People in Inverness and around Citrus County search for a certified arborist when a tree starts to worry them. Sometimes that is exactly who they need. Often the job is a removal or a trim, and the question that matters is whether the crew doing it knows the work. This guide explains what the credential means, when Florida law asks for one, and how to check it. Broadway Tree Care runs tree services across Citrus County.
What "certified arborist" means
In most cases it refers to the ISA Certified Arborist credential from the International Society of Arboriculture. According to ISA's program guide, a candidate needs at least three years of full-time experience in arboriculture, or a mix of education and hands-on experience, before sitting the exam. One year of full-time work counts as about 1,795 hours.
The credential lasts three years. To keep it, the holder either passes the exam again or earns at least 30 continuing education units in that period and agrees again to ISA's Code of Ethics.
One line in the guide surprises people. ISA states that its certifications do not authorize anyone to practice or to run a business. The credential shows tested knowledge of tree care. How a company handles its crew, its scheduling or its cleanup is a separate question.
When Florida law asks for a certified arborist
This is where the credential carries real weight. Under Florida statute 163.045, a local government cannot require a permit, fee or replanting to remove a tree on single-family residential property if the owner has written documentation that the tree poses an unacceptable risk. That documentation has to come from an ISA-certified arborist or a Florida landscape architect, based on an on-site assessment and signed by that professional.
So if you hope to take down a protected tree under the hazard exception, the arborist's signed assessment is what the exception rests on. Our Citrus County tree permit guide walks through the county rules and the protected-tree size.
We are a tree crew. We do not sign state hazard assessments, and we would rather say that plainly than leave it vague.
Jobs where a certified arborist's opinion helps
- A large oak near the house is declining and you want to know whether it can be saved.
- You need the signed risk assessment described above.
- A disagreement with a neighbor or an association turns on whether a tree is dangerous.
- You are weighing cabling against removal for a split trunk and want an independent opinion first.
In each of these the deliverable is a judgment, often in writing, and the credential is part of why someone else will accept it.
Jobs where the crew matters more
A pine already killed by bark beetles, a limb hanging over the roof after a storm, a stump in the way of a new fence. Here the decision is mostly made. What you need is a crew that can take the tree down without hitting anything, haul it away and leave the yard in the condition the quote describes. Our guide on signs a tree needs to be removed covers how to tell which situation you are in.
For these jobs, ask about the plan for your property: how the crew gets equipment in, what is close to the drop zone, what happens to the wood and the stump. A written scope answers those questions better than any certificate.
How to check an arborist's certification
Ask for the certification number and the name it is held under. ISA keeps a public directory of credential holders, though a holder can choose to keep a listing private, and ISA says it will verify a holder's certification status for the public. Check that the credential is current, since it expires after three years without recertification.
A company can employ one certified arborist and send a different crew to your yard. If the credential matters for your job, ask whether the certified person will be the one assessing the tree or signing the report.
Where we fit
Broadway Tree Care handles tree removal, trimming, stump grinding and storm work across Citrus County, including Inverness, Crystal River and Beverly Hills. Ask us about our qualifications when you call and we will answer directly. We do not put claims on this site that we have not shown evidence for.
If you are unsure whether a tree needs to come down, our tree health assessment is a look at the root flare, trunk and canopy before anyone decides. If you already know the tree has to go, tree removal covers how we do it, and you can request a written quote.