Tree Removal, Palm Trimming and Storm Prep in West Palm Beach
In Palm Beach County a tree is a hurricane question first and a landscaping question second. Weak trees get thinned or taken down in the dry season, palms get cleaned without a hurricane cut, and the written estimate names whether West Palm Beach, another city or the county sets the permit rule for your lot.
Out of West Palm Beach, from Tequesta down to Boca Raton and west to Loxahatchee. Monday to Saturday, 7am to 7pm.
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Palms, oaks and storm work around West Palm Beach
Tree Trimming
Proper pruning for health, storm resistance and clearance from roofs, lines and neighbors.
Tree Removal
Dead, dangerous, diseased or in the way. Removed safely, with the permit handled when one is required.
Palm Trimming
Dead fronds, seed pods and boots removed the right way. Sabals, queens, royals, coconuts and more.
Stump Grinding
Stumps ground below grade so you can sod, plant or pave over them. Any size, tight access included.
Hurricane Prep & Storm Cleanup
Canopies thinned and hazards removed before the season. Debris cleared and damage handled after.
Emergency Service
A tree on the house, a split trunk hanging over the yard, or a blocked driveway. Call now.
Land & Lot Clearing
Overgrown lots, invasive species, fence lines and building sites cleared and hauled.
Arborist & Tree Health
Is the tree dying or just stressed? Diagnosis, treatment, risk assessment and reports.
Hurricanes, palms and permit lines in Palm Beach County
Frances and Jeanne came ashore just north of the county three weeks apart in September 2004, Jeanne leaving about 591,000 FPL customers in Palm Beach County without power, and Wilma in October 2005 put sustained hurricane-force winds and gusts to 101 mph over West Palm Beach, knocked out power to more than nine in ten FPL customers in the county and left 7.7 million cubic yards of debris. Every one of them took down the same kinds of trees.
UF/IFAS measured South Florida trees after the 2004 hurricanes and ranks live oak, gumbo limbo and the sabal palm among the most wind resistant, weeping banyan, Australian pine, melaleuca and the queen palm among the least, with laurel oak, black olive and slash pine in between. Most trim and removal plans in Palm Beach County start from that list. In practice that means the work before June is thinning or taking down what sits at the bottom of that list, and getting the deadwood out of what sits at the top.
Palms are most of the calendar
Most palms in Palm Beach County need dead fronds, seed stalks and coconuts taken off once or twice a year, usually in spring before hurricane season and again in the fall. Royal palms drop their own old fronds about once a month and seldom need a visit. A palm cleaned the right way runs $75 to $200, and the green fronds stay on. The palm trimming page has the UF/IFAS rules the crew cuts to.
The permit depends on which side of a city line you live on
Tree permit rules change at every city line in Palm Beach County: unincorporated county lets an existing single-family home remove trees without a permit as long as the lot keeps its minimum required landscaping, Boynton Beach exempts platted single-family lots unless the tree is a specimen or part of a PUD plan, and West Palm Beach wants a tree alteration permit for most removals on developed lots. State law lets the owner of a single-family home remove any tree an ISA certified arborist or licensed landscape architect documents as an unacceptable risk. We confirm which rule covers your lot before the estimate.
Limbs near the lines
FPL trims only limbs that threaten its own lines, and says trees within 10 feet of a power line are the owner's job to have trimmed by a qualified line clearance trimmer. Those limbs go to line clearance qualified climbers, and a tree touching or sparking on a line goes to FPL first at 1-800-468-8243, or to the city utility in Lake Worth Beach. Do not pull on a limb that is resting on a wire, and do not let a handyman with a pole saw try it either.
When a storm has already been through, the curb pile has rules of its own in West Palm Beach. They are on the storm cleanup page, and the estimate says who hauls. Call (561) 454-8006.
Areas we serve around West Palm Beach
The tree rules change at most city limits in Palm Beach County, and unincorporated land follows the county's. Pick your town.
Frequently asked questions
When should I get my trees ready for hurricane season?
Hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30 and peaks around September 10. Prep work should be done before June: once a watch or warning is issued, West Palm Beach asks residents to stop trimming and keep debris off the curb, and the Solid Waste Authority warns that once a storm threatens it is too late to trim.
Should I get a hurricane cut on my palms?
No. The sabal palm is Florida's state tree and one of the most wind resistant palms in the UF/IFAS hurricane studies, royal and coconut palms sit in the middle, and the queen palm ranks last. UF/IFAS says never to take live green fronds or cut above the 9 o'clock to 3 o'clock line, and that a hurricane cut leaves a palm less able to stand up to wind, not more. Royal palms drop their own old fronds and rarely need pruning at all.
When is an arborist worth paying for before the crew?
When the call is close: a big tree you would rather keep, a palm that might be sick, or a removal the city might not allow. In Palm Beach County the common mistakes are keeping a laurel oak or black olive that has lost its structure and removing a stressed live oak that would have recovered. Lethal bronzing in a palm is confirmed with a test through the county Extension office, not guessed at, and on a single-family home a signed risk assessment from an ISA certified arborist or Florida licensed landscape architect is what state law accepts instead of a local removal permit. The visit runs $125 to $200.
What does tree work cost in Palm Beach County?
A trim runs $250 to $900 a tree and a removal $500 to $2,500. Big trees over a roof, or anything that needs a crane, run $2,500 to $6,000+. Palms are $75 to $200 each and a stump is $100 to $350. The estimate is free and written down.
Does a tree service need a license in Florida?
Florida has no state license for tree services, and Palm Beach County does not list tree work among its certified trades, so the credential to ask for is ISA certified arborist and the real question is insurance. The crew carries general liability and workers' compensation coverage, the certificate comes with the estimate, and gated communities across the county will not let a vendor through without one.
If a tree is on the house or across the driveway, call (561) 454-8006 now. Pruning and palm work get booked into the dry season, before June.