Tree Service in Fort Myers Beach, FL

Tree Service in Fort Myers Beach has changed since September 28, 2022. Hurricane Ian made landfall just north of the island as a Category 4, and the National Hurricane Center estimated 10 to 15 feet of storm surge inundation at Fort Myers Beach. A USGS sensor measured 12.70 feet above mean higher high water, and survey crews found marks near 15 feet. Most homes and businesses along the shore were damaged, Times Square included. Fort Myers Tree Service Pros now spends much of its time on the island taking out palms and trees that never recovered and helping owners decide what to plant as houses go back up.

Estero Island is narrow and low. The town's official elevation is 3 feet, and its 2.78 square miles of land hold about 2,000 people per square mile, so lots are small and trees stand close to houses, pools and the street. That tight spacing affects every job here. Palms are often taken down in short sections with a rope rather than felled. Stumps sit near foundations, new pilings, irrigation and buried utilities, so we locate what we can before grinding.

Salt-burned or gone?

Surge and salt spray hit palms and broadleaf trees differently. A coconut or royal palm may look dead for months with brown fronds, then push a new green spear if the bud survived. A palm whose spear leaf pulls out easily, or whose crown has collapsed, is not coming back. Broadleaf trees like sea grape and buttonwood often resprout from the trunk after defoliation, while some ornamental exotics simply don't. We tell you which category each tree falls into instead of recommending blanket removal.

Permits on a barrier island

Lee County's barrier-island vegetation page lists Fort Myers Beach among the islands where removing coconut palms and native trees requires a permit, with an exemption for removing five or fewer trees a year from a lot with an existing single-family home. The Town of Fort Myers Beach has its own land development code as well, so we confirm with the town before removing anything that might need approval. For trees documented as an unacceptable risk by an ISA certified arborist or a Florida licensed landscape architect, Florida Statute 163.045 limits what a local government can require on single-family property.

Getting rid of the debris

Waste Management picks up yard waste on the island on Thursdays. Palm fronds can go out unbundled up to 50 pounds; beyond that they must be bundled, bagged or containerized at 50 pounds or less. Branches have to be cut to 6 feet or shorter. On our jobs, debris leaves with us, which matters on streets where curb space is already taken by construction dumpsters.

Planting for the next storm

If you are replanting, UF/IFAS hurricane research is worth a look. Cabbage palm, live oak, sand live oak, buttonwood, gumbo limbo and sea grape all rank as wind resistant or fairly so, and native species generally lose fewer branches than exotics. Queen palms and Washington palms are among the least wind resistant. Leave room for roots; the same research found more rooting space means a healthier tree.

Island jobs we take on

• Coconut palm trimming and coconut removal over walkways and parking
• Removing palms and trees killed by surge
• Stump grinding before new landscaping goes in
• Clearing trees away from new construction and elevated decks
• Light pruning of sea grapes and buttonwoods to keep views open

Call (239) 236-3651 to schedule a free on-site estimate on the island. Get a free estimate