The 6 Best Tree Services in Orlando, FL (2026)
We analyzed every established tree company serving Orange and Seminole counties — comparing verified Google review scores, review volume, services, and emergency availability — to rank the crews Orlando homeowners trust most.
Published by Tree Services Marketing — the marketing team behind some of the fastest-growing tree companies in Florida.
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Orlando tree services compared
| # | Company | Google rating | Reviews | Best for | Service area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Tree Doctors of America |
★★★★½ 4.9 |
245 |
Best overall |
Orlando metro |
|
2 |
McCullough Tree Service |
★★★★½ 4.8 |
258 |
Best for honest assessments |
Orlando & Seminole County |
|
3 |
Top Notch Arbor Care |
★★★★½ 4.8 |
229 |
Best for crane removals |
Greater Orlando |
|
4 |
Central Florida Arborcare |
★★★★½ 4.8 |
166 |
Best for storm emergencies |
West Orange County |
|
5 |
J Trimming Tree Service |
★★★★★ 5.0 |
164 |
Best for palms and trimming |
South Orlando |
|
6 |
All Southern Outdoor |
★★★★½ 4.9 |
129 |
Best for tight-access removals |
Seminole County |
1
Tree Doctors of America
Services
Tree removal, oak trimming, palm removal, debris clearing, grading, commercial lot work
Service area
Orlando metro
Hours
Mon–Fri 8:00 AM–6:00 PM, Sat 8:00 AM–4:00 PM
Standout
Quotes match final invoices — “no surprises” comes up repeatedly in reviews
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2
McCullough Tree Service
Services
Tree removal, trimming, stump grinding, palm and crepe myrtle care, storm cleanup
Service area
Orlando and Seminole County
Hours
Mon–Fri 7:00 AM–6:00 PM, Sat 8:00 AM–12:00 PM, Sun 10:00 AM–4:00 PM
Standout
Open seven days a week, including Sunday afternoons
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Own a tree company in Orlando? Every business on this list has 125+ Google reviews. That is not luck — it is a system running in the background of each of these companies. We build that system for tree services across Florida.
3
Top Notch Arbor Care
Services
Crane-assisted removal, large oak removal, structural trimming, stump grinding, tree relocation
Service area
Greater Orlando
Hours
Open 24 hours
Standout
Owns its crane rather than renting, which shortens scheduling on complex removals
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4
Central Florida Arborcare
Services
Emergency and storm removal, hazard assessment, lot clearing, palm removal, arborist estimates
Service area
West Orange County and Orlando
Hours
Mon–Fri 9:00 AM–5:00 PM, with emergency callouts
Standout
Plans removals to avoid crane costs where possible, which reviewers credit with saving thousands
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5
J Trimming Tree Service
Services
Palm pruning, canopy trimming, branch removal, queen palm removal, cleanup
Service area
South Orlando
Hours
Seven days, 7:00 AM–8:00 PM
Standout
Frequently quotes substantially under larger competitors on comparable trimming work
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6
All Southern Outdoor
Services
Tree removal, stump grinding, multi-tree clearing, storm damage cleanup
Service area
Seminole County and north Orlando
Hours
Open 24 hours Sun–Fri, closed Saturday
Standout
Reputation for leaving surrounding turf and fencing untouched on difficult removals
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What tree work costs in Orlando (2026)
| Job type | Typical Orlando range | What moves the price |
|---|---|---|
|
Small tree removal (under 30 ft) |
$300 – $600 |
Crape myrtle, young pine, ornamentals |
|
Medium tree removal (30–60 ft) |
$600 – $1,200 |
Water oak, camphor, mid-size pine |
|
Large tree removal (60–80 ft) |
$1,200 – $2,500 |
Mature live oak; higher near structures |
|
Crane-assisted or hazard removal |
$2,500 – $5,000+ |
Old-growth oak, decay, lakefront or tight access |
|
Palm removal |
$250 – $1,500 |
Height; Canary Island and Washingtonia cost most |
|
Palm trimming |
$100 – $500 per palm |
Height and frond count |
|
Tree trimming / canopy raising |
$225 – $800 |
Canopy size and proximity to power lines |
|
Stump grinding |
$175 – $550 per stump |
Diameter at ground level; palm stumps often cost more |
|
Emergency / storm removal |
Add 25–50% |
Surcharge reflects crew demand and hazard conditions |
|
City of Orlando permit (residential) |
$25 |
Commercial is $50 per acre |
Always confirm stump grinding separately. It is a different machine and a separate step, and it is almost never bundled into a removal quote unless the estimate says so explicitly. Homeowners who assume otherwise get a surprise line item.
