Insurance, paperwork and paying for tree work

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 pool cage is the company's insurance. Crews working through Cape Coral 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, especially the week after a storm. The ISA Certified Arborist credential our staff holds is a professional certification, not a state license, and it's what qualifies the risk 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, the pool cage and a fence if they're 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 ramp. What they don't cover: removing a standing tree, dead or alive, because it might fall; preventive pruning; stump grinding; a tree that fell into the canal; 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 $375,000 Cape Coral house is $7,500 to $18,750 — 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. Never sign an assignment of benefits in the driveway. 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 pine or Australian pine 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 row of Australian pines, a whole-lot clearing — 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, a city or a permit reviewer 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 letter is a small flat fee, credited toward any work we do. We write them only when the tree meets the standard.