Tree Service Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, we have $1 million in general liability coverage. We also carry workers compensation insurance and commercial auto insurance. We have a business license through the city of Jacksonville. Please call or email us to request a copy of our insurance and/or business license.
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Tree service professionals are not required in the state of Florida to be bonded. Nor are they required to obtain a state contractor’s license. We are, however, registered as a business through Florida’s Division of Corporations under the name Above and Beyond Tree Services Inc. You can see that listing here.
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To avoid additional costs, hassles and project delays, we recommend you consider the following before doing any tree work:
It is the property owner’s responsibility to obtain all appropriate approvals and permits. It is also the property owner’s responsibility to determine and mark all underground lines.
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- If you live in a community that has a homeowners association, find out under what circumstances, if any, you need to obtain an approval from your local HOA board. Each community has its own regulations and requirements. We recommend that you ask first, and don’t assume anything.
- Under some circumstances, the city of Jacksonville may require you to obtain a permit to remove what it deems as a historic tree or a tree larger than a certain girth. Contact the city if you have any questions about a tree you are considering having removed. Jacksonville Beach Permit Application Neptune Beach Permit Application Atlantic Beach Permit Application
- The city of Jacksonville does require you to obtain a permit to remove trees on commercial property. Contact the city for more information.
- Other cities within Duval County do require permits to remove trees. Find out if you live in one of those cities what steps you need to take to obtain the appropriate approvals.
- If you are considering having a stump grinded, or, if you are concerned about having work done over certain areas of your yard, we highly recommend you reach out to your local utility company to have underground utility lines marked and consult with a septic company to mark your septic tank and system. Lastly, if you have underground irrigation lines, consider having your lawn care professionals mark those lines.
It is the property owner’s responsibility to obtain all appropriate approvals and permits. It is also the property owner’s responsibility to determine and mark all underground lines.
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Estimates for tree service work are free. We can provide you with an itemized written estimate, or we can email or text you the estimate.
There are a number of factors that determine pricing for tree trimming and removal, such as:
It is virtually impossible to give you an accurate price for a job over the phone, even if you provide a photo. Estimates are always free.
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There are a number of factors that determine pricing for tree trimming and removal, such as:
- Size of the tree
- Accessibility and location within the yard
- Types of equipment needed
- Estimated amount of time and number of team members required to complete the job
- Risk factors (such as nearby high-tension power lines or other obstacles that could make the job potentially more dangerous)
- For trimming estimates, how much you want trimmed (Some of the most commons requests include: trimming a certain distance away from structures, trimming the lowest limbs, shaping from the top and on the sides, trimming out dead and/or hanging branches.)
It is virtually impossible to give you an accurate price for a job over the phone, even if you provide a photo. Estimates are always free.
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Tree cavities are typically created when branches grow away from each other, forming a pocket, or cavity in the trunk of the tree. While tree cavities are relatively common in nature, they can lead to a decline in the tree’s health over time because an excessive amount of water can collect there and softens the tree from the inside out, making them much more vulnerable during heavy winds and rain.
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Dying trees usually have telltale signs such as peeling/missing bark, discolored bark or leaves, falling limbs and limbs that do not regrow leaves. Dead trees typically discolored and/or leafless.
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Trees have a life cycle similar to animals. There are trees in their youth, in their prime, and in their declining years. Different species of trees age at different rates. How often you should trim your trees is partially determined by the stage of their life cycle and other circumstances such as surrounding foliage, distance to structures, and personal preference. As a general rule of thumb, however, we recommend considering trimming trees once a year to maintain their health. In our opinion, you should never trim more than one-third of a tree’s foliage at one time because you take the risk of shocking the tree, which could kill it.
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Yes, you can trim branches from a neighbor’s tree that cross over your property line. You cannot cross the property line, however.
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We can give you one price to remove the tree and a separate price to grind the stump. Grinding the stump is an additional cost because it requires a separate piece of equipment and adds to the overall time spent on the job.
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Some species of trees can sprout from the stump after the tree is removed. Whether or not it will happen and how quickly it will happen depends on a number of factors that include the species of the tree and its general health before being removed. There are some products you can buy at hardware and home improvement stores to try to prevent a tree from sprouting, but the most reliable method of preventing a tree from sprouting that we know of is to grind the stump.
