Insurance, tree damage and financing
What a Florida homeowners policy pays when a tree falls, what it never pays for, how we document a storm claim, and how to finance the removals that insurance won't touch.
Our insurance
Florida doesn't license tree companies, so the certificate of insurance is the only paper that protects you. Our crews carry general liability — for the house, the cage, the neighbor's fence — and workers' compensation, for the climber. We send the certificate before you sign, and we'd tell you to ask every other bidder for the same two lines. A company with liability but no workers' comp is a company whose injured worker can claim against your homeowners policy.
What your homeowners policy pays
Standard Florida policies cover trees the way they cover wind: if a tree falls on a covered structure — the house, the pool cage, a shed, a fence — the policy pays to remove the tree from the structure and repair the damage, minus your deductible (which for a named hurricane is usually a percentage of the dwelling coverage, often 2% or more), and most policies add a small allowance, a few hundred dollars, toward hauling the tree away. A tree that falls in the yard and hits nothing is generally not covered. A tree that falls on your car is a comprehensive auto claim. And removing a standing tree — even a dangerous one, even one your arborist says will fall — is maintenance and is never covered.
That last rule is the whole argument for hurricane prep: a hazard tree removed in May costs a few hundred to a few thousand dollars; the same tree on the roof in September costs a hurricane deductible and a claim on your record.
How we document a storm claim
Dated photos before, during and after; the emergency work (getting the tree off the structure, tarping) invoiced separately from the removal and cleanup so the adjuster can apply each; a short written description of what fell, from where, onto what; and, where the carrier asks, the arborist's note on the tree's condition. We don't offer coverage opinions and we don't negotiate with your carrier — we give you paperwork that's easy to approve.
Financing
For the work insurance won't pay for — a hazard oak, a crane removal, a lot clearing, a whole-property hurricane prep — we offer financing through a third-party consumer lender: 12-month same-as-cash plans (no interest if paid in full within the promotional period) and longer fixed-rate plans of up to 10 years for larger jobs. Applications take a few minutes online, decisions are usually immediate, and approval is subject to credit. The lender's terms, rates and disclosures are provided at application; we don't set them and we don't add to them.
Paying without financing
Most residential jobs are paid on completion; crane jobs and clearings take a deposit for the equipment when scheduled. Check, card, ACH or cash. No deposit until you've approved the written price and we've scheduled the work.