4.9 · 462 Google reviews · Licensed & Insured
Licensed, Insured and Trained: How We Work Safely
Insurance certificates on request, trained employed crews, and ANSI Z133 safety practice on every job site. Ask us for the paperwork. (727) 365-1803.
“Happy trees did an amazing job cutting my trees and providing information. Steve was really nice and knowledgeable. Great communication and pricing. Definitely will be using their service again!!”
- 462 Google reviews
- Licensed & Insured
- ISA Certified Arborist on staff
- Pinellas since 1989
Tree work is one of the most dangerous trades in the country. Chainsaws, height, rigging under load, and thousands of pounds of wood moving over a house that somebody lives in.
Which is why a badge image on a website is worth nothing, and why this page does something different: it tells you exactly what to ask for, and invites you to ask us for it.
Ask for the certificate. From everyone.
Not "are you insured", anybody will say yes to that. Ask for a certificate of insurance, and ask for it to be sent to you directly. We will provide ours on request.
Then read it for two things:
General liability. This covers damage to your property. Note that the classification on the certificate matters, not just the number, a policy written for landscape or lawn maintenance does not cover a company working at height in a tree. The City of Dunedin’s ordinance actually spells this out, requiring tree companies working in the city to carry general liability "of the classification type that describes the insurer as a tree service company" and stating in terms that landscape or lawn maintenance liability does not qualify. That is a code requirement, and it is a very good thing for a homeowner anywhere to check.
Workers' compensation. This is the one that can reach you personally. If an uninsured worker is hurt in your tree, on your property, the exposure does not stay with the contractor. Ask whether the crew are employees covered by workers' comp, or subcontractors, and if they are subcontractors, whose policy covers them.
There is a step-by-step guide to checking all of this, on us or anyone else, at how to verify a licensed and insured tree company in Florida.
Who is standing in your yard
Happy’s has been family owned and operated since 1989. The person who comes out to look at your tree is the person you can call about it afterwards.
That is a safety statement as much as a service one. Ask any tree company who will be on your property, whose insurance covers them, who is operating the crane or the lift, and who you call if something goes wrong. Then listen carefully to the answer. Ask us the same questions; we would rather you did.
It also means accountability does not move. If something goes wrong on your property, there is no second company to point at.
ANSI Z133 is the standard, and it is not optional
ANSI Z133 is the American National Standard for arboricultural operations, the industry’s safety standard for tree care work. It covers electrical hazard clearances, personal protective equipment, chainsaw handling, rigging practice, drop-zone control and work positioning at height.
What it looks like on a job site, from the customer’s side of the tape:
Nobody works alone in a tree
There is a ground worker in position, watching, with the ability to respond.
A drop zone is established and kept clear
including of the homeowner, which is why we will politely ask you to stand somewhere else.
PPE is worn, not carried
Helmet, eye protection, hearing protection, leg protection, saddle and lifeline where the work requires it.
Power lines are treated as energized
Minimum approach distances are respected and utility clearance is arranged rather than improvised.
Rigging is loaded deliberately
Sections are lowered under control rather than dropped and hoped for.
If a crew is in your tree in shorts and sneakers with no helmet, you are watching an uninsurable job in progress. That is a signal you can read without knowing anything about arboriculture.
Start here
Send us a photo of the tree.
You do not have to know whether it needs to come down. That is the part we are for.
- One photo, whole tree in frameTrunk base to top. A close-up of anything that looks wrong helps.
- Text us the photoThe text button below opens the right thread. Add your street and city.
- We come out and lookEvery estimate is in person, free, sometimes the answer is that it needs nothing.
The regulatory side people forget
Several jurisdictions in this county put the tree contractor on the hook alongside the homeowner for an unpermitted removal:
Pinellas County § 58-810(b)
makes liability joint and several across everyone who caused or contributed to the violation, and it follows people who no longer own the property.
St. Petersburg § 16.40.060.5.5
applies expressly to "all tree removal companies."
Gulfport § 22-14.02
makes the building contractor separately guilty.
Safety Harbor § 153.10(E)
fines a contractor $1,000, $2,000 or $3,000 progressively and suspends them from filing permit applications in the city.
Tarpon Springs § 133.09(B)(2)
directs stop work orders at "the person or firm actually performing the physical labors."
Pulling the permit is a safety practice too. A company that shrugs at the paperwork is telling you something about how it handles everything else.
For HOAs and property managers
Managed properties usually need certificates on file before a crew is on site, a named contact, and documented scope. That is normal for us rather than an exception, see the HOA and property manager storm tree plan.
Frequently asked questions
Are you insured? Yes, and we will send the certificate rather than ask you to take our word for it. Request it before you accept any estimate, from us and from every other bidder.
Who is going to be on my property? A Happy’s crew, with an ISA Certified Arborist on staff who has looked at the tree first. Ask for the certificate of insurance before you accept any estimate, ours or anyone else’s.
Why does the insurance classification matter? Because a policy written for lawn or landscape maintenance is not a tree service policy. Dunedin’s code says so explicitly. Read the classification line, not just the limit.
What if a worker is injured on my property? That is what workers' compensation is for, and it is the single most important question to ask a contractor before hiring. If the answer is vague, keep calling.
How do I compare bids properly? How to choose a tree service company in Clearwater walks through it, what to ask, what a real quote should specify, and which cheap bids are cheap for a reason.
Call (727) 365-1803 and ask us for the paperwork before anything else.
Google reviews
Rated 4.9 by 462 of your neighbors.
Reviews · Licensed, Insured and Trained: How We Work Safely
4.9
462 reviews on Google, the count on our public Google listing
“Happy trees did an amazing job cutting my trees and providing information. Steve was really nice and knowledgeable. Great communication and pricing. Definitely will be using their service again!!”
“Fast quote and when we decided it was time to remove our Oak, they were there on time and ready to get to work. They have all the equipment necessary for this huge job and work very efficiently.”
Every one of these lives on our public Google listing, where we cannot edit or delete a word. Read them all on Google →