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We typically grind stumps 4-6 inches below the surface, stump grinding produces stump mulch, which we rake back into the area where the stump was located. Over time, the mulch breaks down into solid and grass can grow back over the area. Occasionally, when we grind larger stumps, it leaves a large amount of stump mulch. Some property owners prefer to use the excess mulch in flower beds or playground areas, we can provide you with a price for hauling the mulch. Some stumps also have feeder roots. We can provide you with an estimate to grind any or all feeder roots.
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Removing a stump is much more time consuming, costly, and intrusive method of eliminating a stump than stump grinding, in our opinion. It requires pulling the entire stump out of the ground with a heavy piece of machinery and is much more likely to rip out portions of your yard along with the stump. With a portable stump grinder, we can grind below the surface to eliminate a stump above ground that is unsightly or a trip hazard.
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In some instances, during heavy wind and rain events, trees fall over, exposing a portion of or all of the root ball. We call the exposed root ball portion of the tree a blow over stump. We price the fallen tree and the blow over stump separately because even though the root ball is above ground, it still requires a separate piece of equipment to grind. It is still more economical to grind the stump, in most cases, rather than to try to remove it whole. Blow over stumps do occasionally, but not always, fall back into the ground after the weight of the tree is removed. Depending on the circumstances, we usually recommend that you consider having a blow over stump grinded along with removing a fallen tree.
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In most cases, we do not recommend that you try to plant a tree in the exact spot you had one removed because there are likely still feeder roots, and portions of stump well below the surface that could potentially prevent a young tree from growing at its full potential because it normally takes more time for a new tree to grow around old roots. Instead, we recommend you choosing a different location in your yard far enough away to give the roots of the new tree the opportunity to take hold as soon as possible to establish a healthy beginning.
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Under some circumstances, the city of Jacksonville may require you to obtain a permit to remove a very large hardwood tree. Contact the city if you have any questions about a tree you are considering having removed. The city of Jacksonville does require you to obtain a permit to remove trees on commercial property. Contact the city for more information, other cities within duval county does require permits to remove trees. Find out if you live in one of those cities what steps you need to take to obtain all appropriate approvals. It is the customers responsibility to obtain all appropriate approvals from their community.
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Yes, we are experienced in working around power lines. On occasion, we also coordinate with local utility companies to assist us in working around power lines. That may include requesting the electric company to cover power lines, temporary drop the electrical service line, or trim limbs that are directly touching the high voltage lines.
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If a dead branch or tree on your property falls and damages your neighbors property you could be held liable for negligence.
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No, customers do not need to be home during the tree service as long as we have access to the property. Customers are always welcome to stay and watch however, if they’d like.
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We do not expect payment until the job is complete. Invoices are due upon receipt, you can pay the crew leader, you can mail us a check, or you can pay online or over the phone.
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Once we have received confirmation that you’d like to proceed with the tree work someone from the office will call, text or email you with the proposed date for the tree work. The timeframe for the work to-be done will depend on the time of year and the size and scope of the work. Someone from the office will typically call you the day before your scheduled work to remind you of the date. There are factors that could impact your scheduled tree work such as emergencies and inclement weather but we will do. Our best to keep you updated with any changes as they come up.
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Yes if you’d like to keep some or all of the wood we can cut it up into firewood sized pieces, just let the estimator know that at the time of the estimate.
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Tree work can be extremely dangerous, that’s why it's important to have the right equipment, experienced and professional crew, and safety guidelines. We have all these things. We also carry general liability and workers compensation insurance that we can provide upon request.
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Regular tree trimming is integral to your tree's health. Not only does it encourage healthy new growth but it also prevents damage from falling branches that are dead/dying or wedged into other limbs.
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Yes, we’d be happy to provide you the names and contact information for some of our recent satisfied customers.
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Checkout our ad in the money pages for our latest specials and discounts you can also ask the estimator when he provides you with the estimate. We also have an ad in the Mint magazine.
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We do our best to avoid any damage to your yard, there are however some jobs where surface damage to your yard is more likely because of the size of the limbs or tree that we are removing this damage is generally limited to divots caused from the impact of limbs and logs hitting the ground.
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Most of the wood that is too large to chip up is hauled away by one of our loader trucks. Some of the higher quality woof is split for firewood. The rest of the wood is taken to a wood recycling facility.