Orlando tree removal permits: read this before you cut
City of Orlando (inside city limits)
- Residential exemption: no permit is required if you obtain a report from an arborist who is TRAQ-certified by the International Society of Arboriculture, or from a Florida-licensed landscape architect, confirming the tree poses a danger. This is the fastest legitimate path for a hazardous tree.
- Commercial property: a tree permit is mandatory, with no equivalent exemption.
- Fees: $25 for residential applications, $50 per acre for commercial.
- Process: submit the application with photographs of the tree and any relevant plans, then mark the tree for inspection. A city arborist inspects within three business days and contacts you with results. Allow up to three business days for initial processing.
- Replanting: if your permit requires a replacement tree, it must be planted within 60 days, and you must notify the city within 60 days of planting to avoid a non-compliance finding.
- Check your address first using the city’s Orlando Information Locator — many addresses with Orlando mailing addresses are actually in unincorporated Orange County, where different rules apply.
- Contact: City of Orlando Families, Parks & Recreation, 407-246-2283, trees@orlando.gov.
Orange County (unincorporated areas)
- A rewritten ordinance took effect March 15, 2024 under Ordinance 2023-35, replacing rules that had stood for more than 20 years. Anything you read about Orange County tree rules published before that date may be wrong.
- Single-family and duplex homes: a permit is required if your lot is larger than 2 acres with an occupied home, or if the property is vacant. Multi-family and non-residential properties require a permit for removal.
- Fees: $121.00 for single-family or duplex parcels over 2 acres, and $177.60 for other categories, plus review fees where applicable. Permits for developed property carry a zoning arborist base fee of $247.98 plus inspection fees.
- Review: applications are reviewed by Zoning Division arborists, who conduct a site visit to verify the tree survey. Permits expire 60 days after issuance.
- Enforcement has expanded. The county doubled its arborist staff from three to six to enforce the new ordinance, and mitigation fees now fund public tree planting.
- Contact: Orange County Zoning Division Arbor Office, 407-836-5807, arborist@ocfl.net.
Five questions to ask before you hire
- “Are you licensed and insured, and can I see the certificate?” Ask for general liability and workers’ compensation. Without the latter, an injury on your property can become your liability.
- “Am I in the city or the county, and who pulls the permit?” A company working Orlando daily should answer the first part immediately. The answer to the second should be them, not you.
- “Is stump grinding included, and how deep?” Get the depth in writing — surface grinding leaves roots that block replanting.
- “Is the arborist doing my assessment TRAQ-certified?” In Orlando this is not a nicety. TRAQ certification is what the city names in its own residential exemption.
- “What does cleanup include?” Confirm whether hauling debris and raking the site are in the price or billed separately.
Red flags in the Orlando market
- Post-storm door-knockers. After a hurricane, out-of-state crews flood Central Florida. Many are uninsured and gone before problems surface.
- “You don’t need a permit for that.” Sometimes true, often not, and the liability lands on the property owner. Ask them to point to the specific exemption.
- Cash only, large deposit up front. Legitimate companies invoice and rarely need more than a modest deposit.
- No written estimate. A verbal number is not a quote. Get scope, cleanup, stump grinding, and permit responsibility itemized.
- Topping. Any crew that proposes cutting a canopy back to stubs is damaging the tree and violating ANSI A300 standards.
When to schedule in Orlando
Hurricane season runs June through November, and Central Florida takes storm damage from systems that cross the peninsula in either direction. Book preventive trimming in late winter through early spring — trees are dormant, crews have visibility without full foliage, and you are not competing with emergency calls.
Orlando also gets hard freezes that kill Norfolk Island pines and other cold-sensitive species, which produces a February and March wave of removals. If a freeze has browned a tree, wait for spring growth before deciding: some recover, and a good arborist will tell you which.
What the top-ranked companies do differently
We research tree companies across Florida for a living. The gap between the six above and the forty we did not list is rarely about skill with a chainsaw.
