens it, slows its growth and doesn't make it safer in a storm — the fronds you leave are the ones that take the wind. We remove the dead fronds, seed pods and loose boots and leave the green crown alone.
Usually, yes. If we're removing the tree, we grind the stump the same visit unless you'd rather keep it. For stumps from trees somebody else took down, we schedule them in batches around Marion County. We grind below grade so you can sod, plant or fence over the spot. Chips are hauled or left for mulch, your choice.
Call the storm line — it's the same number, and it's answered around the clock. Say "tree on the house" and the call goes straight through. We make it safe first: get the weight off the structure, tarp what needs tarping, clear the driveway. The tidy-up comes after. Take photos before we start if you can, for your insurance.
We'll give you an itemized invoice, photos and a written description of what was done, which is what an adjuster needs. We don't bill insurance directly.
Florida doesn't license tree services the way it licenses contractors, so anyone claiming a "tree license" is stretching it. What matters is insurance: Danny carries general liability and workers' compensation, and you can have the certificate before we start. Ask any tree company for the same.
For estimates, usually within two or three days. For scheduled work, one to two weeks depending on the season. For a tree on a structure or blocking a road, the same day.
Yes, unless you want the wood or the chips. Plenty of people keep the oak for firewood or take the mulch for beds. Tell us on the call.
No. We remove, trim, grind, clear and clean up after storms. If your tree needs a plant-health treatment, Danny will tell you and point you to someone who does that.
Ocala and the rest of Marion County — Belleview, Silver Springs, the Shores, Marion Oaks, Summerfield, Dunnellon, Ocklawaha, Fort McCoy, Anthony, Reddick, McIntosh, Citra, Weirsdale — and the edges of Lady Lake and Williston. See the Service Areas page.
The phone is answered on the first ring, day or night. You describe the tree, give a callback number and the address, and you're either connected to Danny or given a time he'll call you back, usually within the hour. Details on the How Our Phone Works page.