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We service the greater Jacksonville area, including the city of Jacksonville, the Beaches, St. John’s county, Clay county, Nassau county.
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Yes we offer 24 hour emergency’s services. To reach us for an emergency services request. Call 904-928-3568 and dial extension 700. We give emergency jobs priority based on the extent of the damage and the potential danger.
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It varies by tree species, but in general the best time to trim is when the tree is dormant, in the fall and winter. Summer is the best time to assess tree health. Trimming out dead dying or hanging limbs is safe to do for all tree species year round.
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Occasionally yes. We haven’t come across a tree yet that didn’t have some six to eight-legged residents and we can usually work around them. But if we encounter a high severally aggressive stinging insects it may affect progress on the tree work until a licensed professional can address the situation. The customer would be responsible for that additional and unexpected cost.
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We have two estimators, Kevin Brislin the owner of the company. Also David Withers, the General manager. Both our estimators have a wealth of knowledge about the tree industry and years of experience. They can provide you with honest and informative answers about your tree concerns to help you make a decision on your tree work.
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Potentially yes, we can offer a service that we call "cut and drop". That means when we trim or remove the tree we literally leave the debris where it falls. You should be aware however, the tree debris can leave a very big mess. There are many variations of this service however, such as paying to have the limbs only removed and the wood left, or depending on the situation paying to have the debris left in a wounded area on your property. The estimator can discuss all the options with you.
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In general, no. In our opinion treating the area where cuts were made which are called wounds, doesn’t necessarily help it heal. Trees naturally seal over wounds to protect themselves. Coating the wounds of the wood before it has had the chance to seal naturally could affect the tree's natural ability to seal. The artificial coat can crack over time allowing insects to get in and cause damage.
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No, we don’t use any chemicals. We use our machinery and chainsaws during the tree service process.
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Depending on the season and hose busy the estimator is , we try to schedule all estimates within a week they are requested. If you are unable to meet directly with the estimator but can describe to him clearly what yours like the estimate for we can leave a written estimate for you.
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If you'd like to schedule the work you can electronically accept the estimate that is emailed to you. You can also send a separate email or call us to let us know you’d like to schedule the work.
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If a living tree in your yard falls into your neighbors property during a weather event or because of another natural cause (in other words through no fault of your own) it is considered a so called “act of God” The neighbor would be responsible for removing any tree debris that fell over their property line. IF there is any damage to your neighbors property due to the fallen tree they should contact their homeowners insurance.
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In our opinion, tree limbs should be trimmed back 8-10 feet from your house and roof at all times. We suggest keeping limbs that far back for several reasons. To avoid an easy access point for critters to get onto your roof and into your attic. To reduce the risk of damage from limbs hitting your roof and house. Many homeowner’s insurance companies require you to keep limbs a certain distance from your roof and house (the distance can vary among insurance companies but the minimum is typically 8-10 feet) to keep your home and property looking its best.
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Yes, the mulch is completely free
When delivering mulch, we are warning you that these trucks are very large and heavy. We will not be held responsible for cracked driveways or ruts in yards. We will not deliver if there are any low hanging wires to access your yard. We cannot fit, and we will not try and squeeze. If you are asking us to drive through your yard we will not be held responsible to any damage to the yard. We will not drive in yards that are soft or muddy, we will not risk getting stuck. We ask that if your yard is soft or muddy that you have another spot we can access safely to dump the mulch. If asked to drive in yard we will not be held responsible for any underground damage, (ex: septic tanks, water lines, etc) We must be made aware of these and marked so our guys can avoid them.
We do not come back and pick up the mulch. We are making you aware up-front that the mulch is all natural comes straight from the trees we cut down or remove. We are letting you know the loads are rather large loads. We will not come back and pick the mulch up.
- If you are interested Send us the info requested below!
- FREE MULCH!
- The mulch Above and Beyond Tree Service offers is ALL natural (comes straight from the trees we cut, feeds into chipper )
- The mulch is not processed or Dyed
- Our Free mulch are large loads, the largest load is the size of a small SUV
- The mulch is NOT available for pick up, we do not keep the mulch at our shop, we dump our trucks daily.
