4.9 · 462 Google reviews · Licensed & Insured
How to Verify a Tree Company Is Really Licensed and Insured
Ask for the certificate, call the carrier, check the coverage type. A five-minute check that protects you from a very expensive mistake.
“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.”
- 462 Google reviews
- Licensed & Insured
- ISA Certified Arborist on staff
- Pinellas since 1989
This is a five-minute check, and it’s the single most important thing you can do before letting anyone climb a tree or run a chainsaw on your property. Here’s how to actually do it, not just what to ask for.
Step 1: Understand what "licensed" means for tree work in Florida
Unlike some trades, tree care and removal in Florida is largely regulated at the local level, city and county licensing and permitting, rather than through one uniform statewide contractor license. That’s worth knowing because it means "are you licensed" doesn’t have the same simple yes/no answer it would for, say, a roofer with a state license number. Confirm current local licensing requirements with your specific city or county if that matters to you, and treat insurance, covered below, as the check that carries the real weight, since it’s more consistently verifiable than licensing status across this fragmented regulatory picture.
Step 2: Ask for a Certificate of Insurance, and don’t stop there
Every legitimate tree company should be able to produce a Certificate of Insurance (COI) without hesitation. But don’t treat receiving a PDF from the contractor as the finish line. A certificate forwarded by the company itself can be outdated, altered, or simply no longer reflect an active policy by the time you see it. The stronger version: ask that the certificate come directly from the insurance agent or carrier, or call the agent listed on the certificate yourself to confirm the policy is currently active and covers the work being done.
Step 3: Know what you’re actually checking for
Two different coverages matter, and they cover two different risks:
- General liability covers damage to your property caused by the work
, a limb that takes out a fence, a rigging mishap that damages your roof.
- Workers' compensation covers an injury to a worker while they’re on your property doing the job. This is the coverage people forget to ask about, and it’s arguably the more expensive gap if it’s missing, an injured, uninsured worker on your land is a serious exposure, and the specifics of what your own homeowner’s policy would or wouldn’t cover in that scenario are worth confirming with your own agent as well.
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.
Step 4: Match the coverage to the actual work
Confirm the policy covers tree work specifically, including elevated and rigging work if that’s part of your job, a general liability policy written for a different type of business isn’t the same as one written for tree care.
Why this five minutes matters more than almost anything else in the hiring decision
Tree work carries real physical risk, falling limbs, heavy equipment, people working at height with chainsaws. An uninsured crew isn’t just a compliance technicality; it’s a direct financial exposure to you if something goes wrong on your property. This is, honestly, the check that separates a real tree company from a truck and a chainsaw more reliably than almost anything else you could ask about.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is tree work licensed by the state of Florida the way roofing or electrical work is? Not the same way, it’s largely regulated locally rather than through one statewide contractor license, which makes insurance verification the check that matters most.
What’s the difference between general liability and workers' comp? General liability covers property damage from the work; workers' comp covers a worker’s injury on your property. You need both confirmed.
Why isn’t a certificate emailed by the contractor good enough? It can be outdated or no longer active, a certificate from the agent or carrier directly, or a confirming phone call, is what you can trust.
What actually happens to a homeowner if an uninsured worker is hurt on their property? That depends on your own policy and the facts involved, confirm with your own insurance agent what your coverage would do in that scenario.
Next step
Call (727) 365-1803 or request a free estimate and ask us for our Certificate of Insurance directly, we expect the question.
Google reviews
Rated 4.9 by 462 of your neighbors.
Reviews · How to Verify a Tree Company Is Really Licensed and Insured
4.9
462 reviews on Google, the count on our public Google listing
“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.”
“This was the second time I'd hired Happy's to take down some dead trees and I couldn't be happier with the job they did. First off they gave me a great price for the amount of work I needed done.”
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.
Is tree work licensed by the state of Florida the way roofing or electrical work is?
Not the same way. Tree care and removal in Florida is largely regulated at the local level, city and county business licensing and permitting, rather than through a single statewide contractor license the way some trades are. That makes local licensing and, most importantly, insurance verification the checks that actually protect you, since "licensed" doesn’t mean the same specific thing here that it does for a general contractor. Confirm current local requirements with your city or county if you want the specifics for your address.
What's the difference between general liability and workers' comp, and why do I need to know?
General liability covers damage to your property from the work. Workers' compensation covers an injury to a worker while on your property. You genuinely need both confirmed, a company with only general liability can leave you exposed if a climber is hurt doing work on your land, in some circumstances.
Why isn't a certificate emailed by the contractor good enough?
Because it can be outdated, altered, or simply no longer active by the time you see it, and a contractor forwarding a PDF isn’t the same as an active, verified policy. A certificate issued directly by the insurance agent or carrier, or confirmed by a phone call to them, is the version you can actually trust.
What actually happens to a homeowner if an uninsured worker is hurt on their property?
This is exactly the expensive scenario insurance verification exists to prevent, and the specifics depend on your own homeowner’s policy and the facts of the situation, which is a good reason to also confirm with your own insurance agent what your policy would and wouldn’t cover in that circumstance before hiring anyone.