Tree Service in St. James City, FL

Tree Service in St. James City is island work, even though Pine Island isn't a sandy barrier island like Sanibel. It is made of the same coral rock as the mainland and is the largest island on the Gulf Coast of peninsular Florida. St. James City covers the southern half of it, about 14.6 square miles of land between San Carlos Bay, Pine Island Sound and Matlacha Pass. Stringfellow Road runs up the island, and the only road to the mainland is Pine Island Road, County Road 78. Fort Myers Tree Service Pros makes the trip from Fort Myers, 26 miles by road, to prune, remove and clean up trees across the community.

Q: How hard did Ian hit here? A: Very hard. Ian devastated Pine Island, badly damaged the bridge to the mainland, and wrecked the island's power grid, which wasn't fully rebuilt until March 2023. The National Hurricane Center estimated 6 to 9 feet of surge for Pine Island, Cape Coral and the other communities at the mouth of the Caloosahatchee. Many St. James City trees that survived the wind spent hours in salt water. Some recovered; others are still declining.

Q: Who lives here, and when? A: The community's median age was 66.7 at the 2020 census, with 55.6% of residents 65 or older. The census also found 39.6% of its 3,467 housing units vacant at the time of the count, and 47.1% of residents lived in areas classified as rural. If your home sits empty for months, a tree problem can grow without anyone noticing. We can check the trees before you leave in spring and take care of anything urgent while you're gone.

Q: Are permits different on Pine Island? A: Somewhat. Lee County's barrier-island vegetation process includes Greater Pine Island, but on Pine Island it applies only to residential parcels of 2 acres or more. The county's general guide also sets the island's clearing threshold for single-family property at over 2 acres, compared with 5 acres elsewhere. For a typical house lot, removing five or fewer trees a year from a lot with an existing home is exempt. Mangroves along the canals and shoreline are protected by state law whether alive or dead.

Q: Who handles trees near the power lines? A: Pine Island is served by LCEC. The cooperative says only line clearance qualified arborists should work within 10 feet of its lines and offers a free site visit when private work is needed near a distribution line. Because palms can't be reduced in height, LCEC recommends removal when one grows into its lines.

Q: What do you usually do in St. James City?

• Remove palms and trees killed by salt and surge
• Trim coconut and royal palms on canal lots
• Prune sea grapes, buttonwoods and gumbo limbos away from houses
• Grind stumps before replanting
• Clean up after summer storms

Q: How do I get started? A: Call (239) 236-3651 or send the form. We group Pine Island jobs to make the drive worthwhile, and we'll give you a written estimate before any work is scheduled. Get a free estimate