- What we need from you :
- Provide your
- Name
- Address
- Phone Number
- Email (optional)
- How many loads you would like
- Small Descriptions where you would like the mulch Dumped.
When delivering mulch, we are warning you that these trucks are very large and heavy. We will not be held responsible for cracked driveways or ruts in yards. We will not deliver if there are any low hanging wires to access your yard. We cannot fit, and we will not try and squeeze. If you are asking us to drive through your yard we will not be held responsible to any damage to the yard. We will not drive in yards that are soft or muddy, we will not risk getting stuck. We ask that if your yard is soft or muddy that you have another spot we can access safely to dump the mulch. If asked to drive in yard we will not be held responsible for any underground damage, (ex: septic tanks, water lines, etc) We must be made aware of these and marked so our guys can avoid them.
We do not come back and pick up the mulch. We are making you aware up-front that the mulch is all natural comes straight from the trees we cut down or remove. We are letting you know the loads are rather large loads. We will not come back and pick the mulch up.
- We cannot guarantee a certain time or date of delivery of the free mulch.
- We map out mulch spots based on the Jobs we have in that area. From that point we call, text or email to see if you are still interested. We will not deliver if you do it answer your phone/text. We do try to plan ahead but our schedule is constantly changing. Some times in certain cases we will be in an area and need a dump spot immediately, we call and the first person to respond is the person who gets the mulch.
Legally you can cut or grind any portion of a tree that is over your property line. Depending on the tree species however, cutting major roots can destabilize a tree.
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There are several options for how you’d like to have a tree trimmed. They include raising the canopy ,which includes trimming the lower limbs of the tree. Trimming out center suckers, which means removing the very small twig branches from the larger branches on the tree, giving the tree a more clean, or polished look. Trimming away from the roof or house ( this could be any amount, but we typically suggest 8-10feet) Trimming sky high to the property line which means trimming the side of the tree all the way up to its top and back to the edge of your property. Topping a tree, which is generally not recommended for the health of the tree, but includes removing a segment of the tree from the top.
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It depends on the size of the tree. Large trees, which are 70 feet tall or taller, should be at least 20 feet from the home. Medium size trees up to 70 feet should be 15 ft from the home. Small trees 30 feet tall and smaller, should be no closer than 10 feet from the home.
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We have backyard lifts that are designed to fit into small spaces, but there are instances where even our lifts wont fit into extremely tight spaces. If that is the case, owner Kevin Brislin is an extremely experienced and capable tree climber.
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No, we never require payment until the job is completely done.
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We try not to disturb any wildlife In the trees where we are doing work. If we feel like any wild animals may be in danger during the work, we will encourage them to move, we have an occasion also taken animals that appear to be in distress to organizations that specialize in caring for injured or sick animals.
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We recommend that you ask first, and don’t assume anything. Each HOA is different, and therefore may have different requirements and regulations for tree work. If you live in a community that has a homeowners association. Find out under what circumstances, if any , you need to obtain an approval from your local HOA board. Sometimes obtaining that approval may take time and therefore it may be better to wait for the approval before scheduling the tree work. Also find out if there are any restrictions on the hours during the day, and the days of the week vendors are allowed to conduct business in your community. It is the customers responsibility to obtain all the appropriate approvals from their communities.
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Yes, we have a personal protective equipment policy and we require our crew members to wear hard hats and other safety gear on all jobs.
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If you are considering having a stump ground or if you are concerned about having work done over certain areas of your yard, we highly recommend you reach out to your local utility company to have underground utility lines marked and consult with a septic company to mark your septic tank and system. Lastly if you have underground irrigation lines, consider having your lawn care professionals mark those lines. It is also the property owners responsibility to determine and mark all underground lines. Above and beyond tree Service will not be held responsible for any damage related to anything underground that was not previously marked and brought to the companies attention.
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We accept cash, checks, money orders, and credit cards. There is a small service fee for credit card payments.
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To avoid additional cost, hassles and project delays, we recommend you consider the following before doing any tree work:
- Does your home owners association require an approval?
- Does the city you live in requires a permit?
- Are there any underground utility, irrigation, sewer lines that could be impacted.
- Has everything been moved out of the way of the tree, such as flower pots, wind chimes, furniture, etc?
Estimates for tree service work are free. We can provide you with an itemized written estimate, or we can email or text you the estimate.
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