They run a review system, not a review habit
McCullough has 258 reviews. The median Orlando tree company has fewer than 40. That gap is not years of luck — it is a process that asks every satisfied customer, at the right moment, in a way that makes leaving a review take fifteen seconds.
They answer the phone
Tree work is urgent by nature. A homeowner with a cracked oak beside the house calls three companies and hires whoever picks up. The company that got a 30-minute callout onto this list did it by answering a Saturday afternoon call after a hurricane.
Their Google Business Profile is actually built out
Service lists, real hours, photos of completed jobs, responses to every review. Google’s local ranking rewards completeness, and most tree companies leave half the profile blank.
They show up in more than one place
Map pack, organic results, and comparison pages like this one. Homeowners rarely hire from the first result they see; they hire the company they see repeatedly.
Recent result: a client ranked on page one for “tree removal niceville” in 45 days. Ask us how.
Frequently asked questions
How much does tree removal cost in Orlando?
Most Orlando removals run $300 to $2,500 depending on height, species, and proximity to structures. A small tree under 30 feet typically costs $300 to $600; a mature live oak between 60 and 80 feet runs $1,200 to $2,500. Crane-assisted and hazard removals start around $2,500. Stump grinding is quoted separately at $150 to $500 per stump.
Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Orlando?
Inside City of Orlando limits, a residential permit is not required if you have a report from an ISA TRAQ-certified arborist or a Florida-licensed landscape architect confirming the tree poses a danger. Otherwise you apply to the city for $25. Commercial permits are mandatory at $50 per acre. In unincorporated Orange County the rules differ: single-family homes need a permit if the lot exceeds 2 acres or the property is vacant. Check whether your address is inside city limits before assuming which applies.
What changed in Orange County's tree ordinance?
Orange County adopted Ordinance 2023-35 in September 2023, and it took effect March 15, 2024, replacing a tree ordinance that had been in place for more than two decades. The county also doubled its arborist staff from three to six to enforce it, and mitigation fees collected under the new rules fund public tree planting. Guidance published before March 2024 may no longer be accurate.
Can I remove a dangerous tree without a permit in Florida?
Yes, under Florida Statute 163.045, but only if you hold written documentation from an ISA-certified arborist or a Florida-licensed landscape architect stating the tree presents an unacceptable risk and removal is the only practical way to reduce it. Obtain that documentation before the removal, not afterward. The City of Orlando specifically names TRAQ certification in its residential exemption.
What happens if I remove a protected tree without a permit?
Fines are calculated per inch of trunk diameter and scale with the size and age of the tree, and you can also be required to plant a large replacement specimen at your own expense. Orange County expanded its enforcement staff specifically to catch unpermitted removals, so the practical risk of being caught has risen since the 2024 ordinance took effect.
Is stump grinding included in tree removal?
Almost never, unless your written estimate says so explicitly. It requires separate equipment and is priced by stump diameter at ground level. In Orlando expect $150 to $500 per stump. Palm stumps often cost more than hardwood stumps of similar size because their fibrous root mats spread wide and shallow.
When is the best time to trim trees in Orlando?
Late winter through early spring. Trees are dormant, which reduces stress from pruning, and crews have better visibility without full foliage. Avoid trimming oaks in spring during sap beetle season. For removals, avoid peak hurricane season when crews are backlogged with emergency calls and prices carry a 25 to 50 percent surcharge.
How did you rank these companies?
We evaluated more than 45 established tree companies serving Orange and Seminole counties on a composite of verified Google rating, review volume, service breadth, emergency availability, and arborist credentials. Review volume is weighted alongside rating, because a 4.9 across 245 reviews is a stronger signal than a 5.0 across 15. No company paid for placement.
Nearby cities
More Florida city guides: Tampa · Jacksonville · Pensacola.
How we made this list. Tree Services Marketing is a marketing agency serving tree care companies in Florida. Rankings on this page are based on publicly available Google review data verified in July 2026 and our own evaluation criteria. No company paid to be included or to be positioned. Companies listed here may become marketing clients in the future; that would not change their position, and we would disclose it. Prices are market estimates for the Orlando area and are not quotes. Permit details are summarized from the City of Orlando and Orange County and can change — confirm current requirements with the issuing authority before any work begins.
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