Tree Pruning & Trimming

Single-tree pruning typically runs $250–$1,200 in the Orlando area depending on size and access. A mature live oak with deadwood and structural work usually lands $800–$2,000. Multi-tree property visits are priced as one job — less per tree than individual visits. We quote every job in person, in writing, with no high-pressure upsells.

Late winter through early spring (January–March) is ideal for most species — the tree is dormant, structural defects are visible, and there is time to push new growth before summer. Oaks specifically should be pruned in cooler months to reduce oak wilt risk. Storm-damaged or dead wood should be removed whenever found, regardless of season. Palms follow different rules.

Topping — cutting major branches back to stubs — is the single worst thing you can do to a tree. It permanently disfigures it, opens it to decay, triggers weak structurally-compromised regrowth, and often kills the tree within 5–10 years. ANSI A300 prohibits topping. If a tree is too big for its space, the right answer is reduction pruning or removal — never topping. We have turned down jobs from homeowners who insisted on it.

Healthy mature live oaks in Central Florida typically need structural and deadwood pruning every 3–5 years. Younger oaks (under 15 years) benefit from structural pruning every 1–2 years — establishing a sound branch architecture that won’t fail in a hurricane. Skipping decades of pruning lets weak branch attachments mature into failure points. If you have never had your oaks looked at by an arborist, that is the visit to schedule.

Yes — and this is where most palm work goes wrong. Palms don’t produce wound wood the way hardwoods do; every cut is permanent. Over-pruning (the "hurricane cut" removing every frond above horizontal) starves the palm and shortens its life. We follow UF/IFAS guidelines: take only dead or dying fronds at or below horizontal — typically a fraction of what most landscapers cut.