This is the outline for removing a a large tree (60-80ft) from your property. There is alot of "divergence" out there, so, shop around or cross your fingers. I tried to do an exhaustive search. A lack of internet enabled data from the State and sloppy/contradictory data when there is some doesn't help. You are kind of at the whim of Yelp, Google, etc. There doesn't seem to be anywhere to find out if they really do have (active) insurance (other than calling their provider and I never did and don't know if they would release that info) and Sunbiz.gov is a mess to find out if they are licensed. Most didn't seem to be. Many had similar names. Bob Vila said the cost should be $200-$760. Average of $400. The internet said $3-$10 a foot or $5 average. 60ft-100ft = $200-$1000. My tree had three "prongs". Not sure if that changes things. Those prices seem unattainable in CF. I was willing to forgo stump grinding and haul away. It's probably best that I had those done.
The Search - I began with Google and searched for tree removal companies in my town. I compiled a list (that I mostly began ignore because of the issues cited above). I noted their locations and phone numbers and if they had reviews. I also gathered info from ads I had accumulated or had been mailed to me and cards placed in my door. I will list all the competitors at the end. I ended up (initially) choosing some guy who confronted me while I was cleaning my yard. That fell through. Read below to see their villainy. The second choice was the very very last number I had on my list. Not sure how I got it. I was going to go with the company that helped remove a part of another tree after Helene, but, they wouldn't schedule me for within three weeks at the earliest. and I was spooked at scheduling bs after I signed a contract thanks to company one. The company I went with scheduled me for the next day. You also have to find out how they are going to do it. Climb. With or without spikes (if pruning). Small Crane. Truck sized crane. Combo. Bobcat. Haul away included? Protections for the home. Ropes. Stump Grinding? Workman's Comp?
The Estimates - This was the easy part. They all showed up the next day. Oral, paper and interactive internet based. Most quotes were without stump grind.
Deangelos Land Services - $600 and they would remove some excess debris. They charged my neighbor $2000!
J&J's Lawn Tree - $800. $200 removal. $200 stump. $500 trim.
Your Tree Services - $2000. $100 stump.
Classy Oak - $900-$1000
At Your Service - $1600. $200 stump.
True Outdoors - $900 all in.
Decision - I went with True Outdoors. They matched prices and seemed legit. 150 5 stars on Google. Claimed to have insurance and workman's comp. I didn't verify. The owner suggested he would be onsite (ended up doing the work). Said I could call his insurance co. He seemed to be clean cut and trustworthy. And most importantly, he gave me little time to hem and haw. He surprised me when he said he would meet my price and could do it the next day. Said he had a crane. How could I say no? I signed his estimate/contract on his tablet on the spot. Received a text and email confirmation.
Service Day - They texted the next day at about eleven am. Said they were on their way. A half hour later, four guys showed up. The owner said he didn't want to use the crane (access issues) and would do the cutting himself. I was ambivalent. I didn't want any long cuts to scrape or hit the roof (or my neighbors) because they couldn't shimmy up far enough. But, I didn't want my (or my neighbors) lawn torn up either by a crane. Long story short. He got to cutting. It took about two hours. Only one minor dent in a gutter drain. I could have lived without the bobcat going on to my lawn so many times to pick up debris. They had a guy with a leaf blower on the roof. They cleaned the yard. I ended up paying $60 to remove excess debris from Helene. They emailed me a bill. I paid online. 3% cc fee. The only possible issue was that the guy grinding the stump found plastic pipe debris. He may have hit the sewer line. I had an issue with a back up in my shower three days after this. I called the owner and he said he would stop by. It has been a week and he hasn't. Keep tabs for an update.
