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Emergency tree removal in Tallahassee starts with the city utility when a line is down, and with 911 if someone is in danger. Emergency tree removal, in this order is the full order. The local facts are that utility number, the 10-tree permit cap, and the May 10, 2024 tornado notes.
Call the city utility for a downed line
The city's contact page says utility-related emergencies go to 850-891-4968, or 711 for TDD, to report power outages and repairs, downed power lines, and faulty water, sewer, and gas lines, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If anyone is hurt or in danger, call 911 first. Call the company on your power bill if the bill does not show the city utility.
Stay away from the tree and the line. OSHA tells cleanup workers to assume all power lines are live and to stay at least 10 feet from downed lines. Stay much farther back, and treat the line as live. Tree work within 10 feet of a line is for trained tree trimmers. A tree is on a power line. What do I do? quotes OSHA and the power companies.
If a tree pulls the weather head off the house, the city says that in most cases its crew removes the meter, rolls the service wire back to the pole at the street, or both. You are responsible for the meter box and the weather head, the electrical parts attached to the house.
The tree permit
If the project does not require an EMP (an environmental management permit) and it includes tree removal, the city says the owner applies for a tree permit. One permit covers no more than 10 trees. A protected tree may be approved for removal if that resolves a safety hazard. On a single-family lot, the FAQ lists "SFR detached > 36 inches dbh" as protected. Do I need a permit to remove a tree? is the four-city list.
Who pays for a neighbor's tree is a different question. My neighbor's tree fell on my property. Who pays? quotes Louisiana's insurance department and tells you to ask your insurer.
The May 2024 storms
Numerous trees were damaged in the city on May 10, 2024. The National Weather Service says one city metric, broken power poles, put that damage at or above Hermine, Michael, and Idalia combined. The Census Vintage 2025 estimate is 204,902 people on July 1, 2025.
The cutting price depends on the tree and the job. Get written quotes from more than one licensed and insured crew. This page does not print a crew price.
The local record for Tallahassee
What it costs
In Tallahassee, the price depends on the tree and the job, including its size, where it fell, and what it is touching. Get written quotes from more than one licensed and insured crew. In an October 2024 alert after Hurricane Milton, the Florida Attorney General's office told Floridians: "Get multiple written estimates and ask whether debris removal is included in the estimate". It also said: "Get at least three written, itemized estimates on bids or repairs". And: "Check for proof of insurance and verify with the insurer that the policy is current". And: "Check to see if a company is properly licensed, insured and if there are any consumer complaints filed against a licensed contractor at MyFloridaLicense.com".
Permits and registration
The City of Tallahassee says that if a project does not require an EMP (an environmental management permit) and it proposes tree removal, the property owner must apply for a tree permit. No more than 10 trees may be removed through a single tree permit. Reasons a protected tree may be approved for removal include resolving a safety hazard. On a single-family lot, the city FAQ lists "SFR detached > 36 inches dbh" as protected. The city page uses the letters dbh without defining them. Read that page for how the city measures a tree.
Climate
The National Weather Service in Tallahassee says the May 10, 2024 tornadoes damaged numerous trees across the city and elsewhere in the forecast area. One City of Tallahassee metric, broken power poles, showed that the scale of the damage met or exceeded the damage from Hermine, Michael, and Idalia combined.
About Tallahassee
The city utility's questions page says that if a tree falls on the overhead service wire and pulls the weather head away from the house, in most cases the city crew would remove the meter, roll the service wire back to the pole at the street, or both. The same page says homeowners are responsible for electrical equipment attached to the house, such as the meter box and the weather head. The U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimate for Tallahassee city is 204,902 people on July 1, 2025. That figure describes the city. It is not a price for tree work.
Sources
How this page was checked
- Licensed professional
- None. No licensed arborist or tree contractor has checked this page.
Ask a crew about the tree
A partner tree crew can call about the tree on the house. Asking is free, and the call does not hire them. If the tree is on a power line, call 911 or the utility before you ask a crew to come.