4.9 · 462 Google reviews · Licensed & Insured
Happy’s › Services › Storm Damage Tree Cleanup & Debris Removal
Storm Damage Tree Cleanup & Debris Removal
After the wind: hangers cut out, split trees assessed, debris hauled and the property made safe again. Family owned and operated since 1989. (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
Pinellas County sits on a peninsula that gets the full range of Florida storm weather, tropical systems, straight-line wind events, and some of the most frequent lightning activity in the country. After any of it, the work usually splits into two different jobs: getting an active hazard handled immediately (see our emergency tree service page if that’s your situation right now), and the broader cleanup and assessment that follows once the immediate danger is addressed. This page covers the second part.
What storm cleanup actually involves
Downed limb and tree debris removal
across the property, not just the single obviously-broken tree, storm winds put stress on every tree on a lot, not just the one that failed.
Sectioning and removing trees that came down
onto structures, fences, or other landscaping, in a controlled sequence rather than cutting through wood that may still be under tension from how it fell.
A walk of the remaining trees
checking for damage that isn’t as obvious as an outright failure, a cracked but still-attached limb, a lean that wasn’t there before the storm, root plate movement in saturated soil. See our tree risk assessment page for what that check specifically looks for.
Grinding out stumps
from trees that failed at the base, if that’s part of your cleanup plan. See our stump removal page.
Debris hauling
chipped or removed from the property so the yard is usable again.
The permit question doesn’t disappear because it was a storm
One thing worth knowing before cleanup starts: Pinellas County’s current tree ordinance doesn’t carve out an automatic exception for storm-damaged trees. A tree that came down partially, or is now clearly declining after storm stress, is generally still a "protected tree" requiring a permit to finish removing, even though it’s damaged. What the tree’s condition can do is reduce or eliminate the replanting obligation, not the permit requirement itself. The one real exception is a documented finding under Florida Statute § 163.045, for a qualifying single-family home where an ISA Certified Arborist determines the tree poses a risk that can’t be reduced any way short of removal, see our hazardous tree removal page for how that works. We’ll tell you plainly which situation applies to your property before cutting starts on anything that’s still technically standing.
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.
How we actually do it
After a major storm, we prioritize by hazard level across a property, not by which tree looks worst from the street, a partially-fallen tree resting against a structure or blocking access gets handled before cosmetic limb debris in an open yard. Man lifts and grapple trucks do the routine work and a crane goes on the technical picks, so the plan is settled before anyone is standing in your yard.
Where a fallen tree is resting on something, a fence, a shed, a parked car, we assess whether it’s under tension before cutting, since storm- felled wood doesn’t always behave the way a controlled removal does. Trees too large or awkwardly positioned to safely section by hand get lifted clear with the crane; see the crane-assisted removal page. Once the property is cleared, we’ll flag anything on the remaining trees that’s worth a closer look, rather than leave you to notice a hidden problem months later.
Frequently Asked Questions
A tree survived the storm but looks different, is it still a problem? Possibly. A tree that stayed standing can still have hidden damage, a cracked major limb that hasn’t fully separated, root plate movement from saturated, wind-loaded soil, or a lean that wasn’t there before. Worth a look even if nothing obviously failed. See our tree risk assessment page.
Do I need a permit to remove a tree that came down in a storm? Often yes, Pinellas County’s current tree code doesn’t have an automatic storm-damage exemption, so a storm-damaged protected tree generally still needs a permit to remove, the same as a healthy one, though its condition can reduce the replanting requirement. The one exception is a documented hazardous-tree finding under Florida Statute § 163.045 on a qualifying property. See our tree permit page and our hazardous tree removal page.
How much debris cleanup is included versus billed separately? That depends on the scope, a single downed tree is different from a property with multiple trees and widespread limb debris after a major wind event. We’ll scope debris hauling as part of the estimate, whether that’s one tree or a whole-property cleanup.
Should I prune trees before hurricane season to prevent this? It can help, reducing deadwood and excess wind-catch in a dense canopy are legitimate pre-season steps. It won’t guarantee a tree survives a major storm untouched, but it reduces the odds of the most preventable kind of failure. See our tree pruning page.
Can you assess multiple trees on a property after a storm at once? Yes, a whole-property walk after a significant wind event, checking every tree rather than just the one that’s obviously down, is common after Pinellas storms. See our arborist consultation page for that kind of broader visit.
Post-storm crews respond throughout Clearwater, Tarpon Springs, Safety Harbor, and the rest of Pinellas County.
Next step
Call (727) 365-1803 or request a free estimate for post-storm cleanup, and if something is actively unsafe right now rather than just needing cleanup, see our emergency tree service page instead.
Google reviews
Rated 4.9 by 462 of your neighbors.
Reviews · Storm Damage Tree Cleanup & Debris Removal
4.9
462 reviews on Google, the count on our public Google listing
“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.”
“Steven was great, him and his crew got out early and was here all day taking out my four laurel oaks for me. Start to finish it was a pleasure working with happy tree service. The speed and efficiency of the work was fantastic.”
Every one of these lives on our public Google listing, where we cannot edit or delete a word. Read them all on Google →
Frequently asked
Questions we get asked on this one.
A tree survived the storm but looks different, is it still a problem?
Possibly. A tree that stayed standing can still have hidden damage, a cracked major limb that hasn’t fully separated, root plate movement from saturated, wind-loaded soil, or a lean that wasn’t there before. Worth a look even if nothing obviously failed. See our tree risk assessment page.
Do I need a permit to remove a tree that came down in a storm?
Often yes, Pinellas County’s current tree code doesn’t have an automatic storm-damage exemption, so a storm-damaged protected tree generally still needs a permit to remove, the same as a healthy one, though its condition can reduce the replanting requirement. The one exception is a documented hazardous-tree finding under Florida Statute § 163.045 on a qualifying property. See our tree permit page and our hazardous tree removal page.
How much debris cleanup is included versus billed separately?
That depends on the scope, a single downed tree is different from a property with multiple trees and widespread limb debris after a major wind event. We’ll scope debris hauling as part of the estimate, whether that’s one tree or a whole-property cleanup.
Should I prune trees before hurricane season to prevent this?
It can help, reducing deadwood and excess wind-catch in a dense canopy are legitimate pre-season steps. It won’t guarantee a tree survives a major storm untouched, but it reduces the odds of the most preventable kind of failure. See our tree pruning page.
Can you assess multiple trees on a property after a storm at once?
Yes, a whole-property walk after a significant wind event, checking every tree rather than just the one that’s obviously down, is common after Pinellas storms. See our arborist consultation page for that kind of broader visit.