Warning - Here is what happened (or didn't) with Deangelos Land Services. They scheduled me and didn't show. They gave me this price ostensibly because they were doing my neighbors as well. I guess they flaked on her too. I will interject at this point that with hindsight I believe they do the higher paying jobs first. We re-scheduled for a week later. That day the boss (Lex Kovacs) came and said he needed bigger machinery (True Outdoors would disagree). Could we do it the next day? Then it rained. Could we reschedule? "Thank you for being patient with us, we'll get this done". I waited a week and then thought I would get a reasonable due date. FYI the statements in quotation marks are from our (and his sales guy Anthony Siler) text thread. "Welcome back. We will be there asap". I asked if he could be more specific. "I can't, this job is complex and pricing is also too low to plan a day around. So I have to fit it in when I have some softness in my schedule and I am in your area. Your job was quoted to be done on the same day we were across the street. Which is why it is more than 50% off its regular price. If this is urgent, and you don't want to wait for us, I can give you a few other tree companies that I trust. They could get the work done sooner that are a little less busy than we are". He then sent a few links. I texted that we had a written contract and that I hadn't created this problem. I waited a few days. He ghosted me. I texted the Sales Guy to see if they had canceled the contract so that if I found someone else they wouldn't come after me for the money. "Unfortunately we will be canceling our contract with you due to not be able to get the proper equipment to do the job safely. If you insist on taking action, feel free to do what you need to do and I will have our attorneys respond promptly". "You and I know that you have no grounds to take action because in our terms and condition it clearly states that we can cancel the contract at any time for any reason". I then wrote that that would defeat the purpose of an agreement if one side wasn't bound and that since they supplied the contract it would be read against the drafter. He then ghosted me too. I texted that I was trying to keep them from making a poor business decision. Recall that they missed the date they had assigned for me and the neighbor. Then others. Then promised "asap" weeks later. Then immediately backed off that when pressed. Said it was a matter of dollars and cents not availability. Then tried to wiggle out/extend the waiting period without canceling. Then unilaterally broke the agreement.
In the end I will likely not take them to small claims court to teach them a lesson. I believe I (and you) could get the difference between what we bargained for and the additional cost of a replacement as an award/damages. Maybe lost time and punitive damages. A real suit for specific performance is less likely or advisable. However, I am going to hit every ratings service (BBB, Chamber of Commerce, Google, Yelp, Angie's, etc) that I can find. And we have this website and my big mouth. So all in all, I think it will end up costing them more than the difference in whomever they ripped off in place of me.
Conclusion - If you don't shop around you will get ripped off. Don't look like a sucker. Have a low estimate ready to bargain with. Verify as much as you can. Make sure what kind of equipment they have access to (some of them said they would have to rent it). Ask how long it will take and when it will happen and what will happen if it doesn't. I guess you can ask about all the terms in their contract (I assume they will think it gives them all the leverage). And pray nothing bad happens. Because it is a big enough pain in the ass to begin with. I would be there for the cut. Take pics and/or video before and after.
List of Companies (with info) -
J&J Lawn & Tree: 407-774-2076. Longwood. Lic seems inactive.
Tree Doctors America: Orlando. Lic active. Listed as Daytona Beach.
Amazon Tree Care: Apopka. Lic active.
Sunstate Tree: Sanford. Lic inactive.
Angel Oak Arbor Care: S Daytona. Lic inactive.
Higher Standards Tree Care: Daytona Beach. Lic active.
Jean Pierre Tree Service: No lic info. I think this was a business card.
Ben Muriel Landscape & Tree Service: Maitland. Lic inactive.
Legend's Tree Experts: 386-320-9291. No lic info.
A Budgets: 407-327-2520. Winter Springs. Lic active. 3/5 Stars.
Seminole Pro: 407-431-1484. Sanford. Lic active. 5/5 Stars.
JB Tree Care: 407-450-1424. Geneva. Lic inactive.
Core Tree Service. 386-282-3023.
McCullough: 407-734-5854.
Word of Mouth: 407-862-9779. Altamonte.
Classy Oak: 386-500-8105. Daytona.
At Your Service: 321-303-0315. Apopka.
Elite Tree Care: 386-436-0177.
Your Tree Services: 321-303-1677. Deland. Didn't have proper equipment.
Gregg's: 407-866-8022.
True Outdoors: 386-956-1883. 150/150 5 Stars on Google. 2/3 5 Stars on Yelp.
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