Tallahassee Tree MatchFree matching service · not a tree company

How to choose a tree service in Tallahassee (and what “licensed” really means here)

Short answer: before anyone climbs your tree, check three things. First, proof of liability insurance and workers’ compensation, or a valid exemption, which you can look up yourself. Second, an ISA-certified arborist if the question is whether a tree is dangerous. Third, a written, itemized quote. Don’t lean on the word “licensed”: Florida has no state license specifically for tree trimming or removal, and the City of Tallahassee doesn’t issue business licenses at all.

Tallahassee Tree Match is a free matching service, not a tree company. This page is general information, not legal advice. Run these checks on any company you hire, including the one we match you with.

Do tree services need a license in Florida?

No state tree-trimming or tree-removal license

The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) keeps a list of the services that need a DBPR license. Tree trimming and tree removal are not on it. Landscape architecture is, and DBPR lists landscape design and lawn maintenance as work that does not need its license. If you are unsure whether a particular job needs a license, DBPR’s number is (850) 487-1395, the same number Florida’s Department of Financial Services (DFS) gives for checking a contractor. (DBPR: services requiring a DBPR license; Florida DFS disaster FAQs)

Tallahassee doesn’t require or issue business licenses

The City’s own business page says: “The City of Tallahassee does not require or issue Business/Occupational licenses. However, County, State or Federal Agencies may require a license.” So if a company tells you it is “licensed by the City,” ask what it means, because the City doesn’t issue that license. (City of Tallahassee: Start a Business)

What a real business should still be able to show

Insurance: the check that actually protects you

DFS tells Floridians to verify the general liability and workers’ compensation coverage of any contractor they hire to work on their property. (Florida DFS: Assignment of Benefits)

General liability

This pays if a limb goes through your roof, your neighbor’s fence or a car. Ask for a certificate of insurance sent to you by the company’s insurance agent, not a photo or a printout handed over by the crew. Check that the named insured matches the company on your quote and that the policy dates cover the day of the work. If anything doesn’t match, call the agent listed on the certificate.

Workers’ compensation

Tree work is dangerous, and if an uninsured worker is hurt on your property, it can turn into your problem. Florida law requires workers’ comp for private employers with four or more employees, and in the construction industry for employers with one or more. Some business owners can file an officer exemption for themselves, which covers that person only. It doesn’t cover anyone else on the crew. We don’t make a ruling on how a given tree business is classified. The point is simply to ask, and then look it up. (Fla. Stat. 440.02)

How to look it up yourself

  1. Search the company in the Division of Workers’ Compensation Proof of Coverage database.
  2. If they say they’re exempt, search the owner’s name in the exemption search and ask who else will be on site.
  3. Keep a copy of the liability certificate with your quote.

ISA-certified arborist or a general tree crew?

An ISA-certified arborist has passed the International Society of Arboriculture’s exam. Plenty of good crews can take down a tree you have already decided to remove. You want a certified arborist when the question is whether a tree is a danger, for example a big live oak or pine leaning toward the house, cracks or decay, or roots lifted after a storm.

It also matters for permits. Under Fla. Stat. 163.045, a local government can’t require a permit to remove a tree on residential property if you have documentation that the tree poses an unacceptable risk. That documentation must come from an onsite assessment done to the ISA tree risk assessment standard, signed by an ISA-certified arborist or a Florida-licensed landscape architect. Verify an ISA certification or look up a landscape architect’s license before you rely on it. Our Tallahassee tree permit guide explains how this works with the City and County rules. (Fla. Stat. 163.045)

What a good written quote includes

An itemized quote also helps with an insurance claim, because the adjuster can match each part to your coverage. See when insurance pays for tree removal.

Red flags

10 questions to ask before you hire

  1. What is your business’s legal name, so I can look it up?
  2. Can your insurance agent email me a certificate of general liability insurance?
  3. Do you carry workers’ comp? If you’re exempt, who else will be on my property?
  4. Will an ISA-certified arborist look at the tree? What is their certification number?
  5. How will the tree come down, and what equipment will you bring?
  6. Is stump grinding included, and how deep?
  7. Do you haul everything away, including logs and chips?
  8. Does this tree need a permit, and who is getting it?
  9. When can you start, and how long will it take?
  10. What are the payment terms, and will you put them in writing?

How many quotes, and how to compare them

Prices for the same tree can vary a lot, because access, rigging, how close it is to the house and power lines, stump grinding and haul-away all change the work. Compare quotes line by line, not just the total, and make sure each one covers the same work. Our Tallahassee tree removal cost guide has typical ranges and what drives them.

How our matching works

You tell us about the job, and we share your request with one independent local tree service, which contacts you to quote. We don’t do tree work, and we don’t employ the pros we refer. That is why you should still run the checks on this page before you hire anyone. More on how matching works.

Questions

Do tree services need a license in Florida?

Florida’s Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) publishes a list of services that need a DBPR license, and tree trimming or tree removal is not on it. Landscape architecture is. So a “license” is not the thing to check first. Check insurance, workers’ compensation coverage, and an ISA certification when you need a risk call. If you are unsure whether a job needs a license, DBPR takes calls at (850) 487-1395.

Does Tallahassee require tree companies to have a business license?

No. The City of Tallahassee says it does not require or issue business or occupational licenses, although county, state or federal agencies may require one for some kinds of work. A company saying it is “city licensed” tells you little.

What insurance should a tree company have?

General liability insurance, which pays if the crew damages your home or your neighbor’s, and workers’ compensation for its workers unless the business is legitimately exempt. Florida’s Department of Financial Services tells homeowners to verify both for any contractor they hire. Ask the company’s insurance agent to send you the certificate directly, and check the company name and the dates.

How do I check a tree company’s workers’ comp coverage?

Use the Florida Division of Workers’ Compensation Proof of Coverage search, which is free and online. If the company says it is exempt, look the owner up in the Division’s exemption search. Florida law requires coverage for private employers with four or more employees, and for construction-industry employers with one or more.

Do I need an ISA-certified arborist?

For a simple removal of a tree you have already decided to take down, not always. You do want one to judge whether a tree is a risk, and Florida law (s. 163.045) says the hazard-tree documentation that lets you skip a local permit must be signed by an ISA-certified arborist or a Florida-licensed landscape architect. You can verify an ISA certification online.

How much deposit is reasonable for tree work?

There is no set rule, so agree on payment terms in writing before work starts and avoid large cash payments up front, especially to someone who came to your door after a storm. Never sign over your insurance benefits to get the work done. For residential policies issued on or after January 1, 2023, Florida law makes that kind of assignment void.

Who gets the tree permit, me or the tree service?

It depends on the job, so write it into the quote. At a single-family home inside city limits, trees over 36 inches in diameter at breast height, and some protected trees, need a permit, and the City and Leon County applications ask for a notarized affidavit signed by the property owner, so you will be involved either way. Our permit guide has the details.

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